New York – Brian Robbins, the American TV, film and digital media producer behind AwesomenessTV – a multi-platform media company serving the global teen audience – is set to receive the 2015 Pioneer Prize at the International Digital Emmy Awards. He will accept the prize on Monday, 13 April at MIPTV.
After producing numerous popular and critically acclaimed television hits aimed at teens and young audiences for WB, Nickelodeon and Disney, Robbins decided to focus on digital media with the creation of the AwesomenessTV YouTube channel. Launched in July 2012, AwesomenessTV quickly became the fastest growing teen and tween destination on YouTube, accumulating over seven billion views worldwide. AwesomenessTV was acquired by Dreamworks Animation in May 2013 and Hearst acquired a 25% interest in December 2014.
Continuing to operate independently with Robbins at its helm, the fast growing company has expanded into film and television production, consumer products, music and publishing. It also produces DreamWorksTV.
“Brian Robbins is a force to reckon with – a multi-talented producer and entrepreneur who has harnessed his unique know-how of the teen audience to create, at record speed, a global multi-platform media company that keeps on reinventing how content is being produced, distributed and watched,” said International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences President & CEO, Bruce Paisner. “We look forward to recognising his innovative contributions to the field of digital entertainment with our 2015 Pioneer Prize.”
“Awesome is the best way to describe being honored for something that I love doing. I’ve been producing content for teen and tween audiences my entire life but digital media has enabled me to connect with them in ways unimaginable a few short years ago,” said Robbins, CEO and Founder AwesomenessTV. “Not only can we deliver content when and where teens want to access it, but we are now able to reach a global audience day and date.”
In addition to the Pioneer Prize, the International Academy will present three International Digital Emmy Awards for Digital Programme: Children & Young People; Digital Programme: Fiction and Digital; Digital Programme: Non-Fiction.
As in previous years, the International Digital Emmy Awards, sponsored by the Bell Fund will bring together over 200 international executives across the entertainment, mobile and Internet industries at an exclusive ceremony, on the opening night of MIPTV 2015.
Robbins will also be part of MIPTV’s Digital Fronts with a presentation on 15 April.
