ACT Announces Awards of Excellence Winners

TORONTO: The Alliance for Children and Television (ACT) honored Canada’s top English-language children’s programs at the 2009 Awards of Excellence Gala, with the grand prize going to Johnny Test, produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment and broadcast on TELETOON.

Johnny Test took home the award for best program across all categories. A special jury award was handed out to Mighty Jungle II, produced by Halifax Film, broadcast by CBC. For programs aimed at 3- to 5-year-olds, Are We There Yet?: World Adventure, produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and aired on Treehouse, was the winner across all genres, while best animated program for the demographic was My Friend Rabbit, produced by Nelvana and aired on Treehouse and Qubo. The award of excellence across all genres for the 6-to-8 set was Mark’s Moments, produced and broadcast by TVO, with the animation category being led by Wapos Bay (Raiders of the Lost Art), produced by Wapos Bay Productions, broadcast by APTN and SCN. Booky and the Secret Santa, produced by Platt Productions and Shaftesbury Films and Television and aired on CBC, was the overall winner in the 9-to-12 demo, with Nerd Corps’ Storm Hawks, aired on YTV, as the winner on the animation side. Best program aimed at teens for all genres went to Degrassi: The Next Generation, produced by Epitome Picutres, broadcast by CTV.

Sinking Ship’s Roll Play, aired on Treehouse, won out as best interstitials for all ages, while best cross-platform content tied to a children’s program was announced as Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock (anashinteractive.com), produced by Reel Girls Media.

In addition, the ACT presented two special awards celebrating the work of two Canadian creators. The Outstanding Achievement Award was given to Patricia Ellingson, the creative head of children’s media content and programming at TV Ontario. The Emerging Talent Award went to Christin Simms, writer, script-writer and creative producer for Sinking Ship Entertainment.