OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Nov. 23, 2016) – The kids have spoken! After a month-long campaign that saw thousands of children across the country vote for their favourite program, the three winners of the 11th Shaw Rocket Prize have been selected.
Awarded to children’s programs that offer the best overall viewing experience for children and youth, the 2016 Rocket Prize was handed out to three Canadian programs: Kate & Mim-Mim by DHX Media, Slugterra by DHX Media, and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables by Breakthrough Entertainment. Each winner received a $25,000 grant from the Shaw Rocket Fund.
“On behalf of the Shaw Rocket Fund, we would like to extend our congratulations to all three winners of the 2016 Rocket Prize,” said Agnes Augustin, President and CEO, Shaw Rocket Fund. “The three shows that took home top honours tonight showcase the deep breadth of talent, creativity, and ingenuity among Canadian producers of children’s programming and more importantly the most impressionable to the children who voted.”
“The winners of this year’s Shaw Rocket Prize are a testament to the outstanding shows being produced by Canadians,” said Jay Mehr, President, Shaw Communications. “The Rocket Fund represents Shaw’s ongoing commitment to investing in the development of quality Canadian children’s programming, and we would like to congratulate the three winners on their innovative and creative programming.”
Hosted by Soma Bhatia, star of Degrassi: Next Class and Poltergeist, the three awards were presented this evening at the Shaw Rocket Prize Gala by The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
“As Canada gets ready to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation, I could not be more proud to celebrate the best in Canadian kids’ and youth programming,” said Minister Joly. “The Shaw Rocket Fund showcases the best our country has to offer and the talents of professionals in Canada’s television industry. This year’s focus on the best digital experience is timely and illustrates how our kids and youth programs are innovative and unique. Congratulations to this year’s winners!”
More information on the winning programs:
- Pre-School (ages 0 to 5) – Kate & Mim-Mim:
Kate & Mim-Mim (DHX Media) brings to life a world where the only limits are a little girl’s imagination. Kate is a feisty five-year-old who, together with her toy bunny best friend Mim-Mim, travels to a fantasy world, where Mim-Mim becomes a larger-than-life playmate!
- Children (ages 6 to 12) – Slugterra:
Slugterra (DHX Media) is about 15-year-old Eli Shane, who’s determined to be the greatest slug-slinging hero of Slugterra after his dad. He can become the best only by collecting, training, and dueling little creatures called slugs.
- Youth and Family (ages 13 to 17) – L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables:
L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (Breakthrough Entertainment) is based on the iconic Canadian book of the same name. It is the late 1870s on beautiful Prince Edward Island. Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent there to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm. Anne must make her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and in the town of Avonlea to ensure she is never sent back to the orphanage again.
HOW THE WINNERS WERE SELECTED:
The finalists of the 2016 Shaw Rocket Prize’s three categories were selected by an international jury of industry experts. This jury was comprised of:
- Julien Borde, Head of SVOD, France Télévisions
- Jules Borkent, SVP, Global Acquisitions and International Programming, Nickelodeon and Viacom
- Adina Pitt, Vice President, Content Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- Alice Webb, Director, BBC Children’s and BBC North, BBC
Once narrowed to three finalists per category, children from across Canada chose their favourite programs by voting online on each finalist’s television and digital media content through October and November. All children who voted were entered into a draw to win one of four $2,500 scholarships.
For more information on the Shaw Rocket Fund and the Shaw Rocket Prize, please visit www.rocketfund.ca.
About Shaw Rocket Fund
The Shaw Rocket Fund is a forward thinking, independently governed not-for-profit organization dedicated to investing in quality Canadian children’s, youth and family media content with financing and initiatives that support the growth of the production industry such as the much celebrated Shaw Rocket Prize. Contributors to the Fund are Shaw Communications, Shaw Pay Per View Ltd., a division of Shaw Cablesystems GP, and Shaw Direct.
About Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications Inc. is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.
Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX:SJR.B)(TSX:SJR.PR.A)(TSX:SJR.PR.B)(NYSE:SJR)(TSX VENTURE:SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.
Lisa Amato
Manager, Strategic Communications
(416) 642-6330
lisa@rocketfund.ca
Shaw Communications Inc.
Chethan Lakshman
VP, Communications and Public Relations
(403) 930-8448
chethan.lakshman@sjrb.ca