‘Molly of Denali’ wins critics award

Category: Television and Streaming

The 2020 Television Critics Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming was presented to PBS KIDS’ Molly of Denali. The animated series focuses on the Native American heritage and life in Alaska with 10-year-old Molly Mabray.

Molly lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska where she helps her parents with their Denali Trading Post general store. She’s a delightful and helpful little girl filled with a positive spirit of her heritage and land.

“Molly of Denali is a story about kids and community, an authentic reflection of rural life in Alaska, supported by an Informational Text curriculum,” said GBH Executive Producer Dorothea Gillim. “Over the past year, the animated series, podcast and games have been embraced by audiences everywhere. We are grateful to the Television Critics Association for recognizing Molly of Denali with this honor.”

The show was developed with the collaboration of Alaska Natives and the voice talents as well as the writers and musicians all are of Alaskan heritage. Every Indigenous character is voiced by and Indigenous actor, making this a true Alaskan show.

“The stories we tell through Molly of Denali are a reflection of the heart and values of Alaska Native peoples — our truths, our histories, and our experience,” said Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Neest’aii Gwich’in), Creative Producer of the series. “Through Molly, we get to show that we are still here, and we have so much to say about how we live respectfully with one another and the lands, waters and animals we share this world with.”

Congratulations to Molly of Denali and PBS KIDS for this well-deserved award.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a long-standing member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association.