The poster of animated movie "Rango"

"Rango," the front-runner for the Academy Award for Animated Feature Film, got a big boost as it garnered five awards at the 39th annual Annie Awards presented in Los Angeles Saturday evening.

The Paramount Pictures-distributed movie, director Gore Verbinski's first animated film, took home top prizes including Best Animated Feature, Member's Favorite Award, Writing and Character Design in a Feature Production.

Craig Wood, the editor on "Rango," nabbed the inaugural Annie Awards for editing, which was also handed out at a ceremony held at the UCLA's Royce Hall and hosted by comedian Patton Oswald.

Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin," which failed to win a nomination for the 84th Academy Awards to be presented on Feb. 26, won two Annie Awards -- best music and animated effects.

Top-grossing feature "Kung Fu Panda 2," which led the field with 12 nods, tied with a pair of awards. The film's director Jennifer Yuh Nelson walked away with Directing in a Feature Production and Raymond Zibach took Production Design.

"Rango" and "Kung Fu Panda 2" are both nominated for the Oscar best animated feature, along with Annie nominees "Puss in Boots," "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita."