Now Hardball wins in Japan

ABC ME’s Hardball has won yet another award, this time taking home a prestigious NHK Japan Prize as the best program in the Primary age category.

The international judging panel for the Japan Prize awarded the Northern Pictures series the top gong in an online awards ceremony held on November 5.

The series was one of an unprecedented number of Australian children’s television productions that made the Jurors’ Selection for this year’s prize. Altogether, Australian content represented a third of the Primary division finalists with fellow Australian series The Inbestigators(Gristmill), First Day (Epic Films) and DisRupted: Rocky and Me (CJZ) being finalists. And Little J and Big Cuz – Series 2 (Ned Lander Media, Mediaworld Pictures, Blue Rocket Productions) and Bluey (Ludo Studio) were also nominated in the pre-school division.

The Japan Prize was established in 1965 by the national Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) to celebrate the world’s best programming with high education values and positive social themes. Each year, more than 300 entries are submitted to the contest from all over the world.

Hardball has already won the International Emmy Award for best ‘Kids: Live-Action’ series. Earlier, it received the Prix Jeunesse International Award for Best ‘Years 7-10 Fiction’, the 2020 BANFF World Media Festival Rockie Award for best ‘Children and Youth: Fiction’ and a Silver Remi award at Worldfest Houston in the ‘TV Series: Family/Children’s’ category.

A second season is in production.

Hardball is a Northern Pictures production for the ABC, with investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Created by Guy Edmonds and Matt Zeremes and Executive Produced by Catherine Nebauer, Produced by Joe Weatherstone. Financed with support from the ACTF and Create NSW. The ACTF distributes Hardball internationally.