‘Heartstopper’ top winner of 1st annual Children & Family Emmy Awards; Kit Connor, Olivia Colman win acting prizes

The LGBTQ+ teen series Heartstopper was the big winner of night two of the 1st annual Children & Family Emmy Awards, with awards for Outstanding Young Teen Series, Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Program and two acting wins; for star Kit Connor in lead and Olivia Colman for Guest Performance. The pair play mother and son on the series, which just began production on its second season. Tonight brought its total to five after its creative arts win last night for casting.

Back in November 2021, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards. Moving forward, the competitions will be organized solely by content genre as opposed to the current method, which separates programs based on program airtime. 

“NATAS and the Television Academy each pride ourselves on celebrating and honoring the best television has to offer, and with the evolution of our industry, it was critical to update our competitions to meet current trends in both content and viewing habits,” said Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS. “These changes will allow each Academy to honor an undivided scope of achievement in our respective fields of television excellence.”

Other big winners included the now-canceled The Baby-Sitter’s Club for Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series, The Mysterious Benedict Society for Outstanding Directing and Helen Mirren as Outstanding Host for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.

The ceremony, held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles and hosted by Jack McBrayer, also featured a lifetime achievement award presented to LeVar Burton by Laurence Fishburne.

Here is the complete list of winners from night two of the 1st Children & Family Emmy Awards.

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S OR FAMILY VIEWING SERIES

WINNER: “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

“The Astronauts”   (Nickelodeon)

“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”   (Apple TV+) 

“Raising Dion”   (Netflix)

“Secrets of Sulphur Springs”   (Disney Channel)

OUTSTANDING YOUNG TEEN SERIES

WINNER: “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. ”  (Disney+)

“First Day”  (Hulu)

“High School Musical: The Musical – The Series”  (Disney Channel) 

“The Mysterious Benedict Society”   (Disney+)

OUTSTANDING FICTION SPECIAL

WINNER: “Sneakerella” (Disney+)

“Better Nate Than Ever”  (Disney+)

“Muppets Haunted Mansion”  (Disney+)

“See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special”  (HBO Max)

“Spin”  (Disney Channel)

“Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast”   (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION PROGRAM

WINNER: “Who Are You, Charlie Brown?”   (Apple TV+)

“Hi I’m Sevy”   (Magnolia Network)

“Kids Baking Championship”    (Food Network) 

“Nick News”    (Nickelodeon)

“Sesame Street in Communities: Talking About Race”   (YouTube.com)

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED SERIES

WINNER: “City of Ghosts”  (Netflix)

“The Cuphead Show!”   (Netflix)

“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder”   (Disney+)

“Star Trek: Prodigy”    (Paramount+)

“A Tale Dark & Grimm”   (Netflix) 

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS ANIMATED PROGRAM

WINNER: “Hilda and the Mountain King”  (Netflix)

“El Deafo”  (Apple TV+)

“Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”  (Amazon Prime Video) 

“Maya and the Three” (Netflix)

“Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans”   (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL SERIES

WINNER: “Sesame Street”   (HBO Max)

“Helpsters”   (Apple TV+)

“The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo: Game Edition”  (HBO Max)

“Tab Time”  (YouTube Originals)

“Waffles + Mochi”   (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES

WINNER: “Ada Twist, Scientist”   (Netflix)

“Molly of Denali”  (PBS)

“Octonauts: Above & Beyond”   (Netflix)

“Santiago of the Seas”    (Nickelodeon)

“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum”  (PBS)

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM PROGRAM

WINNER: “We the People” (Netflix)

“Ciao Alberto” (Disney+)

“Little Bird” (Vimeo)

“Rhymes through Times” (Noggin)

“Sesame Street in Communities – Explaining Race | #ComingTogether” (YouTube.com)

OUTSTANDING HOST

WINNER: Dame Helen Mirren, “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses”  (Cartoon Network I TBS)

Tabitha Brown, “Tab Time” (YouTube Originals)

Recker Eans, Dylan Gilmer, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Olivia Perez, “The Kids Tonight Show” (Peacock)

Jack McBrayer, “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show”  (Apple TV+)

Coyote Peterson, “Coyote Peterson’s Wild Field Trip”  (YouTube Originals)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM

WINNER: Kit Connor as Nick Nelson, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

Loretta Devine as M’Dear, “Family Reunion” (Netflix)

Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

Joe Locke as Charlie Spring, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

Rueby Wood as Nate, “Better Nate Than Ever”  (Disney+)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM

WINNER: Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, “Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)

Adeel Akhtar as Aditya Singh, “Sweet Tooth”  (Netflix)

Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

William Gao as Tao Xu, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

Lisa Kudrow as Aunt Heidi, “Better Nate Than Ever”   (Disney+)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER PERFORMER IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM

WINNER: Quinn Copeland as Izzy, “Punky Brewster”  (Peacock)

Malia Baker as Mary Anne Spier, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

Sammi Haney as Esperanza, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)

Momona Tamada as Claudia Kishi, “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

Ja’Siah Young as Dion Warren, “Raising Dion” (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE IN PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM

WINNER: Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson, “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

Chris Diamontopoulos as Owen Quinn, “Ghostwriter” (Apple TV+)

Sharon Lawrence as Susan, “Punky Brewster” (Peacock)

Randall Park as Dr. Choi, “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. ” (Disney+)
Gina Rodriguez as Grown-Up Elena, “Diary of a Future President” (Disney+)

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM

WINNER: Daniel Ross as Donald Duck, “Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas” (Disney Junior)

David Errigo Jr. as Dudley, “Ridley Jones” (Netflix)

Eden Espinosa as The Queen of Hearts, “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” (Disney Junior)

Michael Luwoye as Wavey Jones, “Baby Shark’s Big Show!” (Nickelodeon)

Sherri Shepherd as Queen Fastine, “Blaze and the Monster Machines” (Nickelodeon)

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM

WINNER: Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck, Tweety, “Looney Tunes Cartoons” (HBO/HBO Max)

Grey Delisle as Lola, Lana, Lily, Meryl, Cheryl, Scoots, Mopes & Mrs. Bernardo, “The Loud House” (Nickelodeon)

Mark Hamill as Skeletor, “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” (Netflix)

Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon)

Frank Welker as Himself, Fred and Scooby, “Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?”   (Cartoon Network)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM

WINNER: Andy Walken as Young Durpleton, “Centaurworld” (Netflix)

Asher Bishop as Lincoln Loud, “The Loud House” (Nickelodeon)

Tucker Chandler as Alex, “Madagascar: A Little Wild” (Hulu and Peacock)

Kyrie McAlpin as Emma, “Doug Unplugs” (Apple TV+)

Amir O’Neil as Marty, “Madagascar: A Little Wild”  (Hulu and Peacock)

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM

WINNER: “Heartstopper”  (Netflix)

“Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)

“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.”  (Disney+)

“The Mysterious Benedict Society”  (Disney+)

“Sweet Tooth”   (Netflix)                                                                                                                                      

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A SINGLE CAMERA PROGRAM

WINNER: “The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Disney+)

“The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix)

“Sneakerella” (Disney+)

“Spin” (Disney Channel)

“Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)

“Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” (Apple TV+)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION

Chris Tsirgiotis, Background Designer (“Kid Cosmic,” Netflix)

Ron Tolentino Velasco, Character Designer (“Monsters At Work,” Disney+)

Craig McCracken, Character Designer (“Kid Cosmic,” Netflix)

Ivan Aguirre, Background Painter (“The Cuphead Show!,” Netflix)

Alex Konstad, Visual Development Artist  (“Maya And The Three,” Netflix)

Alessandro Taini, Production Designer (“Star Trek: Prodigy,” Paramount+) 

Benjamin Arcand, Storyboard Artist (“SpongeBob’s Road To Christmas,” Nickelodeon)

Photo: Rob Youngson