TV and radio star Baz Ashmawy has been announced as the host of the 2023 Irish Animation Awards.
The awards are organised by Animation Ireland, the representative body for Irish animation studios.
The event in the Irish animation calendar will be hosting its first in-person awards show since 2019 in Salthill in Galway to celebrate the creative brilliance and talent of the Irish animation sector.
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Ronan McCabe, Animation Ireland Chief Executive, said: "We’re delighted to have Baz on board once again to host the awards ceremony. He hosted our virtual awards ceremony in 2021 and did an amazing job in illuminating and enlivening the whole event.
"We’re delighted that we are able to host this year’s ceremony in person for the first time since 2019. Once again, the talent and quality of productions this year has been immense. Entries for the awards are now open and candidates can enter via our website."
The awards are also now open for entries in 20 categories and candidates can view the application process and enter via www.irishanimationwawards.ie. The entry process will be open until 27 February.
Winners of each category will receive a statuette designed by animator, filmmaker and teacher Eimhin McNamara. The statuette resembles a Phenakistoscope, which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.
Animation Ireland is the trade association for Ireland’s animation studios, representing 42 member studios, who employ more than 2,000 people nationwide.
The sector has seen meteoric growth in recent years, with the sector now generating almost €200 million for the economy annually, as Irish animation projects are viewed in over 180 countries worldwide.
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