S4C children’s animation Holi Hana, which features an agony aunt duck who helps young animals solve their emotional problems, has won a top UK industry award.
The series, made in Cardiff by Calon TV, won the Best Children’s Programme category at the prestigious 2009 Broadcast Awards, beating off stiff competition from five other shortlisted programmes, all screened on CBBC.
Holi Hana, which last year won Best Animation awards at the Celtic Media Festival and Bafta Cymru, has been sold to around a dozen countries world-wide, and is a co-production between Calon TV, S4C, the Wales Creative IP Fund, Five and Scotland’s MG Alba.
This was the first time for an S4C programme to win an award at the event, organised by broadcasting trade magazine Broadcast in order to recognise and reward excellence in programme-making.
Robin Lyons, Calon Managing Director, said, “I’m delighted for both myself, the team at Calon TV and S4C. In these difficult times, it shows how high-quality programming can be achieved when broadcasters in the UK, in this case S4C, Five and MG Alba in Scotland, work together.”
Rhian Gibson, S4C’s Director of Commissioning, added, “Holi Hana is the latest success story from a strong tradition of S4C pre-school programmes and plays an important part in the schedule of our new nursery service, Cyw.”
Other winners at the award include comedy show Gavin & Stacey and popular factual programmes The Apprentice and The Choir. The event was hosted by Welsh comedian Rob Brydon.
