Magic Light Pictures secures another award win for animated adaptation Zog

Magic Light Pictures’ animated adaptation Zog has scooped the International Emmy in the Kids Awards Best Animation category at this year’s International Emmy Kids Awards.

The most recent accolade follows Magic Light’s win in the same category at the International Emmy Kids Awards in 2018 with Revolting Rhymes, and marks the second award in as many weeks for the animation. Magic Light also took home the Best Children’s Award at the RTS Awards held a fortnight ago.

Zog is an animated action adventure feature based on the popular book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The adaptation was directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon and produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, with animation services by Triggerfish Animation.

The half-hour special premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2018 and was the fourth-highest rated programme on the day, achieving 8.8m viewers (including repeat). The courageous tale of a keen but accident-prone dragon who gets into all sorts of mischief while at Dragon School, Zog enjoyed the highest share of any programme in the week 24-30 December.

Magic Light Pictures co-founder Michael Rose, said: “We are honoured that Zog has been recognised with this prestigious award, especially considering the quality of the competition from across the globe. It’s a testament to the wonderful work of directors Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon and to the whole, hugely talented crew who worked on the film.”

The International Emmy Kids Awards are the world’s pre-eminent platform for global excellence in television. Winners of the 8th annual awards were announced on the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website and social media channels on Tuesday 31 March 2020 following the cancellation of the awards ceremony.

Zog is also proving popular internationally. ZDF Germany is a key partner and the film has also been sold to major broadcasters across Europe, Asia and Australia.

The film is the latest in a distinguished line of award-winning festive family specials from Magic Light for BBC One that have become a Christmas tradition on the channel, including such favourites as The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, Revolting Rhymes and last year’s The Snail and the Whale.