Kidscreen Awards Shortlist revealed; winners to be announced on 9 February

Kidscreen, the host of the global kids’ entertainment industry’s leading awards for excellence, announced the shortlisted entries that are continuing in the competition through a final round of judging. All Kidscreen Awards winners will be announced on 9 February 2021. 

The nominees in the Programming Categories are: 

Preschool

Best New Series
Helpsters (Apple, Sesame Workshop)
Madagascar: A Little Wild (DreamWorks Animation)
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (Sesame Workshop, HBO Max)

Best Animated Series
Bluey (Ludo Studio, BBC Studios, ABC Australia, Screen Queensland, Screen Australia)
Hey Duggee (Studio AKA, BBC Studios, BBC Children’s)
Madagascar: A Little Wild (DreamWorks Animation)

Best Live-Action Series
Dino Dana (Sinking Ship Entertainment)
Helpsters (Apple, Sesame Workshop)
Sesame Street Season 50 (Sesame Workshop, HBO)

Best Mixed-Media Series
Blue’s Clues & You (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films)
Science Saves the Day: PAW Patrol (Nickelodeon, Noggin)
Stories with Sound Effects (Lapost Estudios, Señal Colombia)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (Sesame Workshop, HBO)
The Sound of Dinosaurs—Dino Dana (Sinking Ship Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video)
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Lupus Films, Tiger Tea Productions, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Universal Pictures)

Best Short Film
Love is Love (Hopster Studios, Picnic Animation Studio)
Monster Measurements (Nickelodeon, Noggin)
Winner at Dinner (Nickelodeon, Noggin)

Best Inclusivity
Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Netflix)
Love is Love (Hopster Studios, Picnic Animation Studio)
Pablo (Paper Owl Films)

Kids

Best New Series
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (DreamWorks Animation, Netflix)
Tales of Arcadia: Wizards (DreamWorks Animation, Netflix)
The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix, Walden Media) 

Best Animated Series
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
Forky Asks a Question (Pixar Animation Studios, Disney+)
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (DreamWorks Animation, Netflix)

Best Live-Action Series
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Ace Entertainment, Nickelodeon)
First Day (Epic Films, Kojo Entertainment, ABC Australia, Screen Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation)
The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix, Walden Media)

Best Mixed-Media Series
Alien TV (Entertainment One, POP Family Entertainment, Netflix, Nine Network)
Backyard Beats (Bristow Global Media, TVOKids)
Mini Yoga Season Two (Groupe Media TFO)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth (Apple, Studio AKA)
The Most Magnificent Thing (Corus Entertainment, Nelvana)
The Snail and the Whale (Magic Light Pictures)

Best Short Film
Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights (Graphilm Entertainment, Rai Ragazzi)
Lamp Life (Pixar Animation Studios, Disney+)
Takalani Sesame (Sesame Workshop, Pulp Films)

Best Inclusivity
Family Reunion (Netflix)
First Day (Epic Films, Kojo Entertainment, ABC Australia, Screen Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation)
Molly of Denali (WGBH, Atomic Cartoons)

Tweens/Teens

Best New Series
Duncanville (20th Century Fox Television, FOX Entertainment, Universal Television, Scullys, Paper Kite Productions)
Locke & Key (Netflix, Genre Arts, Hard A Productions, Circle of Confusion, IDW Entertainment)
The Complicated Life of Léa Olivier (Encore Television, Slalom Productions)

Best Animated Series
Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment, 20th Century Fox)
Central Park (Apple, 20th Century Fox Television)
The Strange Chores (Ludo Studio, Media World Pictures, ABC Australia, Boat Rocker Studios, Screen Australia, Film Victoria, Screen Queensland)

Best Live-Action Series
Get Even (Netflix, Boat Rocker Studios, CBBC)
Locke & Key (Netflix, Genre Arts, Hard A Productions, Circle of Confusion, IDW Entertainment)
Trinkets (Netflix, AwesomenessTV)

Best Mixed-Media Series
About Sex (Echo Media, CBC Gem)
FLIP, l’algorithme (Groupe Média TFO)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie
Adventure Time: Distant Lands (HBO Max, Cartoon Network Studios)
FLIPPONS 2019 (Groupe Média TFO)
Malibu Rescue: The Next Wave (Pacific Bay Entertainment, Entertainment Force, Netflix)

Best Inclusivity
About Sex (Echo Media, CBC Gem)
Find Me In Paris Season Three (Cottonwood Media, ZDF Enterprises, Opéra National de Paris)
The Unlisted (Aquarius Films, ABC Australia)

Shortlisted entries in the Programming categories will be reviewed and assessed by a fresh panel of judges, including Adina Pitt (Cartoon Network), Cheryl Taylor (BBC Children’s), Heather Tilert (Netflix), Layla Lewis (Nickelodeon), Nikki Reed (HBO Max), Linda Simensky (PBS KIDS), Tara Sorensen (Apple), Tiphaine de Raguenel (France Télévisions), Eryk Casemiro (Nickelodeon), Aram Yacoubian (Netflix), Libby Doherty (ABC Australia) and Sarah Muller (BBC Children’s). 

Best Inclusivity entries were reviewed and assessed by their inaugural jury, which includes David Levine (content strategist), Theresa Helmer (Disney Channels), Taylor K. Shaw (Black Women Animate), Shadi Petosky (creator, Danger & Eggs), Matt Kaplowitz (Bridge Multimedia), Kevin Clark (Netflix), Carl Reed (Lion Forge Animation), Shabnam Rezaei (Big Bad Boo Studios) and Kay Benbow (media consultant).

The nominees in the Broadcasting Categories are:

Channel of the Year
ABC Kids
CBeebies
PBS KIDS

Best Programming Block
Miraculous Day, Gloob (Globo Group)
CBC Kids Morning Block (CBC Kids)
TVOKids (TVO)

Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team
Janaye Upshaw, Tony Kim, Gary the Unicorn, Cottonball Cat, Mr. Orlando, Makeup Monster (CBC Kids Studio K)
Kiruna Stamell—Play School (ABC Kids)
Lucas Meeuse, Greg Liow, Laura Commisso (TVOKids)

Best Kids-Only Streaming Service
Hopster
Pinna
YouTube Kids

The nominees in the Digital Categories are:

Preschool

Best Learning App—Branded
Canticos Bilingual Preschool (Encantos Media Studios)
LEGO DUPLO World (The LEGO Group, StoryToys, Touch Press)
Sesame Street Alphabet Kitchen (Sesame Workshop)

Best Learning App—Original
Duolingo ABC (Duolingo)
Moka Mera Lingua (Moilo)
Pinna (Pinna)

Best Game App—Branded
Blue’s Clues & You: Time for School (Nickelodeon Games)
PBS KIDS Games (PBS KIDS)
Sesame Street Family Play (Sesame Workshop)

Best Game App—Original
Bookful—Bringing Books to Life in Augmented Reality (Inception XR)
Oddbods Oddlife (One Animation, WEYO)
Wonder Woollies Play World (Fuzzy House)

Best Alternative Game
Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck (Sesame Workshop)
Scribbles and Ink (WGBH, Global Mechanic Media, PBS KIDS)
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum—Story Creator (9 Story Media Group, Relish Interactive, PBS KIDS)

Best YouTube Channel
Netflix Jr. (Netflix)
PBS KIDS (PBS KIDS)
Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)

Best Web/App Series—Branded
Canticos Volume Three (Encantos Media Studios)
Care Bears: Unlock the Music (Cloudco Entertainment, Moonbug Entertainment, Copernicus Animation Studio)
Sesame Street Monster Meditations with Headspace (Sesame Workshop)

Best Web/App Series—Original
16 Hudson ER (Big Bad Boo Studios, TVOKids)
The Birthday Show (Hellosaurus)
Toon Bops (Corus Entertainment, Nelvana)

Best Website
PBS KIDS (PBS KIDS)
Pinna (Pinna)
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (9 Story Media Group, Relish Interactive, PBS KIDS)

Kids

Best Learning App—Branded
Disney Story Realms (Disney, Kuato Studios)
Hero Elementary: Family Game—Operation Investigation (Twin Cities Public Television, Portfolio Entertainment)
WWF Amazing Planet (WWF, Kids Industries)

Best Learning App—Original
Home4School (Sinking Ship Entertainment, TVOKids, Shaw Rocket Fund)
Pinna (Pinna)
Square Panda (Square Panda)

Best Game App—Branded
Gloob Games (Gloob)
GoNoodle Games (GoNoodle)
Pokémon Café Mix (The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, Genius Sonority)

Best Game App—Original
Baba Yaga (Baobab Studios)
RaceCraft (Budge Studios)
Snap Ships (Snap Ships)

Best Alternative Game
Baba Yaga (Baobab Studios)
Cartoon Network Journeys VR (Cartoon Network)
Mr. Orlando and Gary the Unicorn’s Clumpy Cross Country Caper (CBC Kids, Hypersurge)

Best YouTube Channel
Barbie (Mattel, Fullscreen)
Dodo Kids (The Dodo, Group Nine Media)
Star Wars Kids (Lucasfilm, Film 45)

Best Web/App Series—Branded
Barbie Vlogs (Mattel Television)
Jedi Temple Challenge (Lucasfilm, Film 45)
Oddtube (Fred Rogers Productions, Sinking Ship Entertainment, PBS KIDS)

Best Web/App Series—Original
My Stay-At-Home Diary (Lopii Productions, TVOKids, Shaw Rocket Fund, CMF)
Boy & Dragon (WildBrain Spark)
Spookiz (WildBrain Spark, Keyring Studio)

Best Website
CBC Kids News (CBC Kids News)
MAJ, l’actualité pour les jeunes (Radio-Canada)
Odd Squad (Fred Rogers Productions, Sinking Ship Entertainment, PBS KIDS)
Pinna (Pinna)

Shortlisted entries in the Digital categories will be judged by Sara DeWitt (PBS KIDS), James Stephenson (Wonderstorm), Dan Efergan (Aardman Animations), Jenny Gioia (Sesame Workshop), Ellen Solberg (Hopster), Justin Hsu (MarcoPolo Learning), Vikrant Mathur (Future Today), Loretta Todd (IM4 VR Lab), Estelle Lloyd (Azoomee) and Matthew Evans (Apple).

All Kidscreen Awards winners will be announced and celebrated in a special virtual awards ceremony taking place during Kidscreen Summit on Tuesday, 9 February 2021.