Netflix’s “Heartstopper” scored four wins on Sunday at the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, including one of the top prizes, for young teen series. Star Kit Connor also won, for lead performance, while Olivia Colman won for guest performance on the show, and Alice Oseman won for wiriting for a young teen program.
“Kid Cosmic” was the other program receiving multiple Emmys at the ceremony, which took place at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. The main event emceed by Jack McBrayer, who was also nominated for outstanding host (for Apple TV+’s “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show”).
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Sunday night was the second of two ceremonies for the first-ever Children’s & Family Emmys. Among the key categories: Children’s or Family Viewing Series, Young Teen Series, Preschool Series and Animated Series. Performance categories were also set to be awarded on Sunday night.
LeVar Burton was on hand to receive the lifetime achievement award, as presented by Laurence Fishburne (who happened to get his big break in kids’ TV, via “Pee Wee’s Playhouse”). “Sesame Street” star Alan Muraoka, who has been with the show since 1998, and “Sesame Street” puppeteer Martin P. Robinson paid tribute to their colleagues Bob McGrath and Emilio Delgado, both of whom passed away this year. “Sesame Street” won the Emmy for outstanding preschool series this year as well.
It was a big night for Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, as the company added two more Emmy wins to its collection. Other highlights included a major win for Netflix’s now-canceled “The Baby-Sitters Club,” which earned an Emmy for outstanding children’s or family viewing series.
Also scheduled for the Dec. 11 event was the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, which opened the show. Presenters include Indigenous actor Sovereign Bill, who voices the lead character in PBS Kids’ “Molly of Denali”; YouTube’s “Tab Time” star Tabitha Brown; voice actor Grey DeLisle (Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes and Mrs. Bernardo on Nickelodeon’s “The Loud House”); Eden Espinosa (Disney Junior’s “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery”) and William Gao and Joe Locke from “Heartstopper.”
On Saturday, the Creative Arts portion of the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards was presented, as Netflix led the pack with 13 wins, then Disney+ with 10 and Apple TV+ with two. BYUtv, Cartoon Network/TBS, Disney Junior, HBO Max, Hulu, Nickelodeon, Oculus TV and Peacock each won one.
This year, Netflix led the pack with approximately 85 nominations across the board, while the combined mix of Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney Junior was next, with around 78 nods. Disney’s “The Mysterious Benedict Society” and “Sneakerella” led all programs, with 11 noms each.
Some of this year’s races moved over from the Daytime Emmys, which New York-based NATAS also oversees, while others are new, to reflect the full scope of youth-oriented fare (including shows like “Heartstopper” that might have previously competed for the Primetime Emmy race, which is administered by the Los Angeles-based Television Academy).
With more than 3,000 submissions, NATAS said that the competition is now the largest that it oversees — which also includes Daytime, Sports and News/Documentary Emmys.
OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S OR FAMILY VIEWING SERIES
WINNER: “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
“The Astronauts” (Nickelodeon)
“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” (Apple TV+)
“Raising Dion” (Netflix)
“Secrets of Sulphur Springs” (Disney Channel)
OUTSTANDING YOUNG TEEN SERIES
WINNER: “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. ” (Disney+)
“First Day” (Hulu)
“High School Musical: The Musical – The Series” (Disney Channel)
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING FICTION SPECIAL
WINNER: “Sneakerella” (Disney+)
“Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)
“Muppets Haunted Mansion” (Disney+)
“See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special” (HBO Max)
“Spin” (Disney Channel)
“Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION PROGRAM
WINNER: “Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” (Apple TV+)
“Hi I’m Sevy” (Magnolia Network)
“Kids Baking Championship” (Food Network)
“Nick News” (Nickelodeon)
“Sesame Street in Communities: Talking About Race” (YouTube.com)
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED SERIES
WINNER: “City of Ghosts” (Netflix)
“The Cuphead Show!” (Netflix)
“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” (Disney+)
“Star Trek: Prodigy” (Paramount+)
“A Tale Dark & Grimm” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS ANIMATED PROGRAM
WINNER: “Hilda and the Mountain King” (Netflix)
“El Deafo” (Apple TV+)
“Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” (Amazon Prime Video)
“Maya and the Three” (Netflix)
“Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL SERIES
WINNER: “Sesame Street” (HBO Max)
“Helpsters” (Apple TV+)
“The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo: Game Edition” (HBO Max)
“Tab Time” (YouTube Originals)
“Waffles + Mochi” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES
WINNER: “Ada Twist, Scientist” (Netflix)
“Molly of Denali” (PBS)
“Octonauts: Above & Beyond” (Netflix)
“Santiago of the Seas” (Nickelodeon)
“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” (PBS)
OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM PROGRAM
WINNER: “We the People” (Netflix)
“Ciao Alberto” (Disney+)
“Little Bird” (Vimeo)
“Rhymes through Times” (Noggin)
“Sesame Street in Communities – Explaining Race | #ComingTogether” (YouTube.com)
OUTSTANDING HOST
WINNER: Dame Helen Mirren, “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses” (Cartoon Network I TBS)
Tabitha Brown, “Tab Time” (YouTube Originals)
Recker Eans, Dylan Gilmer, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Olivia Perez, “The Kids Tonight Show” (Peacock)
Jack McBrayer, “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” (Apple TV+)
Coyote Peterson, “Coyote Peterson’s Wild Field Trip” (YouTube Originals)
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
WINNER: Kit Connor as Nick Nelson, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Loretta Devine as M’Dear, “Family Reunion” (Netflix)
Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
Rueby Wood as Nate, “Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
WINNER: Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, “Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
Adeel Akhtar as Aditya Singh, “Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
William Gao as Tao Xu, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Lisa Kudrow as Aunt Heidi, “Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER PERFORMER IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
WINNER: Quinn Copeland as Izzy, “Punky Brewster” (Peacock)
Malia Baker as Mary Anne Spier, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
Sammi Haney as Esperanza, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)
Momona Tamada as Claudia Kishi, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
Ja’Siah Young as Dion Warren, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE IN PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
WINNER: Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Chris Diamontopoulos as Owen Quinn, “Ghostwriter” (Apple TV+)
Sharon Lawrence as Susan, “Punky Brewster” (Peacock)
Randall Park as Dr. Choi, “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. ” (Disney+)
Gina Rodriguez as Grown-Up Elena, “Diary of a Future President” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
WINNER: Daniel Ross as Donald Duck, “Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas” (Disney Junior)
David Errigo Jr. as Dudley, “Ridley Jones” (Netflix)
Eden Espinosa as The Queen of Hearts, “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” (Disney Junior)
Michael Luwoye as Wavey Jones, “Baby Shark’s Big Show!” (Nickelodeon)
Sherri Shepherd as Queen Fastine, “Blaze and the Monster Machines” (Nickelodeon)
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
WINNER: Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, Tweety, “Looney Tunes Cartoons” (HBO/HBO Max)
Grey Delisle as Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes & Mrs. Bernardo, “The Loud House” (Nickelodeon)
Mark Hamill as Skeletor, “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” (Netflix)
Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon)
Frank Welker as Himself, Fred and Scooby, “Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?” (Cartoon Network)
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
WINNER: Andy Walken as Young Durpleton, “Centaurworld” (Netflix)
Asher Bishop as Lincoln Loud, “The Loud House” (Nickelodeon)
Tucker Chandler as Alex, “Madagascar: A Little Wild” (Hulu and Peacock)
Kyrie McAlpin as Emma, “Doug Unplugs” (Apple TV+)
Amir O’Neil as Marty, “Madagascar: A Little Wild” (Hulu and Peacock)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
WINNER: “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
“Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)
“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” (Disney+)
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
“Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A SINGLE CAMERA PROGRAM
WINNER: “The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
“The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)
“Sneakerella” (Disney+)
“Spin” (Disney Channel)
“Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
“Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” (Apple TV+)
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION
Chris Tsirgiotis, Background Designer (“Kid Cosmic,” Netflix)
Ron Tolentino Velasco, Character Designer (“Monsters At Work,” Disney+)
Craig McCracken, Character Designer (“Kid Cosmic,” Netflix)
Ivan Aguirre, Background Painter (“The Cuphead Show!,” Netflix)
Alex Konstad, Visual Development Artist (“Maya And The Three,” Netflix)
Alessandro Taini, Production Designer (“Star Trek: Prodigy,” Paramount+)
Benjamin Arcand, Storyboard Artist (“SpongeBob’s Road To Christmas,” Nickelodeon)
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