Nik Ranieri is an animator who worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios. First hired by Disney Studios in 1987, Ranieri was one of nine animators let go from the studio in an effort for the company as a whole to cut costs in 2013. In 1995 he won an Annie Award in the category 'Best Individual Achievement in Character Animation' for his animation of Meeko in Pocahontas. In 1997 he won an Annie Award in the category 'Individual Achievement in Character Animation' for his animation of Hades in Hercules.