The winners of the fourth annual Ursa Major Awards (formally the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature & Arts Awards), for the Best in anthropomorphic/"funny animal" literature and art first published during the calendar year 2004, were announced at a presentation ceremony on Sunday, July 10, 2005 at Anthrocon, held at the The Wyndham Philadelphia Hotel at Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 7-10, 2005.

The Ursa Major Awards are Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom's equivalents of s-f fandom's Hugo Awards, mystery fandom's Anthony Awards, horror fandom's Bram Stoker Awards, 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.

Eligibility in ten categories is for works featuring intelligent &/or talking animals first published during the calendar year 2004.  This can 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

Shrek 2

(DreamWorks, May 21, 2004)

Also nominated were:
Anonymous Rex (The Sci-Fi Channel, broadcast December 4, 2004)
Home on the Range (Disney, April 2, 2004)
The Lion King 1 1/2 (Disney, February 10, 2004)
Shark Tale (DreamWorks, October 1, 2004)

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series

Father of the Pride

(DreamWorks SKG & Imagi International Holdings for NBC; 2004 episodes, #1 [August 31] through #11 [December 28])

Also nominated were:
Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me (Music video performed by TISM, animation by Bernard Derriman, October 2004)
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (Cartoon Network Studios for The Cartoon Network; 2004 episodes, #1 [August 20] through #10 [October 22])
Kaze, Ghost Warrior (Timothy Albee Animation for direct-to-DVD release, June 25, 2004)
Wolf's Rain [English-language release] (BONES, Inc. for Fuji Television; 2003 episodes, #1 [January 7] through #26 [July 28]; [English-language release] (The Cartoon Network; 2004 episodes, #1 [April 24] through #30 [October 16])

Best Anthropomorphic Novel

Never Again a Man

by Charles Matthias. (The Matthias Zone website, posted August 13, 2004)

Also nominated were:
Hoenix. by Ted R. Blasingame. (Dennier Publishing/Lulu, August 2004)
Lost and Found: A Novel. by Alan Dean Foster. (Ballantine Books, July 2004)
Winter Assault. by "the Winter Assault authors". (The Metamor Keep Archives website, posted December 2, 2004}

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction

"Felicia and the Tailcutter's Curse"

by Charles P. A. Melville. (CafePress, June 2004) [24,500 words]

Also nominated were:
"Felicia and the Dreaded Book of Un" by Charles P. A. Melville. (CafePress, February 2004) [22,500 words]
"Princess Bracelet Snap!" by Shannon Stuart. (Fauxpaw Publications, July 2004)
"St. Ailbe's Hall" by Naomi Kritzer. In Strange Horizons, January 19 (Part 1) and January 26 (Part 2), 2004.
"Telephone Inspector Stagg!: The Gambit" by E. O. Costello. On the Spontoon Island website, posted October 2004.
"Three Ladies" by Michael H. Payne. On the Claw & Quill website, posted October 17, 2004.

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work

The Art of Usagi Yojimbo

by Stan Sakai. (Dark Horse Books, December 2004; graphic art collection)

Also nominated were:
Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales (story) & Juanjo Guarnido (art) [English translation]. (Blacksad vol. 2) (iBooks, March 2004; graphic art novel)
Associated Student Bodies Yearbook, by Lance Rund & Chris McKinley. (Rabbit Valley Comics, April 2004; graphic art novel)
The RHJunior 2004 Super CD, by Ralph Hayes, Jr. (RHJunior Productions, August 2004; CD collection of Internet comic strips)
Bone [One Volume Edition], by Jeff Smith. (Cartoon Books, July 2004; graphic art novel)

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book

Usagi Yojimbo

by Stan Sakai. (Dark Horse, monthly, 2004 issues from v. III #72, January to v.III #80, November)

Also nominated were:
Furrlough, by various. (Radio Comix, monthly, 2004 issues from #132, December 2003 [January 2004] to #141, September 2004 [December])
Prince of Fur, by Teri S. Wood & Jatina Challender. (MU Press, quarterly, 2004 issues include #11, February to #12, May [final])
WE3, by Grant Morrison (story) & Frank Quitely (art). (DC Comics/Vertigo, 3-issue limited series, 2004 issues include #1,October to #2, December)
Wild Girl, by Leah Moore & John Reppion (story) & Shawn McManus & Andrew Pepoy with J. H. Williams III (art). (WildStorm Productions, 6-issue monthly mini-series, 2004 issues include #1, January 2005 [November 2004] to #2, February 2005 [December 2004])

Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip

Faux Pas

by Robert & Margaret Carspecken. (Internet, thrice-weekly, 2004 strips from January 1 to December 31 [#534])

Also nominated were:
Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. (Internet, daily, 2004 strips from January 1 to December 31)
Namir Deiter, by Isabel Marks. (Internet, daily, 2004 strips from January 1 [#595] to December 31 [#896])
Ozy and Millie, by David Craig Simpson. (Internet, semi-weekly, 2004 strips from January 2 to December 29; reprints with extensive new commentary from January 2 to January 21; new strips from January 22 to December 29)
The Suburban Jungle, starring Tiffany Tiger, by John Robey. (Internet, thrice-weekly, 2004 strips from January 5 to December 31)

Best Anthropomorphic Fanzine

Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe

(2004 issues from #35 [March], to #37 [December])

Also nominated were:
Claw & Quill (Internet; 2004 updates from startup, October 17, to December 6)
Fur Plus (2004 issues from #20, January, to #22, September)
South Fur Lands (2004 issues from #32, March, to #35, December)
TSAT (Transformation Stories, Art, Talk) (Internet; 2004 issues from #31, December 2003-January 2004, to #37, December 2004-January 2005)

Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration

Cover painting by Kacey Maltzman

for Fur Plus #22, September 2004.

Also nominated were:
"Playmates" Cover painting by Jennifer Anderson for Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe, Issue 36
"Vienna's Jacuzzi" Cover painting by Kacey Maltzman for South Fur Lands #33, June 2004.
Cover painting by Susan Meyer for Furrlough #133, January 2004.
Cover painting by Mike Wieringo for Tales of Tellos #2, November 2004.
 Interior illustration for "Three Ladies", by Michael H. Payne, by Conrad "Lynx" Wong in Claw & Quill, October 17, 2004.

Best Anthropomorphic Game

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

(Developer: Sucker Punch Productions; Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., September 14, 2004)

Also nominated were:
Albedo: Platinum Catalyst (Developers: Steve Gallacci, Pieter van Hiel & Jason Holmgren; Publisher: Sanguine Productions, August 18, 2004)
Donky Konga (Developer: Namco Ltd.; Publisher: Nintendo, September 27, 2004)
Rachet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal(Developer: Insomniac Games; Publisher: Sony, November 2, 2004)