Children’s & Family Emmy Awards 2026: ‘Descendants,’ Joe Locke Among Top Winners

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) presented the 2026 Children’s & Family Emmy Awards on Monday, March 2, 2026, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Disney dominated the awards, securing 22 wins across its content brands and studios.

Key Winners

Several individuals and programs were recognized for their outstanding contributions to children’s and family television. Descendants: The Rise of Red was the most-awarded display of the evening, taking home five Emmys, including Outstanding Fiction Special.

Other notable winners included:

• Joe Locke: Awarded for Outstanding Lead Performer for his role in Heartstopper.
• John Lithgow: Recognized for his voice performance as Minister Bolinar in Spellbound.
• Ana Gasteyer: Won her first Emmy for her voice performance as Crabitha in My RoboGobo.
• Tabitha Brown: Received the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Personality for Tab Time, which also won for writing for a preschool or children’s series.
• Andrew Garfield: Won his first Emmy for his appearance on Sesame Street.
• Sesame Street: Received four awards, including Outstanding Preschool, Children’s or Family Viewing Series.
• Star Wars: Skeleton Crew: Named Outstanding Young Teen Series.
• Win or Lose: Awarded Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series.

Award Highlights by Category

• Outstanding Preschool, Children’s or Family Viewing Series: Sesame Street
• Outstanding Young Teen Series: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
• Outstanding Fiction Special: Descendants: The Rise of Red
• Outstanding Informational Program: A Real Bug’s Life
• Outstanding Preschool Animated Series: The Tiny Chef Show
• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series: Win or Lose

A Celebration of Creativity

NATAS President & CEO Adam Sharp emphasized the importance of the honored programs, stating, “Today’s honorees reflect the extraordinary creativity and care that travel into serving television’s youngest audiences and the families who watch alongside them.” He further highlighted the power of these programs to “educate, inform, entertain, and inspire.”

The ceremony, hosted by John Tartaglia, featured an opening performance of the “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” theme song by Regina Spektor. This year marked the first time all competitive categories were presented in a single evening.