The Alex Theatre rolled out the red carpet on Sunday for the 34th Annual Annie Awards in honor of this year's best achievement in animation.
More than 1,000 industry insiders attended the black-tie event to recognize animation spanning across film, television, short subjects and video games.
Show host Tom Kenney, best known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, kicked-off the presentation of the awards with his comedy antics.
"The fact that all of you are here means you didn't have the grits to get in the Grammys," joked Kenney.
The evening belonged to DreamWorks Animation, which took away seven awards for its animated features, "Flushed Away" and "Over the Hedge," during the awards ceremony.
Other winners included the Burbank-based Cartoon Network Studios that walked away with awards for best character design in an animated-television production for "The Life and Times of Juniper Lee 'Party Monsters,'" and best music in an animated-television production, "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends 'One False Move.'"
As the ceremony unfolded, George W. Bush impersonator Scott Wood made an appearance, much to the surprise of the audience.
"Many of you are wondering why I'm here," Wood said, in his uncanny Bush voice. "I'm here because animators and I have a lot in common. We both send a lot of people overseas."
The audience roared with laughter as Wood pursued with his impersonation of the president.
"I want to thank you for having me," he said. "I know I'm not popular, but I don't care."
The Annie Award winners also included lifetime-achievement award recipients.
Animator Stephen Worth, whose credits include "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Cool World" and "Ren and Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon," won the June Foray Award.
The award was given to Worth for his significant impact on the art and industry of animation.
"Animation is a business where it's not who you are, but what you draw," Worth said, after receiving the award. "You have to invest with young artists and nurture them so business can build on top of accomplishment."
The Winsor McCay Awards went to three animators including the Polish-born Andreas Deja.
Deja, known for his characters such as Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast," Scar in "The Lion King" and Lilo in "Lilo and Stich" won the award for his career contributions to the art of animation.
"It came very unexpected," Deja said. "Artists stimulate you in different ways. Ever since I was a kid, my life had a mission. I wanted to be in animation."
