Alaska Native Children’s TV Show Nominated for Two Emmy Awards

Promotional image for Kathy Waugh and Dorothea Gillim’s TV show Molly of Denali (2019–present)

The animated kids TV program Molly of Denali (2019–present) has been nominated in two categories for the Third Annual Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards: Interactive Media and Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Series. X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, a professor at the University of Southeast Alaska who is Tlingit, Haida, Yup’ik and Sámi, is a writer for the show and is nominated in the latter category for the episode “Not a Mascot.” The series follows protagonist Molly and her family in the fictional Alaska Native village of Qyah, and includes interactive elements like games and activities. Notably, it is the first nationally distributed children’s show in the United States to feature an Alaska Native main character. Stay tuned to find out if Twitchell and Molly of Denali win—results will be announced at the awards ceremonies in Los Angeles on March 15, 2025.