Kidscreen is thrilled to announce the results of its first-ever Hot50 ranking of leading companies in broadcasting, production, distribution, licensing and digital media.

Companies were invited to submit their top achievements from the past year for consideration over the summer. And then to determine the final Hot50, Kidscreen’s community of 15,000+ magazine and newsletter subscribers were  invited to vote for their picks in each category over a three-week period earlier this month. Here are the results by category, ranked from one to 10:

Broadcasting
1.  Netflix Kids

2.  PBS KIDS

3.  CBeebies

4.  Nickelodeon

5.  Cartoon Network US

6.  ABC3/ABC4Kids

7.  Disney Junior

8.  Sprout Network

9.  Disney Channel

10.  Cartoon Network EMEA

Production
1.  Cartoon Network US

2.  9 Story Entertainment

3.  DHX Media

4.  Sinking Ship Entertainment

5.  Sesame Workshop

6.  Nerd Corps Entertainment

7.  The Jim Henson Company

8.  DreamWorks Animation

9.  Amazon Studios

10.  Brown Bag Films

Distribution
1.  CAKE

2.  Nickelodeon

3.  9 Story Entertainment

4.  The Jim Henson Company

5.  Zodiak Kids

6.  eOne Family

7.  HIT Entertainment

8.  Sesame Workshop

9.  Australian Children’s Television Foundation

10.  PGS Entertainment

Licensing
1.  LEGO

2.  Disney Consumer Products

3.  Spin Master

4.  Sesame Workshop

5.  eOne Licensing

6.  DHX Media

7.  Zodiak Media

8.  Rovio Entertainment

9.  Saban Brands

10.  Hasbro

Digital Media
1.  Nickelodeon

2.  Cartoon Network Digital

3.  Sesame Workshop

4.  TVOKids

5.  FUHU

6.  Cupcake Digital

7.  AwesomenessTV

8.  Plug-in Media

9.  Budge Studios

10.  National Geographic Kids

These Hot50 companies will be profiled in a special print issue due out on December 15. It will be mailed to Kidscreen’s full circulation list, plus distributed at NATPE and Kidscreen Summit in early 2015.

Kidscreen will also showcase its inaugural Hot50 on a dedicated microsite for a full year, and then archive the content so it’s still searchable and accessible online.