Brandi Carlile, Joshua Bassett & More Win at 2023 Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Brandi Carlile and Joshua Bassett were among the winners at the second annual Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which were held on Saturday (Dec. 16) at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Carlile won outstanding original song for a preschool program for writing “One Sacred Thing” from Jam Van. The singer-songwriter has won nine Grammys in the last five years and is nominated for two more awards at the ceremony, set for Feb. 4.

Bassett is best-known for his starring role as high school student Ricky Bowen in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–23). “Finally Free,” which he co-wrote with Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell for that series, won outstanding original song for a children’s or young teen program.

The Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy Awards is different from the Daytime Emmys Creative Arts Awards, which were held at the same hotel earlier in the day.

According to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), children’s and family content represents the fastest-growing genre that NATAS awards, with a 23% increase in related programming the past two years. With more than 3,000 submissions, the competition is now the largest that NATAS oversees.

The Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy ceremony was streamed live on NATAS’ dedicated viewing platform, available on the web at watch.theemmys.tv and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku (full list at apps.theemmys.tv). 

The complete list of winners is available at theemmys.tv. 

Here’s a complete list of nominees in the music and choreography categories, with winners marked.

Outstanding music direction and composition for a live action program

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Disney+

Ivy and Bean The Ghost Who Had to Go, Netflix

WINNER: Lost Ollie, Netflix; Lead Composer: Scot Stafford; Composer: Stephen Spies; Music Supervisor: Justine von Winterfeldt

Monster High: The Movie, Nickelodeon

The Mysterious Benedict Society, Disney+

Outstanding music direction and composition for an animated program

Animaniacs, Hulu

WINNER: Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, Netflix; Composers: Kevin Lax, Robert Lydecker; Music Supervisors: Vivian Aguiar-Buff, Alexandra Nickson, Clare Yezerski

Looney Tunes Cartoons, MAX

Star Wars: Young Jedi, Disney+

Tom and Jerry:  Cowboy Up! Cartoon Network, HBO Max

Outstanding original song for a preschool program

“The City of Brotherly Love,” Jam Van, You Tube Kids

“Community is Everything, Sesame Street, HBO Max

“The Hat Makes the Hatter,” Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, Disney Junior

“One Big Family,” Mira, Royal Detective, Disney Junior

“One Sacred Thing,” Jam Van, YouTube Kids

WINNER: “One Sacred Thing,” Jam Van, YouTube Kids; Composer & Lyricist: Brandi Carlile

Outstanding original song for a children’s or young teen program

“Coming Out of the Dark,” Monster High: The Movie, Nickelodeon

WINNER: “Finally Free,” High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Disney+; Composer & Lyricist: Joshua Bassett, Tova Litvin, Doug Rockwell

“Roll the Dice,” The Cuphead Show! , Netflix

“These Kids,” Snow Day, Nickelodeon

“You Never Know,” High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, Disney+

Outstanding choreography

 Blue’s Big City Adventure, Nickelodeon

Bunk’d, Disney Channel

Snow Day, Nickelodeon

High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, Disney+

WINNER: Monster High: The Movie, Nickelodeon, Choreographer: Heather Laura Gray