The winners of the third annual Ursa Major Award (formally the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature & Arts Awards), for the Best in anthropomorphic/"funny animal" literature and art first published during the calendar year 2003, were announced at a presentation ceremony on Saturday, June 5 at the Canadian Anthro & Cartooning Expo (C-ACE) 2004, held at the Chimo Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario on June 4 - 6, 2004.

The Ursa Major Award is Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom's equivalents of s-f fandom's Hugo Award, mystery fandom's Anthony Award, horror fandom's Bram Stoker Award, and so forth.  The Ursa Majors are administered and presented by the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association (ALAA), an organization dedicated to promoting anthropomorphic literature and arts both within and outside of the fandom.  Nominations and voting for the awards are open to the public.  The physical award consists of an illustrated trophy certificate or plaque, designed by the artist Heather Bruton. The image at right designed by Heather Bruton is available for winners to post on their websites.

Eligibility in ten categories was for works featuring intelligent &/or talking animals first published during the calendar year 2003.  This could include new compilations of older works, such as a new collection of previously-published separate works.  The winners are chosen by popular vote among those participating in Anthropomorphic Fandom who, first, submitted their nominations for the winners, and then voted upon a final ballot consisting of the five finalists (those receiving the most nominations) in each category.

The envelope, please...

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture

Finding Nemo

(Disney/Pixar, released May 30, 2003)

Also nominated were:
Brother Bear (Disney, November 1, 2003)
Jungle Emperor Leo [English-language release] (Media Blasters, October 28, 2003)
101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (Disney, January 21, 2003)
Stitch! The Movie (Disney, August 23, 2003)

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series

Gary the Rat

(Grammnet Productions for TNN/Spike TV; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (June 26) through #13 (December 11)

Also nominated were:
Between the Lions (WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. for PBS syndication; 2003 new episodes, 4th season, #66 - #70, September 15 - September 19)
Lilo & Stitch: The Series (Walt Disney Television Animation for ABC Kids TV, 2003 episodes, 1st season, #1 (September 20) - #27 (December 29) [#28 shown out of sequence on December 12])
Silverwing (Bardel Entertainment for Teletoon; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (September 6) through #13 (December 14)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2003] (4Kids Entertainment Inc./Dong Woo Animation Co., Ltd. for 4Kids' FoxBox Saturday morning block on the FoxKids network; 2003 episodes, Season One, #1 (February 8) - #26 (November 1), Season Two, #27 (November 8) - #31 (December 6)

Best Anthropomorphic Novel

Between Darkness and Light

by Lisanne Norman. (DAW Books, January 2003)

Also nominated were:
Callahan's Con by Spider Robinson. (Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Books, July 2003)
Cerulean Sins: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Berkeley Publishing Group, April 2003)
The Iron Star by Brock Hoagland. Illustrated. (Shanda Fantasy Arts, July 2003)
Long Hot Summoning by Tanya Huff. (DAW Books, May 2003)

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction

"In the Line of Duty"

by M. C. A. Hogarth, in Anthrolations #7, November 2003.

Also nominated were:
"Doggy Love" by Scott Bradfield , in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2003.
"Kiss and Tell" by Gene Breshears, in Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe #32, March 2003.
"Law and Justice" by Michael H. Payne, in Black Gate: Adventures in Fantasy Literature #5, Spring 2003
"Riding the Lady" by Charles P. A. Melville, in Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe #33, July 2003.

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work

Best in Show: Fifteen Years of Outstanding Furry Fiction

edited by Fred Patten. Illustrated. (Sofawolf Press, July 2003; short story anthology)

Also nominated were:
Arctic-Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales (story) & Juanjo Guarnido (art). (Blacksad vol. 2) (Dargaud, March 2003; graphic art novel)
The Art of "Herbie", by Herbie. (Sofawolf Press, July 2003; art book)
Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales (story) & Juanjo Guarnido (art) [English translation]. (Blacksad vol. 1) (iBooks, December 2003; graphic art novel)
Carrots and Sticks, by Bill Holbrook. (Kevin & Kell #8). (Plan Nine Publishing, August 2003; comic strip collection)
Faux Pas: Book 1, by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Plan Nine Publishing, November 2003; comic strip collection)
Moreau Omnibus, by S. Andrew Swann. (DAW Books, August 2003; collection of three novels)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book

Usagi Yojimbo

by Stan Sakai. (Dark Horse, monthly, 2003 issues from v. III #63, January to #71, November)

Also nominated were:
Circles, by Andrew French, Steve Domanski and Scott Fabianek. (Rabbit Valley Artists Cooperative Association, irregular, 2003 issues include #4 (dated Winter 2001 but published July 11, 2003)
Extinctioners, by Shawntae L. Howard. (Shanda Fantasy Arts, irregular, 2003 issues include #12, January)
Furrlough, by various. (Radio Comix, monthly, 2003 issues from #121, January to #131, November)
Genus: Male, by Mike Vega, Daria McGrain, John Barrett & Terrie Smith. (Sin Factory, annual, 2003 issues include #2, January 2003)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip

Kevin & Kell

by Bill Holbrook. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)

Also nominated were:
Freefall, by Mark Stanley. (Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to December 31)
Jack, by David Hopkins. (Comic strip, Internet, tri-weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 (#297) to December 31 (#453))
Ozy and Millie, by David Craig Simpson. (Internet, daily, 2003 strips from January 1 to August 23; reprints with extensive new commentary from August 25 to December 31)
Unicornography, by Tanamin! (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from January 1 to August 3)
Vinci & Arty, by Candy Lewin. (Internet, weekly, 2003 strips from February 21 to December 29)

Best Anthropomorphic Fanzine

Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe

(2003 issues from #32, March, to #34, November)

Also nominated were:
Anthrolations (2003 issues include #7, November)
Fur Visions (2003 issues from #27, January, to #29, July)
Huzzah! (2003 issues from #49, February, to #50, May [final]
South Fur Lands (2003 issues from #28, March, to #31, December)
Yarf! (2003 issues from #66, January, to #69, September)

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration

Cover painting by Ursula Vernon

of Best in Show: Fifteen Years of Outstanding Furry Fiction (by Fred Patten) Sofawolf Press, July 2003.

Also nominated were:
"Busker at Pike Place Market", interior illustration by C. D. (Bluesman) Woodbury, in Conifur Northwest 2003 Program Book, September 2003, page 41.
Cover of Genus #62, October 2003, by Yamaneko-ya.
"Husky in Buddhist Robes", interior illustration by Sky Rigdon, in North American Fur #11, January 2003.
Cover of The Iron Star (by Brock Hoagland), by Terrie Smith. Shanda Fantasy Arts, July 2003.
"Celestial Fox", Cover of South Fur Lands #30, September 2003, by Peta Hewitt.

Best Anthropomorphic Game

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo

(Developer: Frontier Developments, Ltd.; Publisher: BAM! Entertainment, Inc., October 8, 2003)

Also nominated were:
Impossible Creatures. Developer: Relic Entertainment, Inc.; Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios, January 7, 2003.
Jak II. (Developer: Naughty Dog, Inc.; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., October 14, 2003)
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando. (Developer: Insomniac Games, Inc.; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., November 11, 2003)
Whiplash. (Developer: Crystal Dynamics; Publisher: Eidos Interactive, Ltd., November 18, 2003)