The 2025 Kidscreen Summit has come to an end in San Diego after four days of networking, panels and insights on where kids are at and where the kids content industry is going. 

More than 1,500 delegates attended this year’s edition of the event, which featured panels tackling themes of sustainability, production innovation (including AI) and building success in digital markets. 

And this year’s Summit introduced a new competition: the Kidscreen Licensing Challenge. In this showcase, five kids entertainment properties went head-to-head to determine which IP had the strongest licensing potential. On Tuesday (February 11), a panel of industry professionals voted the upcoming 2D-animated preschool series ThinkerBen & Motor as the winner. Kidscreen plans to bring this event back next year, with the submission window to likely open in Fall 2025. 

Later on Tuesday, Nickelodeon had a big night at the 2025 Kidscreen Awards, claiming 10 trophies at a ceremony hosted by TV personality and podcaster Jessi Cruickshank (Canada’s Smartest Person, The Goods).

The line-up of winners was diverse, repping countries from around the world. Australia’s Bluey: The Sign (BBC Studios Kids & Family, Ludo Studio, ABC Australia) won Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie, while the second season of Beep & Mort (Windmill Pictures, ABC Australia) emerged victorious in the Best Mixed-Media Series category. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Saïd & Anna (Phanta Basta!, INDI Film) won Best Live-Action Series; Irish toon Silly Sundays (Cartoon Saloon) scored the Best New Series prize; and Arabic co-pro Ahlan Simsim (Sesame Workshop, Jordan Pioneers) earned the Best Mixed-Media Series. 

Outside of the regular program categories awarded at the show, Canadians shone during the event, with Epic Story Media’s founder Ken Faier getting a shout-out for attending every Kidscreen Summit, and Lopii Productions’ Renata López winning the first-ever game of Guess That Theme Song (taking home US$100 dollars and bragging rights). 

There were also several deals finalized at Summit. South Korea’s Neon Creation signed on New York City’s 3Beep to co-produce its 2D-animated series Bear With Us. And France’s TF1+ announced a development deal with Blue Spirit Productions, Atomic Cartoons and Milkcow Media to develop the upper preschool series Action Rabbits for TFOU and TF1+. 

Next year’s Kidscreen Summit will be held in San Diego on February 22-25, 2026. 

Image courtesy of Skylight Studios