Jury
Nancy Denney-Phelps
Nancy Denney-Phelps is an animation journalist, historian, lecturer, and pitching coach whose work has shaped the international animation community for more than two decades. Based in Gent, Belgium, she has presented lectures, curated programs, and moderated director conversations at major festivals including Annecy, Animafest Zagreb, AnimaSyros, Anilogue, and the MOVE Summit. Her long-running focus on music in animation, women's contributions to the field, and the evolution of global festival culture has made her a sought-after speaker and educator. A regular contributor to AWN and other publications since 1995, she is the author of On the Animation Trail (Routledge, 2024). Nancy serves on the boards of ASIFA International and ASIFA/San Francisco and is Secretary of the Emile European Animation Awards. Her honors include the Giannalberto Bendazzi Award for Animation Journalism and a Lifetime Achievement Award from AnimaKom.
