The eighth-annual Kidscreen Awards has officially opened its door for entries—and has added an inaugural set of Best in Class awards that will pay special tribute to the top kids programming entry in each of its three age categories.

The awards, which celebrate excellence in children’s television and digital products, will be handed out at an evening presentation event as part of next year’s Kidscreen Summit, which is set to take place in Miami from February 13 to 16.

Best in Class winners will be determined by totalling the cumulative scores given by the first-round and/or second-round judging panels and converting them into a percentage grade. The entry with the highest percentage grade in its age category will be deemed a Best in Class winner.

Entries for Preschool (0 to 5), Kids (6 to 10) and Tweens/Teens (11 to 17) are now being accepted in the following Programming categories until September 16:

Best New Series
Best Animated Series
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
Best One-off, Special or TV Movie

Broadcasting categories:

Channel of the Year
Best Channel Design
Best Programming Block
Best Channel Website
Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team

Digital categories for Preschool (0 to 5) and Kids (6 and up):

Best eBook
Best Game App (Smartphone)
Best Game App (Tablet)
Best Learning App (Smartphone)
Best Learning App (Tablet)
Best Streaming Video Platform
Best Tablet
Best Web/App Series
Best Website

Early-bird entry fees are in effect again. For all categories, the entry fee is US$300 until August 12, and US$400 after that date. Entry into the Best in Class field requires an additional fee of US$100.

All Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend the Kidscreen Awards ceremony and cocktail party as part of their event experience after registering online at summit.kidscreen.com. Other guests can sign up to attend the Kidscreen Awards event for US$150, beginning in January. Last year’s presentation event was hosted by renowned comedian Allana Harkin and exclusively sponsored by the Canada Media Fund.