The Youth Media Alliance has selected TV veteran Marney Malabar and up-and-coming producer Lindsay Lee to receive two honorary awards at the YMA Awards of Excellence in May. The awards will be handed out on May 28th at a gala in Toronto which celebrates the best in Canadian kids content. 

Malabar (pictured right), a children’s media consultant who was formerly creative head of TVOKids, will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award, recognizing her “distinguished career in youth production in Canada.”

She spent close to 20 years at TVO, starting as a production secretary on Canadian icon Today’s Special, before leaving the pubcaster three years ago. “Not many people today have the opportunity to grow in their roles while staying true to their passion, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have done just that,” Malabar says. Her credits include well-known Canadian series that have reached international audiences, such as Sinking Ship’s Giver and Odd Squad, and marblemedia’s All-Round Champion. 

“When I started in television, two-inch tape was the standard—then came one-inch, then Beta, then digital, and now you can practically produce an entire show on an iPhone,” Malabar reflects. “I’ve had the privilege of working on productions of all sizes, collaborating with veteran creators, producers and directors, as well as supporting and advocating for emerging talent both in front of the camera and behind. No matter the project, one thing remained constant: a shared passion for making great shows that kids would choose to watch.” 

After decades in the industry, she has some advice for the business in this challenging period: “I recognize that it’s a tough time for the kids’ industry right now—every producer I’ve spoken with over the past year has felt the impact of change, and not in a good way. But if there’s one piece of advice I can offer, it’s this: Don’t give up! Yes, creating content is more challenging than ever, but our kids—our Canadian kids—need you now more than ever.” 

Lindsay Lee (pictured left) will receive the Emerging Talent Award, given to “a promising professional whose achievements have made her a rising star in children’s programming,” according to the YMA. She’s a writer-producer and founding partner of prodco Gazelle Automations, which specializes in puppetry, miniatures and animation. Lee co-created (with husband, Justin Lee) the puppet series Miikshi for TVOKids in 2023, and the CBC series Go Togo (27 x five minutes), which launched last year.    

Lee is now in production on season two of Go Togo—a series that blends 2D and stop-motion animation with 3D-printed vehicles and revolves around the vehicles completing tasks while using basic math and logic skills to solve problems. Lee is fully committed—writing, producing and building and painting the props.

After production wraps on Go Togo, Lee plans to start working on her first feature film screenplay and start development on a new original preschool series (using some of the elements and infrastructure created for Go Togo). 

“My husband Justin and I have spent the past seven years growing our company,” she says, “and have amassed a wildly talented team of artists who put so much of themselves into our projects—we’re excited to keep growing and learning and working with people we love.”

For other emerging talents looking for the secret to success in the kids’ industry, Lee also has one piece of advice. “I would say that, in my experience, passion for an idea counts for so much—way more than being ‘on trend’ or trying to create something that you think the market wants,” she says. “Just create things that make you happy—I know everyone says this, and it can feel easier said than done when rejections happen, but just persevere in being yourself. My advice for the industry: Keep taking chances on new ideas and people!”