Tweets And Photographs From Nickelodeon UK And Britvic's "Nickelodeon's Fruit Shoot Skills Awards 2012"

Below is a selection of highlight Tweets (posts) and photographs which were Tweeted (posted) about Nickelodeon UK's "Nickelodeon's Fruit Shoot Skills Awards" (also known as 'The Skillie Awards') brand new awards ceremony, which Nickelodeon UK held at the prestigious ICC Birmingham on Saturday 21st July 2012.

Tweeted by The ICC Birmingham on their official Twitter profile page (@ICC_Birmingham):

Really excited about having @NickelodeonUK in the building today for the Fruit Shoot Skills Awards! - 6.39am 21/7/2012

Lots going on for kids outside the ICC thanks to @NickelodeonTV and Fruit Shoot pic.twitter.com/QTF0Fuun - 7.20am 21/7/2012

Special visitor in the building! ['SpongeBob SquarePants'] @NickelodeonTV pic.twitter.com/HUElw0N1 - 8.29am 21/7/2012

Nickelodeon USA on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonTV): SpongeBob! - 1.45pm 7/21/2012.

The fantastic @NickelodeonTV Fruit Shoot Skills Awards pre-show party has gone down a storm! #nickskillies pic.twitter.com/qleO7HIH - 8.29am 21/7/2012

@pixiesongs @nickelodeonuk we hope you like the venue Pixie, we're really excited to have you here! - 9.12am 21.7.2012

Hall 3 has been transformed for the @NickelodeonTV Fruit Shoot Awards! #nickskillies pic.twitter.com/KyJCAx15 - 9.20am 21/7/2012

Tweeted by Nickelodeon UK and 'Camp Orange' presenter Anna Williamson on her official Twitter profile page (@annawilliamsTV):

A massive thankyou to Natasha and @motelrocks [Motel Rocks; MotelRocks.com] for the fab outfits for @NickelodeonTV 's #skillies this weekend x http://lockerz.com/s/226182502 - 11.31am Wednesday 18th July 2012

AND a big thanku 2 @WishWantWear ["Wish Want Wear: Your designer dress hire destination"; wishwantwear.com] for th gorgeous sparkly number for hosting duties @NickelodeonTV #skillies - the show is set to be amazing! - 11.33am Wednesday 18th July 2012

So, this weekend I'll be hosting the Fruit Shoots Skills Awards at the ICC in Birmingham, hope to see you there..tis on TV next week too FYI - 12.06am Thursday 19th July 2012

Top line up of celebs and music performances - will reveal all in due course. #skillies #nickelodeon #iccbirmingham - 12.07am Thursday 19th July 2012

Todays the day. An epic show awaits at the @NickelodeonTV #skillies - Kimberley Wyatt, Pixie Lot, Lawson, Amelia Lily..and I have to dance!! - 1.25am Saturday 21st July 2012.

Tweeted by Nickelodeon UK's Managing Director, Tina McCann, on her official Twitter feed (@TinaMcCannMD):

@annawilliamsTV @PeterDrake [Peter Drake, Vice President, Creative Director at Nickelodeon UK] @kangas911 [David Kangas, Nickelodeon UK's Director of Original Production] & all Nick crew [Nickelodeon Crew] good luck with #skillies event today! And good luck to all fabulously talented kids!

Tweeted by celebrity and music booker for events and music producer Azim Majid on his official Twitter stream (@AzimMajid):

@thewhitmore [Irish television presenter for MTV Europe Laura Whitmore ("MTV News")] @realjoeswash [former Nickelodeon UK ("LOL: Laugh Out Loud") and Eastenders star Joe Swash] here's a wee snap of [British singer-songwriter and 'The Voice UK' contestant] Tyler James rehearsal... pic.twitter.com/5Y7DJj3J [The photograph below also features a look at Nickelodeon UK's "Nickelodeon's Fruit Shoot Skills Awards" awards ceremony stage] - 8.44am 21/7/2012

Me tweeting @ryan_acoustic [Irish singer-songwriter Ryan O'Shaughnessy] whilst he's tweeting backstage. #nickskillies http://sdrv.ms/NGlxZq - 9.42am 21/7/2012

Walking to stage @pixiesongs [English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress Pixie Lott] wearing appropriate on brand footwear #orange #nickskillies pic.twitter.com/vxalAWKK - 9.51am 21/7/2012

Kimberly Wyatt on stage solo but keeping command pic.twitter.com/WxJklxvq - 10.58am 21/7/2012

@annawilliamstv best backstage sandwich ever! @lawsonofficial #nickskillies pic.twitter.com/8MaAXY1Z [Nickelodeon UK Presenter and Skillie Awards host Anna Williamson with the British band 'Lawson'] - 11.13am 21/7/2012

Tweeted by the British singer-songwriter and 'The Voice UK' contestant Tyler James on his official Twitter profile page (@TylerJames777):

Looking forward to performing @NickelodeonUK. Just me and the grand piano.Presenting an award with @AmeliaLilyOffic ["The X Factor" series 8 finalist Amelia Lily] ...what a nice girl x - 9.21am 21/7/2012

Tweeted by television and radio Presenter Tom Price, who worked backstage at Nickelodeon UK's "Nickelodeon's Fruit Shoot Skills Awards" on Saturday 21st July 2012, on his official Twitter profile page (@iamtomprice):

[...] will be outside the icc in the nickelodeon area - 2.55pm Fri 20th July 2012

Me and [...] working at the #nickskillies awards in Birmingham today #nickelodeon #nick #tv #media http://instagr.am/p/NVhRpVBR4W/ - 1.31am 21/7/2012

Oh yes, guess who's working with Spongebob! #spongebob #spongebobsquarepants #cartoon #nickelodeon #nick #ni http://instagr.am/p/NV89IihRyS/ - 5.32am 21/7/2012

What the #nickskillies awards show looks like... #nickelodeon #nick #tv #television #media #awardsceremony # http://instagr.am/p/NV9_rZhRyx/ - 5.42am 21/7/2012

And with people inside... #nickskillies #nickelodeonskillsawards #nickelodeon #awardsceremony #awards http://instagr.am/p/NWW3PKBRxx/ - 9.19am 21/7/2012

[...] What you in bham for? - 10.15am 21/7/2012

working for nickelodeon :) - 10.15am 21/7/2012

how do you keep doing all this stuff!!?!?!?!? - 12.16pm 21/7/2012

I thought I'd told you this! XD working backstage at nickelodeon awards xD - 12.37pm 21/7/2012

yes but how!!!? - 12.47pm 21/7/2012

saw the opportunity on twitter aha - 12.52pm 21/7/2012

So yeah... It's Pixie Lott! #nickelodeon #nick #nickskillies #backstage #nickelodeonskillsawards #tv #media http://instagr.am/p/NWhE7jhR4d/ - 10.48am 21/7/2012

And this is what it looks like when you walk on the Nickelodeon stage after gunge has been used! #nickelodeo http://instagr.am/p/NWsZuTBRxg/ - 12.29am 21/7/2012

How did you find the Nickelodeon job? Hope it's going well! :) - 11.59am 21/7/2012

literally been so much fun! Such a good day! - 12.34pm 21/7/2012

The end of the day, so so much fun! #nickelodeon #nick #nickskillies #nickelodeonskillsawards #tv #media #ru http://instagr.am/p/NWzIiUBR2K/ - 1.26pm 21/7/2012

Sounds good :D How did you get the job? 1.08pm 21/7/2012

literally found it through twitter :) - 2.01pm 21/7/2012

Also, Tweeted by "The X Factor" series 8 finalist Amelia Lily on her official Twitter profile page (@AmeliaLilyOffic):

Can't wait to perform at nickelodeon awards tonight !! #nickskillies - 11.46pm Friday 20th July 2012

Tweeted by the English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress Pixie Lott on her official Twitter profile page (@pixiesongs):

About to arrive at the @nickelodeonuk Skills Awards to present an award woooopwooop #nickskillies - 8.46am Saturday 21/7/2012.

Coolabi And Studio Liddell To Release First "Poppy Cat" Smartphone App, Based On The Popular Animated Preschool Series, In August 2012

From Kidscreen:

Poppy Cat hits the App Store

UK-based preschool property Poppy Cat is getting its first app thanks to a new digital partnership between its producer and rights management company Coolabi and UK animators Studio Liddell.

The first Poppy Cat app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets is set to launch this August in English-speaking territories.

Adding to the recent growth of the IP, Coolabi has also expanded a deal with publishing partner Redan that will see Poppy Cat included in the first Fun to Learn Friends Annual, which will be available in the UK and Eire from August next year (2013).

The first wave of Poppy Cat consumer products are rolling out in the UK this summer with goods from licensees including Golden Bear and Jumbo Games (toys), Macmillan (TV tie-in books) and Aykroyds and TDP (apparel).

The TV series, based on author Lara Jones’ bestselling books of the same name, currently airs in more than 90 territories worldwide and is a top-rated show on commissioning channel Nick Jr. UK and on Sprout in the US.

The latest deals follow closely on the heels of Cake Entertainment securing a home entertainment deal in the UK with Lionsgate for the series.

Tags: apps, Coolabi, Poppy Cat, Redan, Studio Liddell

Ratings Watch Global - The Popular Animated Original Nickelodeon Preschool Series "Dora the Explorer" Delivers Great TV Ratings For The French TV Channel TF1

From Kidscreen:

Ratings Watch Global

This week, Eurodata TV has provided us with the ratings for the top-five program broadcasts with kids four to 14 in France between June 11 and July 8, 2012.

The top-five programs are:

1. Dora the Explorer, TF1 (June 21, 4.7% rating, 28.3% share)

2. The Minijusticiers, TF1 (June 13, 4.5% rating, 24.5% share)

3. Linus and Boom, Gulli (June 16, 4.4% rating, 22.9% share)

4. Garfield and Company, France 3 (July 6, 4.3% rating, 23.5% share)

5. Mike the Knight, TF1 (June 21, 4.3% rating, 34.6% share)

** Ratings supplied by Eurodata TV Worldwide/ Mediamétrie

Tags: Dora the Explorer, France, Ratings Watch Global

Debbie MacDonald, Former Nickelodeon UK VP And Programming Director, Talks About The Initiatives Kids' TV Is Doing To Tackle The Childhood Obesity Crisis

Below is a blog post about the roles children's television is playing to tackle the world's childhood obesity epidemic from the official MIPWorld blog, MipBlog, which was written by former Nickelodeon UK vice president and programming director Debbie Macdonald:

Debbie MacDonald: Responsible Kids' TV in the Face of Obesity

Is kids' TV encouraging healthy lifestyles? Nickelodeon's original commissioner of Peppa Pig, now a kids' media consultant, answers

By Debbie Macdonald

Photo: Lazytown's Sportacus calls fruit “Sports-Candy”. But do enough kids’ shows encourage healthy eating?Disney US' recent announcement that they plan to banish all junk food advertising to kids on their channels took me back to my time as a UK broadcaster. Disney has been commended for taking such a bold move, and even Michelle Obama is getting in on the act. With over a third of kids in the US believed to be overweight or obese, it's important that such an influential broadcaster in the US is taking this step.

However, for kids' broadcasters in the UK, this all sounds very familiar. In 2007, (UK TV watchdog) OFCOM ruled that all children’s broadcasters in the UK could no longer accept advertising from products that didn’t meet stringent nutritional guidelines. Any food that was classified as HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar), was no longer allowed. This resulted in the food industry taking steps to improve their products as well as affecting the way in which UK broadcasters work.

All commercial broadcasters, like any business, depend on revenue to survive and with this source of income severely affected it’s inevitable that budgets will shrink. It’s long been recognised in the UK that tax breaks have been needed to boost UK kids production and this ruling by OFCOM didn’t do much to help the plight of programme makers. Less revenue to the broadcaster means less money to spend across all areas of the business, including production. However, what was often overlooked was that the revenue derived from these now-regulated advertisers actually helped to fund productions that encouraged kids to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Latest figures claim that 27% of kids in the UK are now thought to be overweight. So it’s interesting to look at what UK kids’ channels are programming to help tackle the problem.

Looking at the schedules, there are lunchtime songs, short form pieces about fruit and veg, kids and parents cooking together and generally responsible messages targeting different age groups.

Mums with pre-schoolers are looking for educational programming but, to engage the child, it must entertain too. CBeebies has recently announced the commission of I Can Cook on the Go, featuring Katy Ashworth travelling around the country in her kitchen campervan, introducing youngsters to healthy recipes. Over on Mini CITV, Annabel's Kitchen, featuring Annabel Karmel, does something very similar. For any mum, Annabel Karmel is a hero when it comes to food, so it's a smart move for CITV.

Cartoon Network is also showing its commitment to encourage healthy eating in pre-schoolers by recently acquiring Icelandic company Latibaer, the company behind Lazytown. Having met Magnus Scheving (who plays the shows hero, Sportacus) he is dedicated to helping kids make better food choices. I can tell you from experience that my kids loved eating apples when they were younger because Sportacus called them “sports candy”. Lazytown manages to get the message across in a very simple way but in a world filled with bright colours, song and dance. A parents’ dream for their little ones.

And whilst pre-schoolers and mums are watching TV together, older kids are going it alone and have control of the remote. Engaging them in programming dedicated to a healthy lifestyle is harder, so needs more subtlety. A sense of belonging is important to older kids, so cleverly engaging them in dedicated campaigns is a popular choice for some broadcasters. Both Disney and Nickelodeon are doing this to great effect by using the stars of their biggest hits to get the message across. Youngsters see these stars as role models, so getting them to talk directly to the audience is incredibly powerful.

If you involve your viewer, you’ll make more of an impact and CBBC’s recent commission of Junior Masterchef is likely to do just that. Continuing the trend of tapping into primetime formats, this new series will inspire kids to think about food and create fabulous dishes. It may not be themed around healthy eating, but getting kids to think about ingredients and what goes into their food is essential to help them make healthy choices.

As we know, physical activity is key for a healthy lifestyle and there are numerous shows out there encouraging kids to take part. Fort Boyard on CITV & Disney is packed full of physical challenges, and Camp Orange on Nickelodeon does something similar. Whilst on CBBC, Ultimate Sports Day gives teams the chance to be mentored by their sporting heroes. With the Olympics happening this year, there's never been a better time to encourage kids to get moving and get off the sofa.

I feel incredibly privileged to work in an industry where we have the opportunity to make an impact on kid's lives and every kid’s broadcaster is doing their bit. However, I'm a firm believer in education beginning at home. People like to blame the rising obesity epidemic on advertising and other outside influences. Yes, they do have their part to play. But, as parents, we have the ultimate responsibility over our children's diet and the sooner we all start accepting that, the better.

Debbie Macdonald is a children's media consultant. She was formerly VP, programming director at Nickelodeon UK, having worked in acquisitions at the BBC. You can find her on LinkedIn here.

The Official Nickelodeon USA Website Reveals Information About The Brand New "House Of Anubis Season 3" Character 'KT Rush', Portrayed By New Nickelodeon Star 'Alexandra Shipp'

From the 'Nickelodeon Stars' section of the (geo-locked) official Nickelodeon USA website, Nick.com:

Alex Shipp Debuts on House of Anubis Season 3!

We know there are tons of surprises in store for season three of House of Anubis (like your fave characters going against their teachers to crack all new codes and puzzles!), but there's even more twists to look forward to! This season will introduce some brand new characters, including a new series regular KT Rush (played by actress Alexandra Shipp)! She's an adventurous, sunny and tenacious American girl who becomes a vital part of the Sibuna gang and partners with Eddie to unlock the new Anubis House mystery. (Whoa, talk about showing up in style!)

How will KT fit in to the crew of case-cracking mystery solvers? We'll just have to wait and see. But one thing's for sure. It's gonna be good.

With production for HOA season 3 officially underway, the series will be arriving back in our lives faster than we can say Sibuna. And it'll totally be worth the wait!

"House of Anubis" Season 3 is due to premiere on Nickelodeon in 2013.

Nickelodeon And "iCarly" Star Miranda Cosgrove Prepares For College Life

From the 'Nickelodeon Stars' section of the (geo-locked) official Nickelodeon USA website, Nick.com:

Miranda Cosgrove Preps For College Life!

For the past six seasons of iCarly, we've watched Miranda Cosgrove play our favorite web show host, Carly Shay. But now it's time for Miranda to close one chapter to embark on a whole new adventure...college!! Miranda dished all her college plans to People magazine and we're bringing you the inside scoop on this university-bound freshman-to-be!

Web Show Hosting might not be a major at USC (Miranda's school of choice), but no worries. She's got another agenda in mind. She decided she wants to pursue a career path in either theater or writing. "I'm excited for theater," she said. "I've been acting for a while but theater is pretty different. I've never been in a play."
But even though this gal is studying up on other subjects, she's got no plans to leave the spotlight (so, no need to panic). Thus, her reason for picking a school so close to Hollywood! "I want to keep acting and I thought it would be easier if I lived in L.A.," Miranda dished. "And I get to stay near my family." Fun fact: Miranda's Dad also attended USC. Like father, like daughter we suppose!

And even though closing the curtain on iCarly is a pretty emotional affair for Miranda, she still can't wait to hit the books. "We're finished with iCarly forever, which is kind of crazy," she said. "Especially during the last scene, everyone started crying. But I'm also excited to start college. I'm just excited to meet people and learn!"

We're super excited for you too, Miranda. Best of luck!

Apple, Playstation And YouTube Rated As The Coolest Brands By British Kids

Below is a ''The Pineapple Lounge' Press Release via PRWEB UK:

Apple, Playstation and YouTube Rated as the Coolest Brands by British kids

Apple, Playstation, Xbox and YouTube are rated as some of the 'supercoolest' brands by Britain's 8 to 14 year olds in a survey carried out by specialist kids and family research company, The Pineapple Lounge.

London (PRWEB UK) 18 July 2012

Apple, Playstation and YouTube rated as the coolest brands by British kids
London. July 18, 2012.

All the supercool brands have one thing in common - they offer kids a social experience either directly through the product or through the peer to peer social experience.

Apple, Playstation, Xbox and YouTube are rated as some of the ‘supercoolest’ brands by Britain's 8 to 14 year olds in a survey carried out by specialist kids and family research company, The Pineapple Lounge, part of leading consumer research agency, Firefish. Tech, games and entertainment brands dominate the top 20 cool brands for this age group with Blackberry, Moshi Monsters, Lego and CBBC amongst the top 20. However, sports wear brands like Nike and Adidas also feature as do food and drinks with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Cadbury.

Defined as ‘Generation D’ by The Pineapple Lounge, this is a unique generation that has never known life without the internet, has little experience of the concept of appointment to view and is bombarded by multimedia images. The Pineapple Lounge set out to discover what drives this generation’s sense of cool and to ultimately develop a formula for coolness.

“Lots of brands are cool but we wanted to know what pushes brands that little bit further into super cool territory,” says Emma Worrollo, founder of The Pineapple Lounge. “All the brands have one thing in common – they offer kids a social experience either directly through the product or through the peer to peer social experience the brand offers.”

Worrollo and her team identified a number of key drivers that make a brand supercool, the most significant of which is neat, sleek designs. “Generation D are used to interacting with touch screens, digital interfaces and innovative gaming consoles. As a result, their expectations about the way things look are high and their eye for design is far more attuned than previous generations. If a brand has neat, sleek design it is more than twice as likely to be rated as a supercool brand,” says Worrollo.

Standing out from the crowd is also an important driver of cool to Generation D as is the ability of brands to evolve and offer new things all the time. Humour is also a powerful tool that can boost a brand’s cool rating – a brand that make young consumers laugh is 60 percent more likely to be rated as a supercool brand.
Worrollo says that understanding perceptions of coolness among this group is not just significant for brands competing for their attention now, “it’s also indicative of how young people are learning to consume and is shaping thinking about the types of adult consumers they will grow up to be.”

The top 20 cool brands based on a previous piece of spontaneous recall research.

1. Apple
2. Playstation 3
3. Xbox 360
4. YouTube
5. Blackberry
6. Wii
7. htc
8. Nike
9. Moshi Monsters
10. Lego
11. adidas
12. facebook
13. Coca-Cola
14. McDonald's
15. Google
16. Cadbury
17. Disney
18. Nickelodeon
19. cbbc
20. Cartoon Network

For more information contact: Jocelyn Senior, Keen as Mustard Marketing, jocelyn(at)mustardmarketing(dot)com or on 07967 098567

Notes for editors

*The research was carried out with a nationally representative sample of over 2000 8-14 year olds across the UK. It incorporated two phases of qualitative research and two phases of quantitative research as well as interviews with cool influencers.

*The Pineapple Lounge specialises in ‘next generation intelligence’ carrying out research projects focused on children and families. We are part of Firefish, the largest independent qualitative research company in the UK. We provide the very best research and insight to some of the most successful and influential companies across the world.

http://www.thepineapplelounge.com.

Starpulse.com Lists The Top 10 Modern Boy Bands

From Starpulse.com:

The Top 10 Modern Boy Bands

The Backstreet Boys, the most successful boy band of all time, has announced that they have reunited their original lineup and are working on their first new album since 2005. With One Direction leading a new charge of boy bands, we decided to look at the Top 10 Modern Boy Bands - we're cutting off bands formed before the 1980s.

Big Time Rush: Bolstered by their Nickelodeon show, BTR has a gold album and a gold single. As of May, they have sold 4.1 million singles.

The Wanted: Over 1000 hopefuls auditioned to be in the UK group. Their second album, Battleground, has hit UK Platinum. The single Glad You Came proved they could be a hit in the U.S., earning 3x platinum.

Hanson: MMMBop helped Middle of Nowhere hit 4x platinum. After struggles with their label, Hanson went independent and scored a #1 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart in 2004.

One Direction: Ireland's next boy band sensation only placed 3rd on UK's X Factor. However, the CEO of Sony Music UK now claims the band now represents $50 million for the company. One Direction holds the distinct honor of being the first UK group in history to hit #1 in America (The Beatles' US debut only reached #2).

98 Degrees: One of the few boy bands formed independently, rather than selected by a producer. They have sold 10 million records and have 8 top 40 singles. 98 Degrees and Rising hit 4x platinum.

Jonas Brothers: A whirlwind of releases - three albums in three years - led to three platinum awards. They are also featured heavily on four Disney soundtracks that went at least gold. They are considering a new album for 2012/13.

Westlife: The Irish boy band holds a Guinness world record for Top-selling album act of the 21st century in the UK. They have 14 number one singles in the UK, only behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

N Sync: Generally considered one of the most successful boy bands, N Sync also reminds us of the "flash in the pan" nature of these groups. They released three albums in four years, earning 10x, 11x, and 5x platinum certifications. The band then went on hiatus, and Justin Timberlake focused on a solo career.

Boyz II Men: The R&B vocal group held a top spot on Billboard for 50 weeks cumulatively, putting them behind only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey. Billboard Magazine named them the most successful music group of the 90s.

New Kids on the Block: NKOTB, who recently went on a joint tour with 4 of the 5 Backstreet Boys, claims over 80 million records sold. Hangin' Tough went 8x platinum.

The Backstreet Boys: The undisputed king of Boy bands, they have sold over 130 million records wold wide - putting them in a group that includes David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, and Bruce Springsteen. Their top album, Millenium, sold 30 million on its own and hit 13x platinum.