The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences unveiled on Tuesday the nominations for their inaugural Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. 

The awards are the first standalone expansion of the Emmy Award competition since 1979, and mark the successful culmination of the first full year of the realignment between NATAS and the Television Academy. Previously, children’s programming had been a part of the Daytime Emmy Awards, which were recently given out this summer.

Courtesy/NATAS

The new awards will be handed out during two separate ceremonies: December 10th (Creative Arts Emmys) and December 11 (Main categories) at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Children’s & Family content represent the fastest-growing genre that NATAS awards, with a 23% increase in related programming the past two years.  With more than 3,000 submissions, the competition is now the largest that NATAS oversees.

Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS said in a statement: “Putting a spotlight on children’s & family programming after years of unparalleled growth in content quality and quantity in this space is an exciting moment for the television industry. These programs entertain, inform and educate family members of all ages, and NATAS is proud to mark this milestone event and give these creators the stage they deserve.”

Scoring nominations in various performer categories were: Loretta Devine, who recently appeared in Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem Chapter 2.  Devine, will compete in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program for her work in Family Reunion. 

Photo: IMDb

Talk show host, Sherri Shepherd, also scored a nomination but in the Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Animated Program for her role in Blaze and the Monster Machines.  In addition, Gina Rodriguez (Ex-Beverly, B&B) received an Emmy nomination for her work in Diary of a Future President in the Outstanding Guest Performance in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program.  Check out the other notables receiving nominations including: Oscar winner, Olivia Colman and Friends favorite, Lisa Kudrow. Former All My Children alum, Eden Riegel (ex-Bianca) is also nominated in the Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series for Amphibia.

Below are some of the main categories/nominations in the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.  Congrats to all the nominees!

OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL SERIES
Helpsters, Apple TV+
The Not-Too-Late Show Eith Elmo: Game Edition, HBO Max
Sesame Street, HBO Max
Tab Time, YouTube Originals
Waffles + Mochi, Netflix

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S OR FAMILY VIEWING SERIES
The Astronauts, Nickelodeon
The Baby-Sitters Club, Netflix
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Apple TV+
Raising Dion, Netflix
Secrets of Sulphur Springs, Disney Channel

OUTSTANDING YOUNG TEEN SERIES
Doogie Kamealoha M.D., Disney+
First Day, Hulu
Heartstopper, Netflix
High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, Disney Channel
The Mysterious Benedict Society, Disney+

OUTSTANDING FICTION SPECIAL
Better Nate Than Ever, Disney+
Muppets Haunted Mansion, Disney+
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special, HBO Max
Sneakerella, Disney+
Spin, Disney Channel
Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast, Netflix

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Kit Connor as Nick Nelson, Heartstopper
Loretta Devine as M’Dear, Family Reunion
Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer, The Baby-Sitters Club
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring, Heartstopper
Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, The Baby-Sitters Club
Rueby Wood as Nate Better, Nate Than Ever

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Adeel Akhtar as Aditya Singh, Sweet Tooth
Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, Sweet Tooth
Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent, Heartstopper
William Gao as Tao Xu, Heartstopper
Lisa Kudrow as Aunt Heidi, Better Nate Than Ever

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER PERFORMER IN A PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Malia Baker as Mary Anne Spier, The Baby-Sitters Club
Quinn Copeland as Izzy, Punky Brewster
Sammi Haney as Esperanza, Raising Dion
Momona Tamada as Claudia Kishi, The Baby-Sitters Club
Ja’Siah Young as Dion Warren, Raising Dion

OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE IN PRESCHOOL, CHILDREN’S OR YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson, Heartstopper
Chris Diamontopoulos as Owen Quinn, Ghostwriter
Sharon Lawrence as Susan, Punky Brewster
Randall Park as Dr. Choi, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
Gina Rodriguez as Grown-Up Elena, Diary of a Future President

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
David Errigo Jr. as Dudley, Ridley Jones
Eden Espinosa as The Queen of Hearts, Alice’s Wonderland Bakery
Michael Luwoye as Wavey Jones, Baby Shark’s Big Show!
Daniel Ross as Donald Duck, Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas
Sherri Shepherd as Queen Fastine, Blaze and the Monster Machines

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny/Marvin the Martian/Daffy Duck/Tweety, Looney Tunes Cartoons
Grey Delisle as Lola/Lana/Lily/Meryl/Cheryl/Scoots/Mopes/Mrs. Bernardo, The Loud House
Mark Hamill as Skeletor, Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob SquarePants
Frank Welker as Himself/Fred/Scooby, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER VOICE PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED OR PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Asher Bishop as Lincoln Loud, The Loud House
Tucker Chandler as Alex, Madagascar: A Little Wild
Kyrie McAlpin as Emma, Doug Unplugs
Amir O’Neil as Marty, Madagascar: A Little Wild
Andy Walken as Young Durpleton, Centaurworld

OUTSTANDING HOST
Tabitha Brown, Tab Time
Recker Eans, Dylan Gilmer, Mykal-Michelle Harris and Olivia Perez, The Kids Tonight Show
Dame Helen Mirren, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses
Jack McBrayer, Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show
Coyote Peterson, Coyote Peterson’s Wild Field Trip

OUTSTANDING NON-FICTION PROGRAM
Hi I’m Sevy, Magnolia Network
Kids Baking Championship, Food Network
Nick News, Nickelodeon
Sesame Street in Communities: Talking About Race, YouTube.com
Who Are You, Charlie Brown?, Apple TV+

OUTSTANDING PRESCHOOL ANIMATED SERIES
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 ANIMATED SERIES
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
El Deafo, Apple TV+
Hilda and the Mountain King, Netflix
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Prime Video
Maya and the Three, Netflix
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Netflix

OUTSTANDING SHORT-FORM PROGRAM
Ciao Alberto, Disney+
Little Bird, Vimeo
Rhymes Through Times, Noggin
Sesame Street in Communities – Explaining Race | #ComingTogether, YouTube.com
We the People, Netflix

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Cat Burglar, Netflix
In Space with Markiplier, YouTube Originals
Madrid Noir, Oculus TV
Namoo, Baobab Studios
Paper Birds, Oculus TV

OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
CHOOSE KINDNESS Campaign, ABC
Dragons: The Nine Realms, Hulu and Peacock
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Netflix
Maya and the Three, Netflix
My Squishy Little Dumplings, Nickelodeon
PBS KIDS: “You Taught Me” Brand Campaign, PBS

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIVE ACTION PRESCHOOL OR CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
The Baby-Sitters Club
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special
Sesame Street
Waffles + Mochi
Who Are You, Charlie Brown?

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A YOUNG TEEN PROGRAM
Better Nate Than Ever
Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
Heartstopper
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Sweet Tooth

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A PRESCHOOL ANIMATED PROGRAM
Ada Twist, Scientist
Alma’s Way
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Molly of Denali
Muppet Babies

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Amphibia
City of Ghosts
Dug Days
Karma’s World
Maya and the Three

What do you think of the nominees for the first Children’s & Family Emmy Awards? Are you glad this genre of TV was given its own ceremony and no longer a part of the Daytime Emmy Awards? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.