The Secret Show from Collingwood O’Hare Ent. was the big winner in the Animation category and Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet emerged as the top feature film on Saturday during the 11th Annual British Academy Children’s Film and Television Awards. Bristol-based Aardman Animations was also named Independent Production company of the Year during the kudo fest, which was presented in association with Electronic Arts at the London Hilton.
The Secret Show beat out Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep and fellow CBeebies offering Charlie and Lola Christmas Special from Tiger Aspect Prods., as well as the Jetix show Oban Star Racers from Sav! The World Prods. The web site for The Secret Show also came up a winner in the Interactive category.
Charlie and Lola was the big fish in the Preschool Animation pool, which included Little Princess from Illuminated Films (Five), Peppa Pig from Contender/Rubber Duck (Five/Nick Jr U.K.) and Pocoyo from Granada Kids/Zinkia Ent. (CiTV). The show also garnered a win for writer Bridget Hurst, who was nominated along with fellow Charlie and Lola scribe Anna Starkey and All About Me writer Malcolm Campbell.
In addition to being well represented among the winners and nominees, CBeebies picked up the award for Channel of the Year. The outlet won over Nickelodeon U.K., Nick Jr. U.K. and Scamp.
Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants from United Plankton Pictures Inc. pulled out a win in the International category. The worldwide hit beat out Yin Yang Yo! From Walt Disney Television Animation (Jetix), Lazy Town Prods.’ Lazytown (Nick Jr. U.K.) and Essential Viewing Group’s Lockie Leonard (Jetix).
On the feature film front, director George Miller’s Oscar-winning Happy Feet trumped Aardman/DreamWorks’ Flushed Away, Walden Media/Icon Film Distribution’s Bridge to Terabithia and Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. However, it lost the BAFTA Kids’ Vote to 20th Century Fox’s The Simpsons Movie. Also up for voting were fellow Fox releases Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Night at the Museum, as well as DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek the Third, DreamWorks/Paramount’s Transformers, Sony/Columbia’s Spider Man 3, Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Universal Pictures’ Mr. Bean’s Holiday.
Sony Pictures’ animated Monster House didn’t make either list, but director Gil Kenan was up for the Break-Through Talent award, which ended up going to My Life As a Popat director Charlie Martin. The other nominees were See Something, Say Something producer Jane Laffey and That Summer Day producer Hannah Pescod.
A full list of nominees and winners of the 11th Annual British Academy Children’s Film and Television Awards can be found at www.bafta.org.
