Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Nick Jr. UK's "Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom" Wins "Kids: Preschool" Award At 2nd International Emmy Kids Awards

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have announced the very exciting Nickelodeon UK news in the following press release, from The International Emmy Awards' official website, iemmys.tv, that the popular Nick Jr. UK animated preschool series "Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom" has won the "Kids: Preschool" award at the 2nd International Emmy Kids Awards, a ceremony where the UK production community came out on top!



Picture from Kidscreen

The awards ceremony, which celebrates excellence in international children's programming, was held at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers, in New York City, on Monday 10th February 2014. The Emmy statues were presented on stage by a distinguished cast including: Canadian actor Demetrius Joyette, Swedish and Danish kids programming hosts Malin Olsson and Christian Volfing, German pre-school character Die Maus from "The Show with The Mouse" with co-creator Arwin Maiwald, Sesame Street's Allison Bartlett and Broadway actress and singer Lesli Margherita currently starring as Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway musical production of "Matilda". A full list of winners of the 2nd International Emmy Kids Awards can be found in the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences's official press release below.

Congratulations to everyone who works on "Ben & Holly" and to everyone who won a award at the second annual International Emmy Kids Awards!

Official International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Press Release:

SECOND INTERNATIONAL EMMY® KIDS AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR INTERNATIONAL EMMY® KIDS AWARDS

OVER 300 INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES CONVENE IN NEW YORK TO CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING AND HONOR WINNERS FROM BRAZIL, CANADA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

NEW YORK, February 10, 2014 - The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced tonight the winners of the 2nd International Emmy® Kids Awards. Winning programs from Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom are: Pedro & Bianca (Kids: Series); Pet School, (Kids: Non-Scripted Entertainment); Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom (Kids: Pre-School); Same But Different (Kids: Factual); Room on the Broom (Kids: Animation) and The Phantoms (Kids: TV-Movie/Mini-Series). Complete winners information follows this release.

"We all know what a great challenge and responsibility it is to produce for children," said International Academy President, Bruce L. Paisner. "Tonight's winning programs demonstrate the high standard of quality programming we expect for kids television, and we are proud to recognize them with the Emmy."

The Emmy® statues were presented on stage by a distinguished cast including: Canadian actor Demetrius Joyette, Swedish and Danish kids programming hosts Malin Olsson and Christian Volfing, German pre-school character Die Maus from The Show with The Mouse with co-creator Arwin Maiwald, Sesame Street's Allison Bartlett and Broadway actress and singer Lesli Margherita currently starring as Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda.

Over 300 international industry executives attended the event, held at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers, in New York City.

The International Emmy® Kids Awards presenting partners are: Shaw Rocket Fund, Hasbro Studios, SVT/DRTV, TV Kids, WDR mediagroup and Ernst & Young.

SECOND INTERNATIONAL EMMY® KIDS AWARDS NOMINEES [WINNERS]:

KIDS: SERIES

Pedro & Bianca
TV Cultura - Fundação Padre Anchieta / Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo
Brazil
Producers: Geórgia Costa Araújo, Luciano Patrick
Directors:Roberto Moreira, Fabio Mendonça
Writers:Mariana Trench Bastos, Cao Hamburger
Principal Cast:Gorete Milagres, Thogun Teixeira, Heslaine Vieira, Giovanni Gallo

Pedro and Bianca are rare non-identical twins; Pedro is white, and Bianca is black. Their father is a black electrician named Edison and their mother is a white hairdresser named Zuzu. 'Pedro & Bianca' shows the adolescent world through the twins' point of view.

KIDS: NON-SCRIPTED ENTERTAINMENT

Pet School
Cineflix (Pet School) Limited
United Kingdom
Executive Producers: Nick Cory-Wright, Camilla Lewis
Producers: Chris Atteshlis, Tim Duck, David Taylor
Directors: Chris Atteshlis, Tim Duck, David Taylor
Writer: Christopher McGuire
Principal Cast: Aaron Craze

On Pet School children learn what it really takes to look after animals. For two weeks, nine kids work and play alongside a menagerie of cool creatures. With cameras capturing every moment of it, their goal is to convince mom and dad that they've got what it takes to have their own animal companion.

KIDS: PRESCHOOL

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom
Astley Baker Davies Ltd.
United Kingdom
Executive Producers: Laura Clunie, Olivier Dumont Producer: Phil Davies
Directors: Neville Astley, Mark Baker
Writers: Neville Astley, Mark Baker, Sam Morrison, Gary Parker
Principal Cast: Preston Nyman, Sian Taylor

Holly is a young fairy princess who is still learning how to fly. Her best friend, Ben Elf, doesn't have wings, and he doesn't do magic. But elves are very good at making things - especially toys. They live in the Little Kingdom, a tiny land where flowers and grass rise above the tallest towers.

KIDS: FACTUAL

Same But Different
Libra Television / David & Goliath
United Kingdom
Producer: Louise Lynch
Director: David Barnes

Same But Different features portraits of 7 to 11 year olds from the UK, each with a different disability, learning difference, or medical condition. The stories aim to increase children's understanding of, and empathy with their peers. It aims to show that while we are all different, we actually have much in common.

KIDS: ANIMATION

Room on the Broom
Magic Light Pictures
United Kingdom
Producers: Michael Rose, Martin Pope
Directors: Max Lang, Jan Lachauer
Writers: Julia Donaldson, Max Lang
Principal Cast: Gillian Anderson, Simon Pegg, Rob Brydon, Martin Clunes, Sally Hawkins, David Walliams

Based on the children's picture book, Room on the Broom, this animated film is a magical tale about friendship and family. The story is about a kind witch who invites a surprising collection of animals to join her on her broom, much to the frustration of her cat. The gang ultimately saves the witch from a fearsome dragon, and in gratitude she rewards them with a magnificent new broom which has room for everyone.

KIDS: TV MOVIE/MINI-SERIES

The Phantoms
Dream Street Pictures Inc.
Canada
Producers: Timothy M. Hogan, Rick LeGuerrier
Director: Sudz Sutherland
Writer: Andrew Wreggitt
Principal Cast: Tyler Johnston, Holly Deveaux, Kyle Mac; Greg Bryk, Joy Tanner, Wally Mackinnon, Wendel Meldrum

Inspired by real events, The Phantoms is about a high school basketball team and its difficult road to success after a devastating bus crash which takes the lives of seven players and the wife of the coach. Against all odds, the players gel as a team, advancing towards the championship while lifting the spirit of their small town.

About the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership based organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 50 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television including internet, mobile and technology. The Academy's yearly schedule of events includes the prestigious International Emmy® Awards and International Emmy® Kids Awards Ceremonies held in New York, The International Digital Emmy® Awardsat MIPTV and a series of industry events such as Academy Day, The International Emmy® World Television Festival and Panels on substantive industry topics. The Academy was chartered with a mission to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States and it presents The International Emmy® Awards in the following twenty categories: Arts Programming; Best Performance by an Actress; Best Performance by an Actor; Current Affairs; Comedy; Digital Program: Children & Young People; Digital Program: Fiction; Digital Program: Non-Fiction; Documentary; Drama Series; Kids: Preschool; Kids: Animation; Kids: Factual; Kids: Non-Scripted Entertainment; Kids: Series; Kids: TV Movie/Mini-Series News; Non-Scripted Entertainment; Telenovela; TV Movie/Mini-Series. For more information go to www.iemmys.tv. The International Academy also recognizes Non-English Language US primetime programming, with a new category added to the 2014 International Emmy® Awards competition.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Eva Obadia, Senior Director, Communications & Partnerships
Tel: +1-212-489-6969
[...]

The Lippin Group
Matt Biscuitti
Tel: +1-212-986-7080
[...]

--Ends--

To celebrate "Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom"'s 2014 Emmy Kids Award, below is Nick Jr. UK's "Brand New Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, Coming This October On Nick Jr." promo/trailer, which pays tribute to HBO's "Game of Thrones", a American fantasy drama television series which airs on Sky Atlantic and Sky1 in the UK, by utilising both music and a filming manner that tips its hat to the HBO fantasy epic's opening titles. In the trail, viewers are taken to some of the various locations around the enchanted magical kingdom - The Elf Windmill, The Little Castle, The Great Elf Tree, The Marigold Castle, Gaston's Cave, and The Meadow - to visit and meet the various fairies, elves and insects who inhabit the land:

Ben & Holly play hommage to Game of Thrones from Nickelodeon UK on Vimeo.

New Nick Jr. video for Ben & Holly

Writer / Producer / Director – Jon Preston (Nickelodeon UK)
Graphics – Sylwia Bernatowicz (Sylwia Be)
Audio – Hass Hassan (The Jungle Group)
V/O – Nigel Lambert (Calypso Voices)


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