Irish animation studio JAM Media, an Enterprise Ireland client, won a BAFTA Drama Award for their long-standing CBBC series ‘Roy’ at the prestigious British Academy Children’s Awards.

Shot as a fly on the wall documentary, cartoon character Roy lives in the real world. The series lets kids gain access into Roy’s unique life and see that despite his obvious physical differences, inside, he is just the same as they are. They see too how being “different” gets Roy tormented and makers of the show say it magnifies every child’s desire to fit in and be accepted.

"The series speaks to all children in that everyone has at one time or another felt different. Roy is a humorous take on this theme,” said John Rice, JAM Media CEO and ‘Roy’ exec producer.
 
“The competition was stiff and this award, coming just after the re-commission of a double series of Roy by CBBC, proves that the series and the character of Roy really seems to resonate with viewers in the UK, Ireland and beyond.”

The company earlier announced that the BBC had commissioned a second series of Roy. The decision is worth €8.5 million to Jam Media and will lead to the creation of 60 new jobs.

2012 has been a good year for JAM Media as earlier this year, the company also won the Cartoon Forum Producer of the Year Award.

Dublin based Boulder Media also won a children’s BAFTA’s for writing and animation on its co-production ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’.

‘The Amazing World of Gumball’ combines 2D and 3D animation in a live-action setting, and follows the misadventures of 12-year old Gumball and his family in the town of Elmore. The series received its international debut in May and is the first full-length animated series to emerge from Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe.