At issue was the fact that anyone can buy a membership to ASIFA (not unlike Film Independent, whose paying members vote for the Spirit Awards), whereas members of the Motion Picture Academy and other awards-giving bodies must be voted in by their peers.
Some, including those in the Disney camp, have charged that the distribution is tilted in favor of DreamWorks Animation, which gives each new employee an ASIFA membership upon joining the company. While that hasn't prevented Pixar toons from winning six of the past 10 Annie feature awards, "Wall-E's" 2009 shutout caught many by surprise, with "Kung Fu Panda" taking the top prize that year.Disney had sponsored the awards since their inception in 1972. Disney will no longer submit Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar Animation Studio films for consideration.
However, Disney is encouraging employees to keep their memberships and support the organization as they see fit.