Netflix’s “Heartstopper” picked up four wins 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 writing 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 was hosted by Jack McBrayer, who was also nominated for Outstanding Host (for Apple TV+’s “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show”).
Sunday night was the second of two ceremonies for the first-ever Emmy Awards for Kids and Family. Among the main categories: series for children or families, series for young teenagers, preschool series and animated series. Performance categories were also to be assigned on Sunday evening.
LeVar Burton was on hand to receive the lifetime achievement award, presented by Laurence Fishburne (who got her big break in children’s television, 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 died this year. “Sesame Street” also won the Emmy for Outstanding Preschool Series this year.
It was a big night for Barack and Michelle Obama higher ground Productions, as the company added two more Emmy wins to its collection. Other highlights include a major win for Netflix’s now-canceled “The Baby-Sitters Club,” which won an Emmy for exceptional series aimed at children or the family.
The Debbie Allen Dance Academy, which opened the show, was also scheduled for the Dec. 11 event. Presenters include Indigenous actor Sovereign Bill, who plays the title character in PBS Kids’ “Molly of Denali”; Tabitha Brown, star of “Tab Time” on YouTube; voice actor Gray DeLisle (Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes and Mrs. Bernardo in Nickelodeon’s “The Loud House”); Eden Espinosa (“Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” from Disney Junior) and William Gao and Joe Locke from “Heartstopper.”
On Saturday, the Creative Arts portion of the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards was presented, while 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 around 85 nominations across the board, while the combined mix of Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney Junior followed, with around 78 nods. Disney’s “The Mysterious Benedict Society” and “Sneakerella” led all programs, with 11 names each.
Some of this year’s races moved from the Daytime Emmys, which New York-based NATAS also oversees, while others are new, to reflect the full gamut of youth-oriented fare (including shows like “Heartstopper.” who might have previously competed for the Primetime Emmy Race, administered by the Television Academy in Los Angeles).
With more than 3,000 submissions, NATAS said the competition is now the largest it oversees – which also includes daytime, sports and current affairs/documentary Emmys.
EXCEPTIONAL SERIES FOR CHILDREN OR FAMILY
WINNER: “The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
“Astronauts” (Nickelodeon)
“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” (Apple TV+)
“Raise Dion” (Netflix)
“Secrets of Sulfur Springs” (Disney Channel)
EXCEPTIONAL SERIES FOR YOUNG TEENS
WINNER: “Coup de Coeur” (Netflix)
“Doogie Friends, MD” (Disney+)
“Day One” (Hulu)
“High School Musical: The Musical – The Series” (Disney Channel)
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING FICTION SPECIAL
WINNER: “Sneakerella” (Disney+)
“Best Nate Ever” (Disney+)
“The Muppet Haunted Mansion” (Disney+)
“See Us Come Together: A Sesame Street Special” (HBO Max)
“Spin” (Disney channel)
“Waffles + Mochi Holiday Party” (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: “Ghost Town” (Netflix)
“The Cuphead Show!” (Netflix)
“The Proud Family: Stronger and Prouder” (Disney+)
“Star Trek: Prodigy” (Paramount+)
“A dark and grimm tale” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
WINNER: “Hilda and the Mountain King” (Netflix)
“El Deaf” (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)
“Helps” (Apple TV+)
“The Show Not Too Late With Elmo: Game Edition” (HBO Max)
“Tab Time” (YouTube Originals)
“Waffles + Mochi” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATION SERIES
WINNER: “Ada Twist, Scientist” (Netflix)
“Molly from Denali” (PBS)
“Octonauts: Above and Beyond” (Netflix)
“Santiago of the Seas” (Nickelodeon)
“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” (PBS)
EXCEPTIONAL SHORT PROGRAM
WINNER: “We The People” (Netflix)
“Hello Albert” (Disney+)
“Little Bird” (Vimeo)
“Rhymes Through Times” (Noggin)
« Sesame Street in Communities – Race Explained | #ComingTogether” (YouTube.com)
EXCEPTIONAL HOST
WINNER: Dame Helen Mirren, “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Houses Tournament” (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, “The Wild Journey of Coyote Peterson” (YouTube Originals)
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN OR YOUNG TEENS PROGRAM
WINNER: Kit Connor as Nick Nelson, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Loretta Devine as M’Dear, “Family Reunion” (Netflix)
Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer, “The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)
Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, “The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
Rueby Wood as Nate, “Best Nate Ever” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTIVE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEENS 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 YOUNG PERFORMER IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN OR YOUNG TEENS PROGRAM
WINNER: Quinn Copeland as Izzy, “Punky Brewster” (Peacock)
Malia Baker as Mary Anne Spier, “The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
Sammi Haney as Esperanza, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)
Momona Tamada as Claudia Kishi, “The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
Ja’Siah Young as Dion Warren, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE IN THE PRESCHOOL, KIDS OR YOUNG TEENS 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, MD” (Disney+)
Gina Rodriguez as Adult Elena, “Diary of a Future President” (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATION PROGRAM
WINNER: Daniel Ross as Donald Duck, “Mickey and Minnie Wish 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 VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
WINNER: Eric Bauza in Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, Tweety, “Looney Tunes Cartoons” (HBO/HBO Max)
Gray Delisle as Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes and 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 YOUNG VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATION OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATION 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: “Coup de Coeur” (Netflix)
“Best Nate Ever” (Disney+)
“Doogie Friends, MD” (Disney+)
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
“Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE CAMERA PROGRAM
WINNER: “The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)
“The Babysitters Club” (Netflix)
“Sneakerella” (Disney+)
“Spin” (Disney channel)
“Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
“Who are you, Charlie Brown?” (AppleTV+)
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, decorator (“Star Trek: Prodigy”, Paramount+)
Benjamin Arcand, screenwriter (“SpongeBob’s Road To Christmas”, Nickelodeon)