Jack McBrayer & JoJo Siwa To Host First Ever Children’s and Family Emmy Ceremony

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (November 29, 2022) – The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced that Emmy nominee Jack McBrayer and music and social media sensation JoJo Siwa will host the first annual Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards, with McBrayer hosting the Children’s & Family ceremony on Sunday, December 11 and Siwa hosting the Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy ceremony on Saturday, December 10.  Both ceremonies will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

XOMG POP!, the all-girl pop group created by Jess and JoJo Siwa, will also perform at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Actor, comedian and three-time Emmy nominee Jack McBrayer is best known to audiences as Kenneth the Page on “30 Rock” and for his appearances in more than 80 skits on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” McBrayer is nominated for a Children’s & Family Emmy for Outstanding Host for his work on “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.”

“I am thrilled to be hosting the first Emmys ceremony specifically created to recognize the important and influential Children’s & Family genre,” said McBrayer.  “It is truly an honor to be celebrating all of the individuals whose wonderful contributions remind us that great television can entertain, educate and bring together people of all ages.”

JoJo Siwa is a bestselling author, singer and film star and has over  60.5 million followers on social media and 3.6 billion views on YouTube.  Her first-ever tour, “D.R.E.A.M. The Tour,” sold out 100+ arenas as she became the youngest artist ever to headline and sell out the O2 Arena.  She was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020.

“I am honored to be hosting the very first Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, and to be a nominee in both outstanding choreography and outstanding music direction and composition for a live action program,” said Siwa. “It’s sure to be a fun-filled evening with my girl group, XOMG POP! kicking off the night with what will be a great performance!”

“We’re thrilled to recognize the fastest-growing genre in television by launching the Children’s & Family Emmys with such cultural powerhouses as Jack McBrayer and JoJo Siwa,” said Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS.  “Their undeniable energy and enthusiasm perfectly capture the tone which will set this ceremony and competition apart for years to come.”

The Children’s & Family awards are the first standalone expansion of the Emmy Award competition since 1979 and marks the successful culmination of the first full year of the realignment between NATAS and the Television Academy.  With nearly 3,000 submissions, the competition is now the largest that NATAS oversees.

About NATAS

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy Awards for News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime, and Children’s & Family programming, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering.

NATAS membership consists of more than 18,000 broadcast and media professionals represented in 19 regional chapters across the country. Beyond awards, NATAS has extensive educational programs including regional student television and its Student Award for Excellence and the National Student Production Awards for outstanding journalistic work by high school students, as well as scholarships, publications, and major activities for both industry professionals and the viewing public.