That’s a wrap on Kidscreen Summit 2026! Thanks to everyone who flew out to San Diego to spend this week talking, debating, celebrating and catching up on the kids industry. As you recover from the jet lag, why not take a minute to vote for which of these nominees had the best week in the biz?!

Disney: Yeah, we know it’s fresh off of a Gold Star win, but the Mouse House just happened to crush it for a second week in a row. Disney was up on stage repeatedly Tuesday night as the biggest winner at the 2026 Kidscreen Awards, on the strength of acclaimed titles like Kiff, Out of My Mind and Primos. Meanwhile, Zootopia 2 is still on a smashing theatrical run, nearing US$1.9 billion at the global box office, and beating out A Minecraft Movie to take the domestic crown for 2025. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another decade for Nick and Judy’s next mission.

Gristmill: It’s back to school for this Aussie production house—well, back to the playground, to be more specific. Gristmill’s recess-themed mockumentary Little Lunch is being revived after nearly a decade with a New Class sequel that’s been commissioned by the Beeb and ABC Australia (with additional financing from ACTF and VicScreen). Following Bananas in Pyjamas, we’re thrilled to see another great kids show from down under coming back again.

Jakks Pacific: Anime is here to stay—and US toy manufacturer Jakks has just launched a new arm that will focus on distributing products based on these kinds of IPs, partnering up with leading anime streaming service (Crunchyroll) and the most watched anime series on Netflix and Hulu in the US (Naruto) to get the ball rolling. Coming on the heels of a tough sales year, there’s no better time for Jakks to corner this booming market. (And we certainly can’t wait to get our hands on some new My Hero Academia action figures.)

Paramount: Winning the bidding war for Warner Bros. the way Bruce Wayne would have—by throwing more money at it—David Ellison raised his bid and made Netflix cry uncle, clearing the way for Paramount Skydance to take over the house of DC, Bugs Bunny and Harry Potter. And now that movies, TV, TikTok, the news and everyone’s personal and business data are all going to be owned by the same family, what can’t they do?

Sony Pictures Television, Embassy Row, Buffalo Toronto Public Media: After a digital-first tease last year, we’re about to get a full look at the comeback of Reading Rainbow. (Don’t lie, you’re already singing the theme song in your head.) Sony Pictures Television is backing 24 new episodes of the series hosted by Mychal the Librarian, produced by Embassy Row for SPT with Buffalo Toronto Public Media—with Emmy winner Kristen McGregor (Sesame Street, Ms. Rachel) on board as a showrunner. It feels like some much-needed good news—not just for literacy, but also for public media. 

So who had the best week in the bunch? Vote before 8 a.m. ET on Monday to let us know what you think:

Want to pitch us a Gold Star nomination? Send an email to submissions@kidscreen.com by noon on Thursdays. And check back every Friday for our next batch of nominees. Hope to see you on the list!