This is the first  Emmy® Award win for the critically-acclaimed PBS KIDS series and the first win by a an Indigenous production or actor 

Boston, Mass. (March 15, 2025) - Boston public media producer GBH was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for the Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards for the PBS KIDS series MOLLY OF DENALI in the category Writing for a Preschool Animated Series for the episode “Not A Mascot,” written by X’unei Lance Twitchell and story edited by Raye Lankford. 

“We are proud that the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has recognized the importance of Molly of Denali, a show that teaches children important skills,” said Susan Goldberg, president and CEO of GBH. “Congratulations to the entire Molly of Denali team that worked so hard to bring this series to life!”

Produced by GBH Kids in Boston and production partner Atomic Cartoons, MOLLY OF DENALI first premiered in 2019. The series centers around the adventures of curious and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl who lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska. This critically-acclaimed PBS KIDS series is the first nationally distributed children’s program to feature Indigenous lead characters, and incorporates Alaska Native and Indigenous voices in all aspects of the production, both on screen and behind the scenes.

The 2025 winners were announced during the Children’s & Family Creative Arts Award in Los Angeles on March 15. This is the third year of the standalone expansion of its Emmy® Award competition. The decision to have this separate award was done in recognition of the fast-growing children and family genre and programming. In this new expansion of the Emmy® Award, MOLLY OF DENALI also received a nomination in the category of Interactive Media for the “Molly of Denali: Wood Carving Arts” digital game.

In addition, Senior Executive Producer, Carol Greenwald, was inducted into the Emmy® Silver Circle Society. This honor recognizes those who have made an enduring impact and contribution to television. Greenwald was the senior executive producer for the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR, one of the longest running animated children’s series in the U.S. during its 25-season history.

About MOLLY OF DENALI 
MOLLY OF DENALI is produced by GBH Kids and its animation partner, Atomic Cartoons. MOLLY OF DENALI® involves Alaska Native and Indigenous voices in all aspects of the production, both on screen and behind the scenes. Every Indigenous character is voiced by an Indigenous actor, including Molly, voiced by Alaska Native Sovereign Bill (Tlingit and Muckleshoot).

Support for MOLLY OF DENALI® is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rasmuson Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Newman’s Own Foundation, the GBH Kids and Education Fund, Cook Inlet Region Inc. and by public television viewers.

Alaska Native collaborators: Wilson Justin, Lorraine David, Rochelle Adams, Dewey Kk’oleyo Hoffman, and Princess Johnson. Language Advisors: Allan Hayton, Aassanaaq Kairaiuak, Joel Isaak, Lance X’unei Twitchell, Lorraine David, and Marjorie Tahbone. Informational text advisor: Nell K. Duke.

About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, ARTHUR and MOLLY OF DENALI and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.

Media Contact:
Emily Balk
GBH External Communications Manager
emily_balk@wgbh.org