The finalists for the seventh-annual Kidscreen Awards, which single out and celebrate the year’s best work in kids television programming and broadcasting, as well as digital media, have been revealed. The winners will be revealed at a gala event on February 9 during Kidscreen Summit 2016 in Miami, and the shortlisted group will now continue in the competition through a final round of judging.
The nominees in the PROGRAMMING Categories are:
PRESCHOOL
Best New Series
Hey Duggee (Studio AKA)
PJ Masks (Frog Box, Entertainment One UK, France Télévisions, Disney Junior)
Puffin Rock (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Children’s Books)
Best Animated Series
Clangers (Coolabi/Sprout/CBeebies/Factory)
Peg + Cat (The Fred Rogers Company, 9 Story Entertainment)
Puffin Rock (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Children’s Books)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures (Sinking Ship Entertainment)
Hi Opie! (marblemedia in association with TVO and The Jim Henson Company)
Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots (Astley Baker Davies/Entertainment One UK)
Ruby’s Studio: The Siblings Show (The Mother Company)
Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief (Sesame Workshop)
KIDS
Best New Series
The Adventures of Puss in Boots (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)
All Hail King Julien (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)
We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network Studios)
Best Animated Series
All Hail King Julien (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)
The New Adventures of Figaro Pho (Chocolate Liberation Front, Luma Toons)
Steven Universe (Cartoon Network Studios)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
Hank Zipzer (Kindle Entertainment, DHX Media, Walker Productions, Screen Yorkshire)
Horrible Histories (Lion Television)
Odd Squad (The Fred Rogers Company, Sinking Ship Entertainment)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Monster Beach (Bogan Entertainment Solutions)
Monster High: Freaky Fusion (Mattel Playground Productions)
Ten Pieces (Somethin’ Else, BBC Music)
TWEENS/TEENS
Best New Series
Dragons: Race to the Edge (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)
Hetty Feather (CBBC In-House Productions)
Wild But True (Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Beyond Screen Productions)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
4 O’Clock Club Series 4 (CBBC In-House Productions)
Nowhere Boys Series 2 (Matchbox Pictures)
Trio: Cybergold (Nordicstories, Fabelaktiv)
Best Animated Series
Dragons: Race to the Edge (DreamWorks Animation Television / Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment & 20th Century Fox Television)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Lost Treasure Hunt (Argosy Film Group)
Pirate’s Passage (Mahon Pictures)
These shortlisted entries will now be reviewed and assessed by a fresh panel of judges, including Andy Yeatman (Netflix), Emily Hart (Disney Junior), Tara Sorensen (Amazon Studios), Jamie Piekarz (Corus Kids), Jennifer Dodge (Nickelodeon), Alison Stewart (BBC Children’s), Andrew Thomas (Hulu) and Deirdre Brennan (ABC Australia).
The nominees in the DIGITAL Categories are:
PRESCHOOL
Best eBook
Disney Story Central (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
Little Emily (Ever After Tales)
My Little Pony: Twilight’s Kingdom Storybook Deluxe (PlayDate Digital)
Best Game App—Smartphone
Monkey See Monkey Dance (Smartoonz Entertainment)
Sesame Street Video Maker (Sesame Workshop, IDEO Toy Lab)
Best Game App—Tablet
My Very Hungry Caterpillar (StoryToys)
Peppa Pig: Golden Boots (Entertainment One and Kids Industries)
Sesame Street Art Maker (Sesame Workshop)
Best Learning App—Smartphone
Blaze and the Monster Machines (Nickelodeon Digital/CHEWY)
Sesame Street—Let’s Get Ready! (Sesame Workshop)
Sunny’s Hootenanny (Loudcrow Interactive/Twofold Films)
Best Learning App—Tablet
Elmo’s Animals: A Sesame Street S’More App (Sesame Workshop)
Mickey’s Magical Math World by Disney Imagicademy (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
Tiggly Tales (Tiggly)
Best Streaming Video Platform
Hopster (Hopster)
Nick Jr. (Nickelodeon Digital)
PlayKids (Movile)
Best Web/App Series
The Adventures of Annie & Ben (HooplaKidz)
Fanny Foozle (Aether Entertainment, Cosmic Toast Studios)
Lalaloopsy Kitchen (MGA Entertainment)
Best Website
ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy (Age of Learning)
Nickjr.com (Nickelodeon Digital)
Peep and the Big Wide World/El Mundo Divertido de Peep (WGBH Educational Foundation)
KIDS
Best Game App—Smartphone
Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games (Cartoon Network Digital)
Crayola Color Alive! (DAQRI)
Mix+Smash: Marvel Super Hero Mashers (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
Best Game App—Tablet
Adventure Time Game Wizard (Cartoon Network Digital)
Toca Life: City (Toca Boca)
Weirdwood Manor (All Play, No Work)
Best Learning App—Smartphone
The Centsables Dash for Cash (DNA Creative)
Plum’s Creaturizer (WGBH)
Safari Tales (Kuato Studios)
Best Learning App—Tablet
The Foos Coding 5+ (codeSpark)
Weirdwood Manor (All Play, No Work)
Zoombinis (TERC and FableVision Studios)
Best Streaming Video Platform
Cartoon Network app (Cartoon Network Digital)
Nick.com (Nickelodeon Digital)
Toon Goggles (Toon Goggles)
Best Web/App Series
Life Hacks for Kids (DreamWorksTV)
Talking Tom and Friends: The Animated Series (Outfit7 Limited)
Wonder Quest (Maker Studios)
Best Website
Design Squad (WGBH Educational Foundation)
The Next Step: Make a Scene (Secret Location/DHX Media/Temple Street Productions/Bell Fund)
Nick.com (Nickelodeon Digital)
These shortlisted entries will now be reviewed and assessed by panels of professional judges, including Rachel Bardel (CBeebies Interactive), Sara Berliner (Night & Day Studios), Noemie Dupuy (Budge Studios), Matthew Evans (Nickelodeon), Robin Raskin (Living in Digital Times), Josephine Tsay (GlassLab Games), Amy Kraft (Monkey Bar Collective) and Anne Richards (Cracking Wise Interactive).
The nominees in the BROADCASTING Categories are:
Channel of the Year
Cartoon Network (US)
Gulli
PBS KIDS
Best Channel Design
Boomerang
PBS KIDS
Best Programming Block
Sunny Side Up (Sprout)
Gulli Good (Gulli)
Best Channel Website
Channel One News (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
PBS KIDS
Tiny Pop (CSC Media Group, part of Sony Pictures Television)
Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team
Louis-Philippe Deslauriers, Alexandra Janvier and Josée Leblanc (Groupe Média TFO)
Channel One News—Azia Celestino, Tom Hanson, Arielle Hixson Keith Kocinski, Demetrius Pipkin and Maggie Rulli (Houghton Miffin Harcourt)
Kidscreen’s readers will now be invited to review these shortlisted entries, and vote for their favorite in each category. Their votes will determine the final winners.
Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend to Kidscreen Awards gala as part of their event registration, and tickets for just the awards evening can be purchased for US$150 by contacting Kidscreen Events sales manager Joel Pinto (416-408-2300 x650 or jpinto@brunico.com). Additional details about the Kidscreen Awards, including categories, eligibility, judging and entry process, can be found at awards.kidscreen.com.