SVOD giants Amazon and Netflix have edged out PBS, the perennial broadcasting powerhouse to win most of the awards at the 44th Emmy awards ceremony held last Friday night in Los Angeles.
The streaming video platforms together won 24 statuettes (13 for Amazon, 11 for Netflix), while PBS annexed nine awards, six fewer than last year.
Netflix and DreamWorks Animation animated comedy Trollhunters was the ceremony’s big winner by collecting six Emmys, the most multiple awards for a kids series.
Its key category wins included outstanding writing in an animated programme (Marc Guggenheim), outstanding directing in an animated programme (Rodrigo Blaas, Guillermo del Toro) and outstanding performer in an animated programme (Kelsey Grammer as Blinky).
The acclaimed show inspired by del Toro’s book of the same name beat last year’s multiple Emmy winner, PBS’s Odd Squad which nabbed five trophies. Odd Squad that has been co-produced by The Fred Rogers Company and Toronto-based Sinking Ship Entertainment, was applauded for outstanding writing special class (head writer Tim McKeon, writers Mark DeAngelis, Adam Peltzman for Odd Squad: The Movie), outstanding costume design/styling (Christine Toye) and outstanding performer in a Children’s, pre-school children’s or family viewing programme (Isaac Kragten as Otis), to name a few.
Among Amazon’s winners were Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure (outstanding children’s animated programme, outstanding sound mixing and editing – Animation), Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment (outstanding directing in a pre-school animated program, Drew Hodges) and The Snowy Day (outstanding pre-school children’s animated programme and outstanding music direction and composition).
Netflix and DreamWorks Animation’s The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show was also another double winner.
As for Disney XD, the kids net earned two Emmys viz outstanding original song (Disney 7D‘s “She’s Not Very Nice”) and outstanding promotional announcement – Image (Black History Month: Timeless Heroes – Be Inspired).
Nickelodeon’s only award went to Pig Boat Banana Cricket (storyboard artist Phil Jacobson for outstanding individual achievement in animation for the series’ Mall Ya Later episode.
Rounding off the categories, Baobab Studios earned a big win for virtual reality storytelling. Its all-ages VR film Invasion! took home the Emmy for outstanding Interactive – original daytime content.
Netflix also collected an Emmy in the interactive category for Ask the StoryBots – Companion App and Storybots Classroom which won outstanding enhancement to a daytime programme or series.
