‘Common Side Effects’ Cures the Competition: Adult Swim Series Leads TV Winners at 53rd Annie Awards

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At the 53rd Annual Annie Awards this past Saturday, the television landscape belonged to a different kind of trip.

Adult Swim’s “Common Side Effects” emerged as the night’s most celebrated TV title, taking home four major trophies and solidifying its place as the new gold standard for mature animation.

The ceremony, held at UCLA’s Royce Hall, saw the psychedelic pharmacy-thriller beat out high-profile contenders from Disney+ and Netflix, proving that audiences and industry peers alike are hungry for the bold, hallucinogenic storytelling that has become the show’s trademark.

A Prescription for Success

Created by Joe Bennett and Steve Hely, and produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ Bandera Entertainment alongside Green Street Pictures, Common Side Effects follows two friends who unearth a corporate conspiracy involving a rare mushroom that could cure all the world’s diseases—but at a high, reality-warping cost.

The series dominated the “Mature” categories, securing wins in four out of its five nominations:

  • Best TV/Media – Mature: The night’s top honor for adult animation.

  • Best Direction (TV/Media): Awarded to Vincent Tsui for the standout episode “The Invisible Gland.”

  • Best Writing (TV/Media): Awarded to Nicolas Snyder for the episode “The Mushroom at the End of the World.”

  • Best Editorial (TV/Media): Recognizing the series’ sharp, rhythmic pacing.

The wins mark a significant milestone for Green Street Pictures, the studio that has quickly become a powerhouse in the “prestige adult animation” space following the success of Scavengers Reign.

Adult Swim’s Enduring Edge

The success of Common Side Effects highlights a shifting tide in the animation industry. While Netflix’s Love, Death + Robots each walked away with three awards, they were unable to match the momentum of Adult Swim’s latest hit.

Industry analysts suggest that the series’ victory is a testament to its unique visual language—a mix of grounded character work and mind-bending environmental shifts—that differentiates it from the more traditional CG or “clean” 2D styles of its competitors.

For fans of Common Side Effects, the night was a validation of Adult Swim’s continued commitment to weird, experimental, and high-concept storytelling. As the show prepares for its next chapter, it does so with four Annie trophies in its medicine cabinet—a side effect that Joe Bennett and his team are surely happy to live with.

About John Schwarz

John is the Chief Editor and Founder of Bubbleblabber.com. While at first a part-time project, Bubbleblabber quickly grew into a full-fledged operation and officially became a company in 2014. When John isn't running a business full-time, he likes to go to concerts with your mother.