'Ada Twist, Scientist' Nominated for BAFTA’s Children & Young People Awards 2022

By Sadhana Bharanidharan

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced this year’s nominations for its prestigious Children and Young People Awards.

The BBC continues to be the heavyweight contender, with 11 nominations for CBBC, 10 for CBeebies and four for BBC One. But Netflix has 10 nominations and is well positioned to compete this year. The streamer’s presence was especially strong in the feature film category, where three of its projects (Klaus, The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Over the Moon) made the cut.

Channel 4 and Channel 5 scored two nods each, with Sky Kids and Apple TV+ both racking up four. London-based Magic Light Pictures was shortlisted four times—the most by an indie prodco this year.

Magic Light’s CG-animated special The Snail and the Whale (based on the same-name book by Julia Donaldson) is tied with live-action series Dodger for the most nominations by a single project, with three nods each. Another page-to-screen special nominated in the animation category is Lupus Films’ The Tiger Who Came To Tea (pictured), based on Judith Kerr’s same-name short story.

The BAFTA awards ceremony will take place in London on November 27.

BAFTA’s Children & Young People Awards 2022—Nominations

Animation

Hilda (Hilda Productions Limited, A Silvergate Media Company, Netflix and Mercury Filmworks)
Robin Robin (Aardman Animations for Netflix)
The Snail and The Whale (Magic Light Pictures/BBC One)
The Tiger Who Came To Tea (Lupus Films/Channel 4)

Content For Change

Ada Twist, Scientist (Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide and Netflix)
El Deafo (Lighthouse Studios in association with Apple/Apple TV+)
Only A Child (Amka Films/YouTube)
Waffles + Mochi (Higher Ground Productions for Netflix)

Director

Steve Cox - Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Aardman Animations For Netflix/BBC One)
Mic Graves - The Amazing World Of Gumball (Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe/Cartoon Network)
Max Lang, Daniel Snaddon - The Snail and The Whale (Magic Light Pictures/ BBC One)
Rhys Thomas - Dodger (Universal International Studios for BBC/CBBC)

Feature Film

Klaus (Netflix)
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Netflix)
Over The Moon (Netflix)
Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon, Melusine Productions in association with Apple/Apple TV+)

Game

Astro’s Playroom (Asobi Team/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Sackboy: A Big Adventure (Sumo Sheffield/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

International

Bluey (Ludo Studio/Disney Junior)
City Of Ghosts (A Netflix Original Series/Netflix)
Kiri And Lou (Stretchy And Yowza Animation/CBeebies)
Maya and The Three (A Netflix Series/Netflix)

Non-Scripted

Crackerjack! (BBC Studios Children’s & Family/CBBC)
Deadly 60 (BBC Studios Natural History Unit/CBBC)
FYI: Ukraine Invasion Special (Fresh Start Media/Sky Kids)
Gym Stars (Drummer TV for BBC/CBBC)

Performer

Justin Fletcher - Mr. Tumble’s Busy Bus Day (BBC Studios Kids & Family/CBeebies)
Chris O’Dowd - Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth (Studio AKA/Apple TV+)
Cathy Tyson - Jojo & Gran Gran (BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions/CBeebies)
Julie Walters - Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby (Eagle Eye Drama/Channel 4)

Pre-School – Animation

Circle Square (Wyndley Animation Ltd, Kavaleer Productions Ltd/Channel 5)
Hey Duggee (Studio AKA/CBeebies)
Pip And Posy (Magic Light Pictures, Channel 5/Sky Kids)
The Very Small Creatures (Aardman/Sky Kids)

Pre-School – Live Action

Andy’s Aquatic Adventures (BBC Studios Natural History Unit/CBeebies)
Grace’s Amazing Machines (BBC Studios Kids & Family/CBeebies)
Lovely Little Farm (Darrall Macqueen Ltd/Apple TV+)
Something Special (BBC Studios Kids & Family/CBeebies)

Presenter

Braydon Bent – FYI Investigates: Brazil – Children Caught In The Crossfire (Fresh Start Media/Sky Kids)
Yolanda Brown – YolanDa’s Band Jam (BBC Studios Kids & Family/CBeebies)
George Webster – CBeebies Presentation (BBC/CBeebies)
Hamza Yassin – Let’s Go For A Walk (Hello Halo Kids Ltd for BBC/CBeebies)

Scripted

Dodger (Universal International Studios/CBBC)
Jamie Johnson (Short Form Film Ltd/CBBC)
My Mum Tracy Beaker (BBC Studios Kids And Family/CBBC)
Silverpoint (Zodiak Kids & Family Productions UK/CBBC)

Writer

Max Lang, Suzanne Lang - The Snail and The Whale (Magic Light Pictures/BBC One)
Joe Markham, Mic Graves, Tony Hull - The Amazing World Of Gumball (Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe/Cartoon Network)
Lucy Montgomery, Rhys Thomas - Dodger (Universal International Studios For BBC/CBBC)
Lee Walters - Silverpoint (Zodiak Kids & Family Productions UK/CBBC)

Young Performer

Bobby Beynon - The Adventures Of Paddington (Blue Zoo Animation, Nick Jr, Studio Canal, Heyday Films, Superprod/Nick Jr)
Ella Bright - Malory Towers (King Bert Productions/BBC iPlayer)
Keaton Edmund - Jamie Johnson (Short Form Film Ltd/CBBC)
Taiya Samuel - Jojo & Gran Gran (BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions/CBeebies)

Peyton List Cast in 'B-Loved' Supernatural Teen Romance

By Matt Villei

May 12, 2022

HBO Max has greenlit an all-new two-part supernatural romance special that is currently going by the working title B-Loved with Peyton List (Cobra Kai) in the starring role. The two-part event is set to release on HBO Max on Valentine's Day 2023.

B-Loved is written by Black List Nicholl Fellowship winner, Cesar Vitale and will be directed by Emily Ting (Tall Girl 2). The story of the two-part special follows a free-spirited teenage ghost named Bea, played by List. When a boy named Cole moves to town and into the house that Bea has been inhabiting for the last 100 years, the two form a special bond thanks to a magical ring that allows Cole to see Bea. Together, they will discover what it means to be alive again as well as what it means to let go. “I’ve played a lot of amazing characters and really grown with them over the years,” said List. “I’m looking forward to adding clever ghost girl from the 1920s. Even though she is from a different century, I think the feeling of having your first crush transcends time, and I hope the story of Cole and Bea resonates today.”

Amy Friedman, head of Kids & Family Programming at Warner Bros., also provided a statement about the upcoming special, saying, “Peyton List and Emily Ting are the dream duo for this special. They both bring humor, boldness, and humanity to the teenager experience. Partnering with Tamara Rothenberg and Endeavor Content, along with Wonder Worldwide, on this project creates the perfect opportunity for us to speak to and serve a more inclusive girl audience.”

The special is executive produced by Mark Burton, Aaron Parry, Tracy K. Price, William Andrew, Ryan Malachowsky, and Jill Sanford. The special is being produced by Endeavor Content and Wonder Worldwide. “The amazingly talented Peyton List and Emily Ting bring this romantic, emotional story to life in so many empowering and inclusive ways,” said Tamara Rothenberg, Senio Vice President of Family and Young Adult content at Endeavor Content. “We are excited to collaborate with Amy Friedman and the fabulous HBO Max team, whose passion, enthusiasm, and shared commitment to our vision confirmed that this was the right home for B-Loved. Along with Mark Burton and our Wonder Worldwide partners, we can’t wait for families to enjoy this innovative and uplifting special event together.” Mark Burton, CEO of Wonder Worldwide, also provided a statement, saying:

Beyond developing this charmed screenplay with the talented Cesar Vitale, we are thrilled that Peyton List, along with our incredible director Emily Ting, will bring this magical special event to life. Amy Friedman and her thoughtful, engaged, and committed teams' alignment with our vision, made it clear that HBO Max was the only home for 'B-Loved!' Together with Tamara Rothenberg and our good friends and partners at Endeavor Content, we are excited for families to enjoy this Valentine's Day treat together!

B-Loved will arrive on HBO Max on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2023. You can read the synopsis of the special down below.

In 'B-Loved', Bea is an adventurous, funny, curious teenager who also happens to be a ghost from the 1920s trapped in present day. Though she might find herself getting into precarious situations at times, she loves to explore unknown places. Bea gives her heart passionately to the things she loves, and with the help of new friend Cole, she starts to experience the world again.

'Ada Twist Scientist' wins an Annie Award

Annie Awards: ‘The Mitchells Vs. The Machines’, ‘Arcane’ Dominate; ‘Flee’ Takes Best Indie Film – Full Winners List

Netflix had a big night at the 49th annual Annie Awards on Saturday, with the streamer’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines on the feature film side and the video game adaptation Arcane on the TV side dominating the major categories.

Mitchells, from Sony Pictures Animation, won Best Feature among a film-side-leading eight Annies, presented by ASIFA-Hollywood honoring the year’s best in animated fare across movies, TV and video games.

Arcane, the League of Legends game adaptation from Riot Games and Fortiche Production, led all winners with nine trophies overall including for General Production, TV. It won in each of the categories for which it was nominated. The series, which debuted in November and has already been renewed for a Season 2, is set in the utopian region of League of Legends realms Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun It follows the origins of popular League champions sisters Jinx and Vi as they seek to reunite.

RELATED STORY

Annie Awards Nominations: 'Raya And The Last Dragon' & 'Encanto' Lead Field For Animation Prizes

Ella Purnell, who voices Jinx, won tonight for Voice Acting, TV. Abbi Jacobson won on the film side for Mitchells.

The Mitchells‘ victory in the marquee Best Feature race makes it a front-runner position leading up to the Oscars next month. Last year, eventual Animated Feature Oscar winner Soul from Pixar won the top Annie, the 14th time in 20 years the society and the Academy have matched their top pics.

“Flee”Neon

Another Oscar hopeful, Neon/Participant’s Danish movie Flee, which is nominated in the Animated, Documentary and International Feature Oscar categories, won the International Feature Annie tonight.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto won three Annies tonight — for Music, where it is also an Oscar nom; Character Animation; and Storyboarding — after coming in with nine noms. The same studio’s Raya and the Last Dragon, which led all titles this year with 10 nominations, was shut out, as was Pixar’s Luca which had eight noms coming in.

It was Arcane, in the end, that was mentioned most tonight, taking the big TV categories that also included Writing, Animated Effects, Character Animation, Character Design, Production Design, Storyboarding and Directing.

Netflix had a total of 20 wins tonight in the virtual ceremony, which featured presenters Tom Kenny, Guillermo del Toro, Diane Warren, Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Mamoru Hosoda, Charlie Saxton, Pierre Perffiel and Lilly Singh and John Leguizamo among others.

Among the honorary winners, Renzo & Sayoko Kinoshita, founders of the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, were presented with the June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact. The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement went to Python Foundation, while artist and author Glen Vilppu received the Special Achievement Award recognizing the unique and significant impact on the art and industry of animation.

Other honorary awards presented tonight included Ruben Aquino, Lillian Schwartz and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki receiving the Winsor McCay Award for career contributions to the art of animation. The Certificate of Merit for service to the art and industry was presented to Evan Vernon.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Independent Feature

Flee
Neon, Final Cut For Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left Hand Films, Participant

Directing, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Directing, TV

Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Directors: Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury

Storyboarding, Feature

Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Storyboard Artist: Jason Hand

Storyboarding, TV

Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Simon Andriveau

General TV Production

Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Children’s TV Production

Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series

Preschool TV Production

Ada Twist, Scientist
Episode: Twelve Angry Birds
Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix

Writing, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Writers: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Writing, TV

Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Writers: Christian Linke, Alex Yee

Voice Acting, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
As ‘Katie Mitchell’: Abbi Jacobson

Voice Acting, TV

Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
As ‘Jinx’: Ella Purnell

Editing, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Editorial Team: Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J. Young, Tony Ferdinand, Bret Allen

Editing, TV

What If…?
Episode: What If…Ultron Won?
Marvel Studios
Editorial Team: Joel Fisher, Graham Fisher, Sharia Davis, Basuki Juwono, Adam Spieckermann

Animated Effects, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
FX Team: Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin, Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari

Animated Effects, TV

Arcane
Episode: Oil and Water
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
FX Team: Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé, Frédéric Macé, Jérôme Dupré

Character Animation, Feature

Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Animator: Dave Hardin

Character Animation, TV

Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Animator: Léa Chervet

Character Animation, Live Action

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel Entertainment, Weta Digital
Animation Team: Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault

Character Animation, Video Game

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games
Animation Team: Insomniac Games Animation Team

Character Design, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Designer: Lindsey Olivares

Character Design, TV

Arcane
Episode: Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Designer: Evan Monteiro

Music, Feature

Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Score: Germaine Franco, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Music, TV

Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series
Score: Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla

Sponsored Production

A Future Begins
Nexus Studios

Special Production

Namoo
Baobab Studios

Production Design, Feature

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Design Team: Lindsey Olivares, Toby Wilson, Dave Bleich

Production Design, TV

Arcane
Episode: Happy Progress Day!
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Design Team: Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry

Short Subject

Bestia
Trebol 3 Producciones, MALEZA Estudio

Student Film

Night of the Living Dread
Student director: Ida Melum
Student producer: Danielle Goff
School: National Film and Television School, UK

Winsor McCay Award

Ruben Aquino
Lillian Schwartz
Toshio Suzuki

Special Achievement Award

Glen Vilppu

Ub Iwerks Award

Python Foundation

June Foray Award

Renzo & Sayoko Kinoshita

2022 TOTYs: Ada Twist Wins Doll of the Year

LEGO Licenses And Squishmallows Dominate The 2022 TOTYs

LEGO went home with the most trophies (thanks to its Disney licenses), and Jazwares racked up three wins with its popular Squishmallows plush brand.

By Jeremy Dickson

February 22, 2022

LEGO and Jazwares took home the most hardware at the 2022 Toy of the Year Awards ceremony on February 18, picking up seven and three awards, respectively.

The brick-maker’s partnership with Disney contributed to four of its seven wins, including Construction Toy of the Year for the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle set and Playset of the Year for Boba Fett’s Starship, which is manufactured under the LEGO Star Wars banner.

LEGO also won the inaugural Grown-Up Toy of the Year award with its LEGO Botanical Collection Flower Bouquet. The category was introduced to accommodate the rise in people of all ages taking on new hobbies, a byproduct of pandemic life.

Meanwhile, Jazwares’ Squishmallows plush brand (pictured) won the coveted Toy of the Year and People’s Choice awards, as well as Plush Toy of the Year. The Toy of the Year winner is selected by a panel of experts that bases its decision on TOTY votes, holiday sales and media buzz (traditional, online and social), whereas the People’s Choice winner is selected by online consumer votes.

Toy giant Mattel took home two awards—Action Figure of the Year for Masters of the Universe: Masterverse and Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year for Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot—after leading the pack with 17 nominations.

Out of 114 finalists for the Toy Association’s awards, category winners were selected based on votes from toy retailers (mass and specialty), media, Toy Association members and consumers. In related news, the Toy Association has revealed a list on its website of the top trends that are expected to drive consumer spending on toys this year.

The winners of the 2022 Toy of the Year Awards are as follows:

Action Figure of the Year: Masters of the Universe: Masterverse (Mattel)

Collectible of the Year: LEGO Minifigures MARVEL Studios (The LEGO Group)

Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle (The LEGO Group)

Creative Toy of the Year: Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron (Moose Toys)

Doll of the Year: Ada Twist, Scientist Lab Doll (Just Play)

Game of the Year: A Game of Cat and Mouth (Exploding Kittens)

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot (Mattel)

Grown-Up Toy of the Year: LEGO Botanical Collection Flower Bouquet (The LEGO Group)

License of the Year: Pokémon (The Pokémon Company International)

Outdoor Toy of the Year: ZURU Crazy Bunch O Balloons (ZURU)

Playset of the Year: LEGO Star Wars Boba Fett’s Starship (The LEGO Group)

Plush Toy of the Year: Squishmallows (Jazwares)

Preschool Toy of the Year: LEGO Disney Ariel, Belle, Cinderella and Tiana’s Storybook Adventures (The LEGO Group)

Specialty Toy of the Year: LEGO Everyone is Awesome (The LEGO Group)

STEAM Toy of the Year: LEGO CREATOR 3-in-1 Ferris Wheel (The LEGO Group)

Vehicle of the Year: PLAYMOBIL Volkswagen T1 Camping Bus (PLAYMOBIL)

NAACP Image Awards Nominations: Netflix Tops List For Second Year In A Row

Nominees for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards are officially in, with Netflix taking the lead with 52 noms overall for titles across film and TV including The Harder They Fall, Passing, Bruised, The Upshaws and Maid.

The Harder They Fall’s nominations include for Outstanding Motion Picture, where it joins fellow nominees Judas and the Black Messiah and King Richard from Warner Bros, MGM/UAR’s Respect and Hulu’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

The show announcing marquee winners is set to place February 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT live on BET. The NAACP will recognize winners in non-televised categories February 21-25, with those ceremonies to stream on NAACPImageAwards.net.

The Image Awards celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color across more than 80 competitive categories spanning film, television, streaming, music, literature and podcasts. That category count is up from the 70-plus categories recognized earlier this year.

Outstanding Children’s Program

• Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix)

• Family Reunion (Netflix)

• Karma’s World (Netflix)

• Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)

• Waffles + Mochi (Netflix)