A New Zealand animated series about two penguin best friends has taken out a top prize at one of the world’s biggest TV and film awards.
Bigsies and Littles, made by RNZ, won a Gold Tower at the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards. It was the only children’s show to win the award, which is considered a real honour in the TV world.
The 10-episode series follows Little Blue, an eager and imaginative young penguin, and his calm, good-humoured best friend Big Blue. The show was adapted from a popular children’s book series by New Zealand author Raymond McGrath, and features the voices of well-known Kiwi performers including Pio Terei, Kura Forrester, Justine Smith, and Donna Brookbanks.
Producer Nigel McCulloch says winning an international award means a lot for such a small, independent production. “Bigsies and Littles represents so much of New Zealand, from the performers to the sense of humour, and to see this resonate globally makes me so happy for Raymond and our small team of animators who made such a beautiful show.”
RNZ Commissioning Manager Tim Burnell says the show felt special from the very beginning. He described it as “a standout example of heartfelt tamariki programming.”
It wasn’t just Bigsies and Littles bringing home the wins either. Two other RNZ podcasts also picked up prizes at the same awards. Kelly Tarlton’s Final Treasure Hunt won silver, and Nark won bronze, both in the narrative and documentary podcast categories.
