Children's and Family Emmy Awards explained

Children's and Family Emmy Award
Current Awards:	2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards
Awarded For:	Excellence in children's and family television
Country:	United States

The Children's and Family Emmy Awards, or Children's and Family Emmys, are a part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Children's and Family Emmys are presented in recognition of excellence in American children's and family-oriented television programming. The first ceremony took place on December 10 and 11, 2022, at Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles. Awards for children's programming are offshoots of categories that were previously presented at both the Daytime Emmys and the Primetime Emmys.

History

Previously, the majority of Emmy Awards for children's television fell within the scope of the Daytime Emmy Awards, as organized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).^[1] The 48th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards introduced a new Outstanding Young Adult Series category as well.^[2]

The Primetime Emmy Awards organized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS, also branded as the Television Academy) featured a non-competitive award for Outstanding Children's Program, which could be shared by multiple nominees that meet a specific voting threshold of academy members. This category was retired in 2020, with the Television Academy citing that the proliferation of streaming services had created confusion over whether children's programs should fall under the Daytime or Primetime awards; the category had already been modified to make primetime specials and spin-offs of a daytime children's program ineligible.

On November 17, 2021, the NATAS announced that it would create a new award presentation for children's and family television in 2022, the Children's and Family Emmy Awards, which would take over categories previously dispersed across the Daytime and Primetime Emmys. The organization cited an "explosive growth in the quantity and quality of children's and family programming" as justification for a dedicated ceremony. The categories featured in the ceremony also include seven new categories for preschool television series.

The introduction of the ceremony is part of a larger re-alignment of the Primetime and Daytime Emmy Awards' eligibility criteria that begun in 2022, with eligibility for the ceremonies now based more on themes and stylistic characteristics rather than strictly the dayparts where a program airs on linear television.^{[3] [4]}

Categories

The following categories were presented at the 2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards in 2023:^[5]

Program

• Outstanding Preschool Series
• Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series
• Outstanding Young Teen Series
• Outstanding Fiction Special
• Outstanding Non-Fiction Program
• Outstanding Preschool Animated Series
• Outstanding Animated Series
• Outstanding Special Class Animated Program
• Outstanding Short Form Program
• Outstanding Interactive Media
• Outstanding Promotional Announcement

Performer

• Outstanding Lead Performance
• Outstanding Supporting Performance
• Outstanding Younger Performer
• Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program
• Outstanding Younger Voice Performer in an Animated or Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Host
• Outstanding Puppeteer Performance

Writing

• Outstanding Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children's Program
• Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Program
• Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program

Directing

• Outstanding Directing for a Single Camera Program
• Outstanding Directing for a Multiple Camera Program
• Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series

Crafts

• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program
• Outstanding Original Song for a Children's and Young Teen Program
• Outstanding Lighting Design for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Live Action Single-Camera Program
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Live Action Multiple-Camera Program
• Outstanding Editing for a Single Camera Program
• Outstanding Editing for Multiple Camera Program
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program
• Outstanding Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Main Title and Graphics
• Outstanding Casting for a Live-Action Program
• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
• Outstanding Costume Design/Styling
• Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup
• Outstanding Choreography
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Public Service Initiative
• Outstanding Puppet Design/Styling

Individual achievement

• Individual Achievement in Animation

Special

• Lifetime Achievement Award

Defunct categories

• Outstanding Guest Performance (presented in 2022 only)
• Outstanding Original Song (split into two categories in 2023)
• Outstanding Special Effects Costumes, Makeup and Hairstyling (presented in 2022 only)

List of ceremonies

	Date	Year	Host(s)	Site
1st	December 10–11, 2022	2021–22		Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles
2nd	December 16–17, 2023	2022–23	Christopher Jackson	Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles

Notes and References

1. Web site: Schneider. Michael. November 2, 2020. Primetime Emmys Drop Children's Program Category, as All Kids Awards Move to Daytime. live. November 2, 2020. Variety. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102170232/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/primetime-emmys-childrens-daytime-category-1234821285/ . 2020-11-02 .
2. Web site: Hipes. Patrick. 2021-11-17. Children's & Family Emmy Awards Set As Stand-Alone Competition Beginning In 2022. live. 2021-11-17. Deadline. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20211117161009/https://deadline.com/2021/11/childrens-and-family-emmy-awards-launch-2022-1234875735/ . 2021-11-17 .
3. News: Hill . Libby . December 14, 2021 . Television Academies Announce Overhaul of Primetime and Daytime Emmy Award Categories . . April 8, 2022.
4. News: Andreeva . Nellie . December 14, 2021 . Emmys: Primetime & Daytime Awards Get Realigned Based On Genre Not Airtime; Dramas, Talk Shows & Game Shows Impacted . . April 8, 2022.
5. Web site: Call for Entries. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. July 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220722021644/https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CAFE-Call-for-Entries-and-Boilerplate-v3.pdf. July 22, 2022. live.