The Walt Disney Company has won 22 Children’s & Family Emmy^® Awards across its content brands and studios: Disney Branded Television and The Walt Disney Studios (including Lucasfilm, Marvel Animation, National Geographic, and Pixar Animation Studios). Disney+ is the ultimate streaming destination for kids and families, home to 21 awards.

Descendants: Rise of Red and Win or Lose tied for the most wins, with five each, while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — this year’s most-nominated program — won Outstanding Young Teen Series.

A complete list of all The Walt Disney Company wins follows:

Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+/Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
5 Wins

• Outstanding Fiction Special
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design
• Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup
• Outstanding Original Song for a Children’s or Young Teen Program – “Red Christmas”
• Outstanding Choreography

Win or Lose (Disney+/Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
5 Wins

• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series
• Outstanding Writing for a Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series – “Pickle”
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Series – “Home”
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program – “Mixed Signals”
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Storyboard – Esteban Bravo, Storyboard Artist

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+/Lucasfilm)
Streaming on Disney+
4 Wins

• Outstanding Young Teen Series
• Outstanding Editing for a Young Teen Live Action Program – “The Real Good Guys”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program – “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates”
• Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program

A Real Bug’s Life (National Geographic)
Streaming on Disney+
2 Wins

• Outstanding Informational Program
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool or Children’s Live Action Program – “Love in the Forest”

BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Hulu
1 Win

• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Multiple Camera Live Action Program – “Happy Trails”

Dream Productions (Disney+/Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

Rise Up, Sing Out (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “Grow Your World”

RoboGobo (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Ana Gasteyer

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Disney+/Lucasfilm/Disney Jr.)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “The Battle of Tenoo”

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+/Marvel Animation)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – “If This Be My Destiny…”

Filmed in 11 countries across 5 continents over the course of 3 calendar years, David Blaine Do Not Attempt is a thrilling six-part series from National Geographic and Imagine Documentaries that follows world-renowned magician and endurance artist David Blaine exploring the world through the lens of magic.

In the series — currently airing back-to-back episodes on Sundays at 9pm E.T. on National Geographic, which are then available to stream next day on Disney+ and Hulu — Blaine seeks out real feats of magic at the intersection of physical and mental strength performed by extraordinary people. In each episode, Blaine immerses himself in the cultures, histories and hidden rituals that make these astonishing talents possible.

From being covered in 59 scorpions, to kissing one of the deadliest snakes in the world, to placing a knife so far down his nose that it borders the very edge of his nervous system, David Blaine learns and attempts — so you don’t have to — while shining a light on a side of magic few have ever seen.

We spoke to Blaine about what compelled him to find ever more amazing feats of magic around the world, which attempt made him the most nervous, and the perfect place to make this series.

What compelled you to make a show like David Blaine Do Not Attempt, that explores the world through magic?

As a young magician, I was fascinated by performers whose acts were so extraordinary that they almost felt like fiction. I would read about them in books such as Houdini’s Miracle Mongers and Their Methods and Ricky Jay’s Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women. They were full of stories about people with seemingly superhuman abilities like “The Human Aquarium” or “The Living Fire Hydrant.” Even just the names sparked my curiosity.  As I evolved as a magician, I came to realize these weren’t tricks, they were real. These performers were pushing the limits of their own bodies. They had trained for thousands of hours — with passion, discipline, and through pain to create something magical. Filmed in some of the most extraordinary places on Earth, this show is a celebration of people with skills so incredible, beautiful, and unique — individuals I never imagined I’d have the chance to meet.

What did you learn about how magic is shaped by the region and culture it’s developed in?

In India, I discovered the spiritual discipline of sadhus and gurus, whose devotion was driven by their faith.

In Southeast Asia, there is a deep connection to wildlife and the people I learned from turned instinctual fear into fascination.

In Brazil I was drawn to the passion, celebration, and the intensity.

In South Africa, I discovered people with talents that I didn’t even know existed.

In Japan, precision, detail, and quiet mastery was a theme among those that I was inspired by.

And in the Arctic, resilience, and using their extreme environment to learn superhuman feats.

These feats of magic in the show go beyond sleight of hand and challenge your physical and mental fortitude. Why was it important to push yourself like this on the show?

Aside from meeting fascinating people with incredible talents, I was constantly being challenged and learning skills that often took me out of my comfort zone, which always changes my perspective in new ways.

Which real feat of magic made you the most nervous to try?

Without question, the close encounters with some of the deadliest snakes in the world made me the most nervous. Usually I have much more control over a situation. This was very different than my normal.

Why was National Geographic the perfect place to make this show?

Nat Geo was the perfect partner. Their support system, involvement, and consideration allowed us to strive to make this work in progress consistently better, as we searched the world to create something unique.

David Blaine Do Not Attempt also streams on Disney+ and Hulu. Disney is also all about creating magic — how does this show fit into that?

I’ve been fortunate to work with Disney throughout my entire career, starting with David Blaine: Street Magic [which aired on ABC] three decades ago, and having that kind of support has given me the freedom to try to create magic in a way that feels right to me.

As the total solar eclipse passed over North America on Monday, ABC News and National Geographic partnered to take viewers on a journey along the path of totality for a day of unparalleled solar eclipse coverage.

Spanning 10 cities — from Mazatlán, Mexico to Houlton, Maine — and dozens of anchors, correspondents, producers, and crew members, Eclipse Across America offered audiences a diverse array of ways to watch a one-in-a-generation phenomenon.

Here’s how the teams at ABC and Nat Geo pulled off such a complex production:

Built in Real Time

“Our ABC News Live operations team started laying the groundwork in Summer 2023,” Seni Tienabeso, Executive Director of ABC News Live, said.

According to Molly Shaker, Executive Producer of ABC Special Events Unit, it took a lot of planning for what became a “truly unprecedented” broadcast.

Unlike a scripted broadcast, “the eclipse show was being built in real time by our teams in the field.” Shaker said. “Whatever they were seeing — they pitched to us, and we tossed to it… so everything was very fluid and in the moment.”

While the ABC News team was prepared for the scope of the project — having regularly planned and covered multi-city events like Super Tuesday — it wasn’t without obstacles.

“Our biggest challenge was making sure that we thought through how to best follow the path of the sun,” Tienabeso explained. “We had to secure extra camera crews in locations to make sure they not only had the right lenses but were able to follow the sun properly.”

A Scientific Boost

While ABC brought the broadcast chops, it got a scientific boost from the folks over at National Geographic.

“Partnering with Nat Geo gave us unparalleled access to a breadth of world-class expertise and insight,” Kim Godwin, President, ABC News, said. “That allowed us to connect with audiences on a scientific level while celebrating this extraordinary event.”

Nat Geo began consulting on the project in December, and “came in to help brainstorm the editorial and talent,” Chad Cohen, Executive Producer of Nat Geo Unscripted, said.

“There is no better authority when it comes to science and photography than Nat Geo,” Tienabeso noted. “An eclipse is a scientific and photographic event, so being able to leverage Nat Geo’s expertise with our live TV and news skills was a match made in heaven!”

From January on, the teams met weekly to ensure a topflight broadcast.

“The amount of coordination from both ABC and Nat Geo was just extraordinary,” Cohen said. “It took dozens of people across multiple departments — from production to marketing and communications, social and talent relations to programming and operations — to bring it all to fruition.”

A Massive, Multi-Platform Event

The preparation converged on the day of the eclipse for over three hours of coverage. ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis anchored from Burlington, Vermont, with help throughout the country from ABC anchor Robin Roberts, ABC meteorologists Ginger Zee, Rob Marciano, and Somara Theodore, and many others.

“Several of them covered the last total solar eclipse visible from North America in 2017,” Godwin said. “They drew from that experience with unique perspective and comparisons.”

“Having so many remarkable reporters and scientists in the field made it easy to bring our viewers outside of the path of totality, into it,” Shaker said.

The broadcast was able to follow the sweep of the eclipse across the nation — making stops with correspondents in cities that each fell under 100% totality of the eclipse.

Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and even Niagara Falls were among the towns featured during the programming.

Courteney Monroe, President, Nat Geo Content explained that “by combining National Geographic’s 136-year legacy in science and exploration with ABC News’s unrivaled leadership in live news, we provided audiences across all Disney platforms with a rich and unique viewing experience.”

That large swath of Disney platforms on which to watch included: ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms.

“Being a part of the The Walt Disney Company allowed us to make Eclipse Across America a massive, multi-platform event where we could flex our news-making muscle for a positive story that we all so desperately need,” Tienabeso said. “Bringing audiences together across multiple Disney platforms on all devices helps to ensure that no one misses a moment live or on demand.”

In a franchise first, National Geographic’s Emmy Award-winning anthology series Genius features two subjects, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre), whose dueling philosophies helped usher the United States through the Civil Rights Movement.

Premiering Thursday, February 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic, Genius: MLK/X chronicles the pair’s formative years, shaped by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, and traces their parallel paths to become the change they wished to see in the world. The eight-episode docudrama series gives viewers an intimate look into their complex lives as husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons, while also bringing their wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Dr. Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson)—often cast as peripheral figures—to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Growing up, so often we were told that we had to choose between Martin and Malcolm: ‘Who do you identify with? Who do you want to follow?’” executive producer Gina Prince-Bythewood said Monday during a post-screening premiere Q&A, hosted at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. “But we knew that they were both integral to the Movement. They both had the same goal; they just had different means of going about it. The more we got into the research, the more we realized how close they were coming to each other towards the end of their lives, so we really wanted to be able to tell that story.”

Both men left profound legacies that remain resonant. “We need heroes,” said executive producer Jeff Stetson, whose play, The Meeting, inspired the series. “And they were heroes.”

“This country has a tendency to pit one leader against each other, and it reduces complex issues in very simple ways…” Stetson said. “They saw Martin as the dreamer, who saw freedom and justice through nonviolence, and they saw Malcolm as the revolutionary, who saw freedom by any means necessary.” What many have yet to realize, Stetson argued, is that “no dreamer who wants justice [fails to] understand that it comes with a revolution, and no revolutionary can be a revolutionary without understanding the vision of a dream.”

In order to deftly depict that dichotomy, it was imperative that creative team cast the right people to play the formidable duo. Harrison confessed he was initially reluctant to portray King. “I was like, ‘I haven’t lived enough,’” he said. “They came back to me and said, ‘Read the first episode at least.’ I did, and then I met with them and I expressed my imposter syndrome—this feeling that I haven’t earned it. They said, ‘Dr. King was so young when he started all this…’ So, you look at that and you go, ‘OK, he also probably didn’t know what was next. He also was terrified. He also had anxiety, and fear, and a sense of imposter syndrome… They said, ‘Lean into that. That is going to offer us a tangible take on Dr. King.’”

Like Harrison, Pierre immersed himself in research to get a better understanding of his role. “I’m always in pursuit of truth, of authenticity,” he said. “That was definitely a key objective.”

Both Opia and Lawson said they felt a responsibility to craft three-dimensional, fully realized performances befitting of the impressive women they portrayed. “It’s been such a revelation, because I didn’t know that much about Coretta Scott King,” Opia admitted. “I knew her as ‘the wife of.’ For me, more than anything, this whole process was an education. I was ashamed that I didn’t know as much as I do now, but it was wonderful to engage and to learn, and to be part of the process to educate more people—especially younger generations. They are huge shoes to fill, and I never could. I can only do my interpretation.”

Like her costars, Lawson said she was determined to tell Shabazz’s story with care and respect. “Growing up, I was always aware of the misinformation [surrounding] Malcolm,” she said. “When I was trying to find sources on Dr. Betty Shabazz, I needed to be very specific to find credible sources. I exhausted my research to make sure the information I was getting could be trusted.” In addition to a biography, she continued, “There was one book that really stuck out to me—a children’s book called Before Betty X that one of her daughters wrote, fictionalizing the life of their mother from the time she was born up until her early teens. And the moment I got that book, I said, ‘I found her,’ because I found the little girl. And as a woman, I think we all carry the little girl into every room we walk into.”

That level of dedication and preparation helped each actor prepare for the quieter moments that occur between pivotal historical events. The two leaders, and those closest to them, at times questioned their resolve and their decisions—and they did so while trying to balance their public personas with their private lives. By approaching the series “as an eight-hour film,” Prince-Bythewood explained, “it gave us the space to really open it up and ‘take them off the T-shirts,’ as we say—to make them real, to show the full breadth of their humanity. That included not only Malcom and Martin, but Betty and Coretta as well.”

ABC will broadcast the first episode of Genius: MLK/X Thursday, February 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and National Geographic will debut two new episodes each Thursday through the end of February. Episodes will be available to stream next day on Disney+ and Hulu.