Your Guide to the Top Animation Agents in the World
ANIMATION Agents
2026
Travel, Learn, & Network as an Animator or an Animation Industry Professional
Who are the Best Animation Agents & Talent Firms
Working in the Industry Today?
Looking for representation for you and your animation? Wanting an advocate for an animated work in Hollywood? Or do you want to become an animation agent yourself? Then check out this year’s guide to the top animation agents in the world. Hiring rather than pitching? See how Oddtoe works as an animation agency. Oddtoe is an experiential design and generative-AI animation studio based in Melbourne, creating projection, installation, and animated work for events, venues, and galleries.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of animation agents at the pinnacle are based in and around Los Angeles, California. And quite a few work down the hall from each other inside the same talent agencies. Sharing client rosters and co-pitching properties, the stand-out agency is no surprise to anyone who reads the animation industry news: United Talent Agency or UTA comes in as the top animation agency in the world.
Boasting the “only dedicated animation” division, UTA knows something good is happening in the animation space.
UTA agents working in animation place writers and directors with the major studios — Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures among them. In years past, talent from the UTA rosters has been involved in the great animation blockbusters of the early 21st century.
Independent animation agents certainly have stood their ground and put their case to be included on this current year’s list. Similar to our last list, we have a broad array of talent — twelve agents from nine separate agencies. This is reflective of an expanding and changing landscape — animation agents that have split out, creating new firms.
Not really an animator? But you do work in the animation industry? No worries. Some animation agents work in voice talent. Others represent writers, directors, and the technical crews that staff our favorite movies and TV shows. Check out the list below for agents dealing in Hollywood’s voice-over work.
So get your animated showreel ready, dust off your pitch bibles, and see who’s made this year’s list of the world’s top animation agents.
Without further ado, here are my picks for the animation agents & talent firms of the year. »
My Top 4
Who are the Top Animation Agents in the World?
Best Agency
Beverly Hills, California
Best Agent
UTA
Best Independent Agency
Hollywood, California
Best Independent Agent
Gotham Group
Jason Burns
Partner, co-head of Motion Picture Literary — Beverly Hills, California
If you only learn one name on this page, make it this one. Jason is a Partner at UTA and co-heads its Motion Picture Literary department, so the person running one of the biggest lit desks in the business is also the one carrying animation into the room.
The client list reads like a decade of the medium: Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Joaquim Dos Santos (Director, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Jorge Gutiérrez (Maya and the Three and Book of Life), Matthew Fogel, Kyle Balda and Robert Persichetti. Films directed by UTA animation clients have taken more than $25 billion worldwide.
He also argues for the medium in public, which not every agent bothers to do. Variety ran an interview with him ahead of Annecy in June 2026, making the case for original ideas and for animation directors getting their due.
Anna Berthold
Formerly UTA — now Stampede Ventures
Anna built UTA Animation, founding the division in 2017 and running it for years — she is the reason UTA has the only dedicated animation department among the big agencies. She was also instrumental in Happy Nest, the UTA and Stampede joint venture producing animated kids and family content.
She left UTA in May 2024 and is now EVP of Animation and Kids & Family at Stampede Ventures. So she is no longer an agent — but if you are pitching animated family content, she has moved to the side of the table that buys it, which may be more useful to you than an agent would be.
At UTA she represented animation talent including Joe Brumm, the Australian animator of Bluey fame, and Pierre Perifel, Director of Bad Guys.
Andrew Cannava
Rounding out UTA’s wide and deep bullpen of animation agents, Andrew Cannava is our third entry from the same agency. On the famous actor side of David’s business, he’s the agent for Elizabeth Banks. But don’t let the long list of thespians among his clients dissuade you from looking at David for representation. He’s the “guy” for such animators as Yarrow Cheney (Director of The Grinch) and Bobby Rubio (Pixar’s Inside Out and Incredibles 2).
Between David here and Anna and Jason above, it looks like United Talent Agency is the parking lot where you’d want to accidentally leave your animation showreel.
Bryan Besser
As one of a trio of main partners, Bryan Besser has been building the foundations of Verve for over twelve years.
Strong in the animation space, Verve Talent has numerous figures producing the world’s best animation at the moment. ” …six of the last 12 Best Animated Film Oscar winners…” have been on their books and such names Meg LeFauve and Michael Arndt included.
David Boxerbaum
Partner — Los Angeles area
Another partner in the firm, David Boxerbaum also has deep roots in (or love for) animation. Recently working on the “Avengelyne” TV project, assisting in getting the graphic novel series to screens worldwide. This is the same “Avengelyne” with Margot Robbie attached to the feature.
Looking for someone with connections inside Netflix and Prime Video, David is a good one to know.
I personally love this article — anyone looking to ‘mine’ the great short stories of the world for new material is a natural thinker. Less sequels and better source materials for the next generation of stories. Graphic novels and illustrated books, especially.
Julie Kane-Ritsch
Talent Manager and the Head of Animation — Los Angeles area
Julie Kane-Ritsch fronts Gotham’s animation group. This is an interesting agency with an experienced leader focussing on animation projects. Gotham (and Julie) have sewn together huge deals for talent, including for the Spiderwick Chronicles (she served as a Co-Producer and an Executive Producer, 2008 & 2024).
Gotham itself has a lovely idea as to how talent is nurtured by agents like Julie. Sound different than your experience with your animation agent or how you manage yourself? Maybe it’s time to get in touch with Gotham then.
Summit Talent & Literary Agency
Sandy Weinberg
Owner — Beverly Hills, California
Sandy has been running Summit since 2000, and he built it for the kind of client who refuses to stay in one lane — writers who also draw, animators who also write, people whose work ends up as a series, a book, and a theme-park ride in the same career.
The roster covers TV writers, screenwriters, animation artists, producers, authors and directors, across film, television, web series and 4D theme-park work. Worth knowing before you chase an introduction: Summit has no working website. This is a phone-and-email agency, which is not unusual at the boutique end of Beverly Hills.
John Goldsmith
President — Beverly Hills, California
John runs Metropolis, and unlike most agencies on this list, animation is not a division here — it is the entire business. The agency puts itself at the intersection of animation and technology, which shows up in what it offers alongside the usual contract work: career coaching, and help with CGI imagery and technology development.
John has been writing and talking about what an agent actually does for a long time, including for Animation World Network. If you want representation from someone who will discuss the craft and not only the deal, he is a reasonable place to start.
Natural Talent
Donna Felten
Chief Executive — Los Angeles, California
Donna runs Natural Talent as a licensed agency with a specific double focus: getting animation artists hired, and helping them pitch their own original concepts. That second half is rarer than it sounds. Plenty of agents will find you work; fewer will help you sell an idea that belongs to you.
Natural Talent has long been counted among the go-to animation specialists in Los Angeles. As with Summit, there is no public website, so an introduction and an email address will get you further than a contact form.
Zac Simmons
Partner — Los Angeles area
Elevated to Partner in 2023, Zac speaks for animators inside Paradigm’s walls.
Zac’s clients have worked on shows like Sleepy Hollow, iZombie, Spongebob Squarepants, Mr. Pickles, and Unreal. That’s quite a spread.
Paradigm itself seems to be moving from strength to strength. So look at Zac Simmons and the folks at Paradigm when you’re next on the West Coast or at a random smoothie joint in L.A.
Annette van Duren
Owner — Los Angeles Area
You can tell a lot about your agent by the conferences he or she attends. Annette lists KidScreen, MIPJr, MIPCOM, and the World Animation and VFX Summit as the conferences she regularly attends. Nice. So those animators and visual storytellers who are slated to attend any of these animation conferences, look for Annette, either in the audience, in the backroom doing deals, or on-stage speaking.
Her clients have worked on projects such as Barbie, Superbuns, Phineas & Ferb, Sesame Workshop, Curious George, and various LEGO animation projects. Again, I like the vibe she is giving off.
Natanya Rose
Senior Executive Vice President of Animation / Interactive — Beverly Hills, California
My final animation agent of note is another exceptional one: Natanya Rose of DPN Talent. DPN Talent was founded over 20 years ago and works with voice talent for promos, trailers, narrative, animation, interactive, and commercial voiceovers.
So if your voice is your talent and animation is your calling, Natanya is a stand-out in these two areas. Ever heard the voices of Mark Hamill, Ron Perlman, or John Ratzenberger in an animated movie or TV show? That’s a bit of Natanya’s work.
What Other Animation agents Are worth mentioning?
Am I missing a talent agent who works in animation and with animators? Contact me and let me know. I’ll keep this list current through 2026 and into 2027.
Questions & Answers
Animation Agents
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