The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominations for this year’s British Academy Children’s Awards. The awards will be presented at a ceremony held at the Roundhouse in London on Sunday, November 26, hosted by actor, writer and comedian Doc Brown.
The nominations reflect recent trends in kids’ entertainment, with online platform TrueTube scoring the most nods with seven. The linear heavyweights are also represented: CBeebies has received its 11th consecutive nomination for Channel of the Year, making it the only channel to do so each year since the category was introduced in 2006 (it’s up against CBBC, Cartoon Network and TrueTube).
Streaming platforms Amazon and Netflix have earned their first Children’s Awards nominations, with two each — including for Amazon’s The Snowy Day animated special (in International) and Netflix’s The Little Prince (Feature Film). The newly launched Sky Kids app gets a strong start with a Short Form nod for Morph. Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants, on the air for 18 years, received its third nomination in International. Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball is among the select with two nominations this year, for Animation and Writer, both of which it won in 2016 on top of a 2011 win for Writer.
The Feature Film contenders are entirely animated titles with The Little Prince facing LAIKA’s Kubo and the Two Strings, Disney’s Moana and Illumination’s Sing.
Finally, it’s worth noting that this year’s Independent Production Company of the Year category is dominated by well-known animation names: Blue Zoo Animation Studio, Karrot Entertainment and Magic Light Pictures are contending with live-action TV/digital prodco Strawberry Blond.
Categories with animated nominees below, full list available online. Names subject to change leading up to Nov. 26.
ANIMATION
The Amazing World of Gumball – Ben Bocquelet, Mic Graves, Sarah Fell (Turner/Cartoon Network)
Revolting Rhymes – Production Team (Magic Light Pictures/BBC One)
Shaun the Sheep – Will Becher, John Woolley, Richard Starzak (Aardman Animations/CBBC)
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Production Team (Lupus Films, Bear Hunt Films, Walker Productions, Herrick Entertainment/Channel 4)
PRE-SCHOOL – ANIMATION
Digby Dragon – Adam Shaw, Chris Drew, Tom McDowell (Blue Zoo/Nick Jr.)
Hey Duggee – Grant Orchard, Janine Voong, Sander Jones (Studio AKA/CBeebies)
Peppa Pig – Phil Davies, Mark Baker, Joris Van Hulzen (Astley Baker Davies/Entertainment One/Channel 5)
Sarah & Duck – Jamie Badminton, Sarah Gomes Harris, Tim O’Sullivan (Karrot Entertainment/CBeebies)
SHORT FORM
CN Buddy Network – Daniel Fuller, Simon Dean, Charles Battrick (Turner/Cartoon Network)
The Happos Family – Patricia Hidalgo, Richelle Wilder, Erica Darby (Turner/Boomerang)
Morph – Merlin Crossingham, Helen Argo, Peter Lord (Aardman Animations/Sky Kids)
Share a Story 2016 – Production Team (CiTV/CiTV)
FEATURE FILM
Kubo and the Two Strings – Travis Knight, Arianne Sutner (Laika/Universal Pictures)
The Little Prince – Mark Osborne, Aton Soumache, Alexis Vonarb, Dimitri Rassam (ON Animation Studios, Netflix/Netflix)
Moana – Ron Clements, John Musker, Osnat Shurer (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Sing – Christopher Meledandri, Janet Healy, Garth Jennings (Illumination/Universal Pictures)
INTERNATIONAL
An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win – Alison McDonald, Tina Mabry, Nicole Dow (Amazon Studios/Amazon)
Ask the Storybots – Evan Spiridellis, Gregg Spiridellis (JibJab Bros. Studios/Netflix)
The Snowy Day – Production Team (Amazon Studios, Karrot Entertainment/Amazon)
SpongeBob SquarePants – Stephen Hillenburg, Vincent Waller, Marc Ceccarelli (Nickelodeon/Nicktoons)
GAME
Monument Valley 2 – Development Team (ustwo games)
The Playroom VR – Development Team (SIE Japan Studio, Team ASOBI!/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
Pokémon GO – Development Team (Niantic/Pokémon)
Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon – Development Team (Game Freak/Pokémon, Nintendo)
INTERACTIVE
Adventure Time: I See Ooo – Antonio Grasso, Ben Trewhella, Anil Glendinning (Turner)
The Gruffalo Spotter – Development Team (Magic Light Pictures & Nexus Studios)
Hey Duggee: We Love Animals – Phil Hoskins, Keith Davidson, Peter Hickman (Scary Beasties Ltd. and BBC Worldwide)
Virry VR – Martin Percy, Svetlana Dragayeva, Joanna Fogler (Fountain Digital Labs)
LEARNING
History Bombs Online History Resources – Production Team (History Bombs/Historybombs.com)
Lifesaver VR – Martin Percy, Yates Buckely, Andy Lockey (UNIT9)
Numberblocks – Joe Elliot, Simon Taylor, Laura Annis (Blue Zoo Animation/CBeebies)
Shia // Sunni – Adam Tyler, Bob Ayres, Toby Lloyd (CTVC Ltd./TrueTube.co.uk)
WRITER
Adam Tyler – Screwball! (TrueTube)
Joe Williams – Hank Zipzer’s Christmas Catastrophe (CBBC)
Paul Rose, Luc Skyz, Mikis Michaelides – 4 O’Clock Club (CBBC)
Writing Team – The Amazing World of Gumball (Cartoon Network)
CHANNEL OF THE YEAR
Cartoon Network
CBBC
CBeebies
TrueTube
INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Blue Zoo Animation
Karrot Entertainment
Magic Light Pictures
Strawberry Blond
