Our feet still haven’t touched the ground from today’s second annual Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards. The festive luncheon at the Yale Club in New York City brought together the top creative and business minds in kids entertainment and included special honors to this year’s Luminaries Elie Dekel, president of Saban Brands; Margaret Loesch, founder/CEO of Hub Network; children’s singer/songwriter Laurie Berkner; and Cartoon Network for its Stop Bullying Speak Up campaign. Perhaps Scholastic Media president Deborah Forte said it best when she proclaimed, “I haven’t ever been in a room with so many of my friends, who I go a very long time back with.” We feel the same way.
Special thanks go out to our sponsor, Hub Network, our host extraordinaire Megan Alexander, correspondent for Inside Edition, and to Richard Wiese, host of Born to Explore, who took the stage to honor our Kids People honorees: Matthew Evans, Nick Digital SVP; Michele Jabloner-Weiss, exec director of original programming at Disney Jr.; Dave Morgan, president of Litton Entertainment; Stuart Snyder, president of Cartoon Network; Stephanie Cota, SVP,Mattel Girls Brands; Sander Schwartz, president of FremantleMedia Kids & Family; and Tara Sorsenson, VP, kids series development, Amazon Studios.
We also celebrated two very special anniversaries in children’s entertainment. Babar the Elephant, who has been charming kids and families for 80 years, French-style; and 50 years of Clifford the Big Red Dog, who dazzled on the CynKids red carpet, dispensing hugs and photo opps in equal measure.
We asked our winners and honorees to tell us which superpower they’d like to have (because who doesn’t want a superpower?) Here’s a sampling of responses:
- Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network VP, social responsibility: “Like every other person in this room, I’d like to have eyes in the back of my head.”
- Richard Wiese: “The Soviet Union isn’t around any more, there’s Great Britain… but I choose America as my superpower.”
- Michele Jabloner-Weiss: “I’d ke to be able to clone myself so I could be at work and home with my daughter at the same time.”
- Andrew Beecham, Sprout SVP, programming: “The ability to translate any language.”
- Author R.L. Stine, on accepting the award for best series based on a book: “I’ want to be able to predict the future so I would have known to write a decent thank-you speech.”
Turns out Stine is way funnier than he is scary in person. In presenting Hub Network’s Loesch with her Luminary Award for a legacy of Lifetime Achievement, he declared he was especially glad to be at the event, given a recent incident with a librarian who “asked to have her photo taken with me because, she said, ‘The kids all think you’re dead.'” Very much alive and well, Stine noted, “Margaret and I have a dark secret: we’ve been scaring kids together for 20 years,” referring to the genesis of Goosebumps. He then praised Loesch noting, “What’s Margaret’s superpower? She can read kids’ minds.”
Before sending out the event on an, ahem, high note, with two delightful acoustic songs (Her rendition of “Victor Vito” is probably the reason I’ve been craving spaghetti all afternoon!), Berkner told us, “All I ever want to do is get up every day and be creative… and still pay my bills.” Looks like she’s in luck.
And a drumroll please… The competition was fierce and the winners were gracious. Here’s a complete list of the !magination Awards winners and finalists:
App (Educational)
Winner: Nickelodeon – Bubble Guppies: Animal School Day
Honorable Mentions:
- Cupcake Digital Wubbzy’s Fire Engine Adventure
- Disney Publishing Worldwide – Sofia the First: Story Theater
- Lawless Entertainment – Suzy’s Zoo
- Nancy O’Dell Enterprises – Little Ashby: Star Reporter
- Oceanhouse Media, Inc.- A Whale of a Tale!: All About Porpoises, Dolphins, and Whales
- PBS KIDS – DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD: Play at Home with Daniel
- Sprout The Good Night Show: Sandy Stories
App (Entertainment)
Winner: Budge Studios – Chuggington Traintastic Adventures
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Cartoon Network
- Cupcake Digital – Wubbzy’s The Night Before Christmas
- Lima Sky – Doodle Jump
- Nickelodeon – Nick Jr. Draw & Play
- Random House Children’s Books – Barbie Color, Sparkle and Style!
Tablet-Based App (Educational)
Winner: Scholastic Corporation – Storia
Honorable Mentions:
- Disney ABC Television Group – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode
- Luca Lashes LLC – Luca Lashes Series
- marblemedia – Skatoony: Skadoodle
- National Geographic Kids – National Geographic Kids Tablet Magazine
- Thirteen/WNET – Cyberchase 3D Builder
Digital Marketing Campaign
Winner: Saban Brands – Launches Vortexx on The CW
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Level Up Choose Your Battle Experience
- Disney – Little Mermaid
- Sprout A Lot Happens When You Sprout
eBook
Winner: Auryn, Inc. – Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery
Honorable Mentions:
- Bento Box Interactive – Sweet Pickles
- Luca Lashes, LLC – Luca Lashes Series
- Mibblio – Mibblio
- Random House Children’s Books – The Cat in the Hat Know A Lot About That! Color & Create
- StoryToys – The Little Mermaid
Educational Series/Special Parent/Teacher Curriculum
Winner: The Jim Henson Company – Sid The Science Kid
Honorable Mentions:
- Sprout – Noodle & Doodle
- The Mother Company – Ruby’s Studio: The Friendship Show
Feature Film Based on a Book
Winner: Universal and HP – Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Honorable Mentions:
- Dune Entertainment/Color Force/20th Century Fox – Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
- Studio Ghibli/Disney – The Secret World of Arrietty (based on The Borrowers)
- Working Title Films/Universal Pictures – Big Miracle (based on the book Freeing the Whales)
Game Based on a Series
Winner: Thirteen/WNET – Cyberchase: Buzz & Delete Save the Day
Honorable Mentions:
- DHX Media – UMIGO
- Scholastic – I SPY Super Challenger for LeapFrog
- Sprout – The Chica Show: Mr. & Mrs. C’s Melody Maker
Interstitial Series
Winner (tie): Nickelodeon – Team Umizoomi Curriculum Interstitials
WGBH/Seftel Productions – The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers
Honorable Mentions:
- Beeswax Production – Recess Stories: Life on the Playground
- Disney Channels Worldwide – Disney 365
- Nickelodeon – Kids Around the World
- THIRTEEN/WNET – Oh Noah!
Kids 2-11 Series
Winner: Corus Entertainment/NELVANA Ltd. – Franklin and Friends
Honorable Mentions
- Cartoon Network – Adventure Time
- Hub Network – Littlest Pet Shop
- Hub Network – R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series
- Hub Network – Transformers Prime
- Nickelodeon – NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians
- Saban Brands – Power Rangers Super Samurai
Kids 2-11 Special/TV Movie
Winner: Hallmark Channel – Jingle and Bell’s Christmas Star
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Stop Bullying: Speak Up
- Disney Channels Worldwide – Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess
- Hallmark Channel – hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween
- Scholastic Media – WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power
Marketing Campaign for a Toy/Game
Winner: Nickelodeon/Playmates – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toy Launch
Honorable Mentions:
- Hasbro – Scrabble’s Catch Phrase game campaign featuring Neil Patrick Harris
- Mattel – Hot Wheels For Real X Games campaign
- Mattel/Peterson Milla Hooks – See What Happens When You Play With Barbie
Marketing Campaign for TV Series
Winner: Hub Network – My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Royal Wedding
Honorable Mentions:
- Astral Media, Inc – Sofia the First Series Launchf
- Cartoon Network – Adventure Time: Season 4 Campaign Launch
- Nickelodeon – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- PBS – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Marketing/PR Campaign for TV Special/TV Movie
Winner: Nickelodeon – Dora Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure Campaign
Honorable Mentions:
- Disney – Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess
- Nickelodeon – Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale
- Nickelodeon – Turtles Vs Foot Campaign for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at ComicCon 2102
- PBS – PBS Kids’ The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas! Campaign
New Series
Winner: American Greetings – Care Bears: Welcome To Care-A-Lot
Honorable Mentions:
- Disney – Dog With A Blog
- Litton Entertainment – Recipe Rehab
- Litton Entertainment – Sea Rescue with Sam Champion
- Loma Media/EA Sports – EA Sports Game Time
- Nickelodeon – NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians
Preschool Series
Winner: The Fred Rogers Company – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Honorable Mentions:
- Awol – Kioka
- DHX Media – Yo Gabba Gabba!
- Little Airplane – The Small Potatoes
- NELVANA Ltd. / Corus Entertainment – Mike the Knight
- Portfolio Entertainment – The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
Preschool Special
Winner: Corus Entertainment – Handy Manny and the Seven Tools
Honorable Mentions:
- Brown Bag Films – Doc McStuffins Boo Hoo To You Halloween Special
- Nickelodeon – Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale
- Portfolio Entertainment – The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas
Promotional Campaign
Winner: Disney Disney Media – Subway
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Cartoon Network @ Atlantis 2012
- Disney – Disney Media Invisilign Teen
- Sprout – The Chica Show Launch Campaign
Pro-social Campaign
Winner: Disney Channels Worldwide – Disney Friends for Change
Honorable Mentions:
- Disney – Make Your Mark
- Nickelodeon – The Big Help Let’s Move Event in London w Michelle Obama
- Saban Brands – Power Rangers Super Samurai emPOWER Halloween Safety Campaign
- Sprout – Sprout’s Kindness Counts Be Kind To Yourself Campaign
Social Media Campaign
Winner: Cartoon Network – Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday
Honorable Mentions:
- Bully Movie, Grassroots Twitter Campaign
- Child’s Play Communications – Peppa Pig, Social Media Campaign
- Lionsgate – Hunger Games, Social Media Campaign
- Nickelodeon – Kids’ Choice Awards
Song for a TV Series/Special/Movie
Winner: Sprout – The Chica Show Theme Song
Honorable Mentions:
- DHX Media Ltd – UMIGO
- Portfolio Entertainment – The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas!
- Saban Brands – Power Rangers Song
- Smithsonian Network -The Titanoboa Song
Sweepstakes/Contest Campaign
Winner: Threadless & Disney – Design a t-shirt inspired by Disney Villains
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Mattel Hot Wheels 20th Anniversary Sweepstakes
- Disney Media – Nintendo (Wii U Campaign)
- Hub Network – The Hub’s Pup-ularity Contest
- Radio Disney – The Next Big Thing (N.B.T.)
- Sprout – The Chica Show Sweepstakes
TV Series Based on Books
Winner: Hub Network – R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Bad Boo – 1001 Nights
- Hallmark Channel – Jingle & Bell’s Christmas Star
- NELVANA Ltd. / Corus Entertainment – Scaredy Squirrel
- NELVANA Ltd. / TeamTO – Babar and the Adventures of Babou
- Portfolio Entertainment Inc. – The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
Tweens 9-14 Series
Winner: Litton Entertainment – Born to Explore With Richard Wiese
Honorable Mentions:
- Bento Box Entertainment/20th Century Fox – Bob’s Burgers
- Disney ABC Television Group – Phineas and Ferb
- Hub Network – “Dan Vs.”
- Litton Entertainment – Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin
- Luke Nola & Friends – Let’s Get Inventin’ New Zealand
- marblemedia – Spatalot
Tweens 9-14 Special/TV Movie
Winner: ABC Family – The Mistle-Tones
Honorable Mentions:
- Disney Channels Worldwide – Disney Channel Original Movie, Radio Rebel
- Nickelodeon – Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Kids Pick the President: The Candidates
Video Game for a TV Series/Special
Winner: Microsoft and Edelman – Kinect Sesame Street TV
Honorable Mentions:
- Cartoon Network – Mutant Fridge Mayhem
- CSE – NBAHoopTroop.com-Hoop Troop Escape
- Microsoft and Edelman – “Kinect Nat Geo TV”
- Scholastic Media – The Magic School Bus: Oceans for Leapster Explorer
Website for TV Series/Special
Winner: WGBH Educational Foundation – Design Squad Nation
Honorable Mentions:
- 9 Story Entertainment & Kratt Brothers – Wild Kratts Website
- Disney Channels Worldwide and Walt Disney Records – AustinAndAllyVideo.com/Vevo
- Little Airplane/Disney – Meet the Small Potatoes Custom Potato Builder Website
- Random House Children’s Books – PBS Kids The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!