Irish animation company Boulder Media’s The Amazing World of Gumball picks up the Kids Animation Award at Friday’s inaugural International Emmy® Kids Awards.
The Dublin company, set up in 2000, was co-producer on the series, which received its international debut in May 2011, and was the first full-length animated series to emerge from Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe.
Boulder Media were part of the team who won the Award for their work on Gumball, along with Ben Bocquelet, Mic Graves & Joanna Beresford of Cartoon Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios & Studio Soi /Cartoon Network UK. The other nominations in this category included Ask Lara (Spain) Digimon Xros Wars – The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time (Japan) and The Jungle Bunch (France).
Boulder’s Creative director, Emmy-nominated Robert Cullen, who founded the company in 2000, said, “We’re over the moon with the Emmy and are very proud to be part of such a great show. We’re very lucky to have such a talented and hard working crew at Boulder so it’s wonderful to see their work being recognised with such a prestigious award. This means so much for the industry here. For such a small country Irish animation has achieved so much internationally which is something for everyone to be proud of”
Since The Amazing World of Gumball aired in 2011, the show has been a hit with viewers and critics. Brian Lowry of industry bible Variety says it “qualifies as first-rate silliness”.
The Amazing World of Gumball combines 2D and 3D animation in a live-action setting, and follows the misadventures of 12-year old Gumball and his family in the weird and wonderful little town of Elmore. Featuring a stellar cast of characters, Gumball’s school friends include a tyrannosaurus rex, a cheerleading peanut, and a banana.
The Amazing World of Gumball series also scooped awards for Best Animation (2011 and 2012) and Writing (2011) at the British Academy Children’s Awards.
The inaugural awards ceremony took place Friday, February 8, 2013 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61, in New York.
