Dublin’s Turnip + Duck came out on top at this year’s Irish Animation Awards, taking home more trophies from the weekend gala ceremony in Galway than any other studio with its preschool series Maddie + Triggs (pictured), which won Best Animated Preschool Series (up to six), Best Original Song, Best New IP and Best Innovation.

This 2D-animated series (52 x seven minutes) is a gentle comedy about a visually impaired girl and her dog, who discover music in sounds they hear every day. CBeebies and RTÉjr commissioned Maddie + Triggs for an October 2024 premiere, and SVT (Sweden) and YLE (Finland) have also picked it up from international distributor Mediawan Kids & Family.

Other winners included Dublin’s Kavaleer Productions, which came out on top for Best Animated Kids Series (over six) with Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese. And the Best Feature Film or Special prize went to Galway’s Moetion Films for The Magic Reindeer Saving Santa’s Sleigh. 

Cartoon Saloon scored three wins with preschool series Silly Sundays (Best Storyboarding) and Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 episode “Screecher’s Reach” (Best Design and Art Direction, plus Best Original Score). 

All told, the biennial awards program received more than 300 submissions, which were reviewed by an Irish and international jury. 

“It’s been a challenging time for the industry since we last got together in 2023, and whilst we remain conscious of the difficulties facing our members, it is important that we celebrate and showcase the work and creativity of our professional animation, VFX and gaming communities,” said Ronan McCabe, CEO of Animation Ireland. 

A complete list of winners is available on Screen Ireland’s website.