PIXAR’S latest animated classic Ratatouille has cleaned up at the Annies awards, taking nine prizes at the animation industry’s awards ceremony.

The Brad Bird directed film claimed the top prize of best animated feature, beating the likes of Bee Movie, Surf’s Up, The Simpsons Movie and Persepolis.

It also nabbed best writing and directing for Brad Bird (whose last film was The Incredibles), best voice acting for Ian Holm, best character animation, best music and best production design.

In addition to the awards for the film, its video-game spin-off also won an award.

Ratatouille follows the fortunes of Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a country rat with a heightened sense of taste and smell who dreams of becoming a chef in Paris. When fortune places him in the city, he reluctantly teams up with inept garbage boy Linguini (Lou Romano) and sets about transforming Gusteau’s restaurant into the talk of the town, whilst keeping his presence a secret!

In addition to the Annies nods, Brad Bird and his two writing partners are up for the best original screenplay Oscar, as well as the animation prize.

And it bodes well that the Annies’ best animated feature winner has gone on to take the equivalent Academy Award every year but one since the Oscars added the category in 2001.

Ratatouille could well add to its awards haul at Sunday’s Bafta ceremony in London.

However, it didn’t win every award at the Annie’s ceremony in Los Angeles – Sony’s Surf’s Up took best animated effects and Creature Comforts America won best animated television production for the UK’s Aardman Animations.

Now in their 35th year, the Annies are held by the International Animated Film Society in recognition of the achievements made in the field of animation.

Go behind-the-scenes at Ratatouille or read our review

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