Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, Firebuds, and Let’s Go Bananas lead the winners at the second annual Velma Awards. The event honors standout LGBTQ representation in kids and family television shows. Organized by The Rainbow Project, the awards spotlight creators and specific episodes that bring positive queer stories to young audiences. This year’s ceremony happens as the number of shows eligible for recognition has fallen sharply.
What Are the Velma Awards?
The Velma Awards are a special set of honors focused only on LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ programming. Unlike most awards, there are no nominees—only winners are announced. The goal is to celebrate the people who successfully get these important stories on screen.
The awards were started in 2024 by Chris Nee, Kristi Reed, and Jeremy Blacklow. Together, they founded The Rainbow Project. Chris Nee is known for creating shows like Doc McStuffins and Vampirina. In a statement about this year’s awards, Nee said getting these stories approved has become much harder.
“It was always hard to get LGBTQ+ narratives approved, but now it’s nearly impossible. None of these wins happened by accident — they are the result of someone advocating fiercely behind the scenes.”
The organizers report that for the 2025 awards, the pool of eligible shows dropped by nearly 40 percent compared to the first year. This drop highlights a bigger trend of decreasing queer visibility in children’s media.
Complete List of 2025 Velma Award Winners
Here is the full list of shows and creators recognized at the 2025 Velma Awards.
- Best Queer Break Up, That’s Just a Break Up: Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, Season 2, Episode 5: “Boiling Over” (Netflix).
- The One Mom Is Good But Two Moms Are Great Award: Firebuds, Season 2, Episode 24: “A Family Tradition” (Disney Junior/Disney+).
- The Show So Great and Inclusive We Wish It Would Adopt Us Award: Let’s Go Bananas, Season 1, Episode 26: “Reunion at the Orchard” (CBC Kids/CBC Gem).
- Respecting Pronouns & Gender Identity Is So Simple Even a Preschooler Can Understand It Award: The Bravest Knight, Season 2B, Episode 208: “The Dragon’s Tower” (Hulu).
- Most Adorkable Dads Who Say “I Love You” Award: Jane, Season 3, Episode 3: “Say It Out Loud” (Apple TV+).
- Most Fabulous Celebration of All the Shades of Queerness: Fionna & Cake, The Entire Show (HBO Max).
- The Preschool Teachers We All Wish We Had Award: The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, The Entire Show (YouTube).
- The “Let’s Be Clear, I Have Two Moms” Award: Bearbrick, Season 1, Episode 6 (Apple TV+).
- Legacy Award: Linda Simensky for her work on the groundbreaking Arthur episode “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone” (PBS).
Spotlight on Major Winning Shows
The winning episodes show different ways to include LGBTQ characters and themes in stories for kids.
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory won for its episode “Boiling Over.” The award commends the show for treating a queer breakup as a normal part of life. The episode weaves this relationship into the story’s emotional world without making it a singular issue.
Firebuds was honored for the episode “A Family Tradition.” This story normalizes households with same-sex parents. It shows a family with two moms in a fun and heartfelt way, affirming that all family types belong.
Let’s Go Bananas won for its inclusive storytelling. The awarded episode, “Reunion at the Orchard,” celebrates the many different ways families are formed. It reinforces that there is no single right way to create a family.
Also Read:
- Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams Talks About Overcoming Bias and What He Learned From Playing Shane
- Cote de Pablo Shares Farewell Message After NCIS: Tony & Ziva Canceled After One Season
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Will This Game of Thrones Prequel Face the Same Problem?
- ‘Heated Rivalry’ Episode 5 Becomes Highest-Rated TV Episode of 2025 on IMDb
- Fallout Season 2: The Mind-Control Chip Threat, Explained
- Survivor 49 Runner-Up Sophi Balerdi Reflects on Her Gameplay and Journey in Exit Interview
Why These Awards Matter Now
The founders of the Velma Awards say celebrating these shows in 2025 is urgent. Jeremy Blacklow of The Rainbow Project connected the awards to the current landscape for queer stories.
“This year, celebrating these victories is not just important — it’s urgent. These creators aren’t simply making content. They are holding ground on behalf of a generation of queer youth.”
Kristi Reed emphasized that this visibility is essential for children. “Queer visibility in children’s media is not optional — it’s essential,” Reed said. “When young viewers see themselves and their families reflected authentically on screen, it affirms that they belong.”
Beyond the awards, The Rainbow Project has started a private archive. It collects stories from creators about how they managed to get LGBTQ narratives made. The project calls this archive a resource for guidance and solidarity for people working in the industry.
The 2025 Velma Awards also presented a Legacy Award to Linda Simensky. She was a key executive at PBS who helped make the historic Arthur episode featuring a gay wedding possible. That episode is widely seen as a milestone for LGBTQ representation in children’s animation.
Also Read: Pamela Anderson Talks About Liam Neeson Romance: How Their Bond Formed On and Off Screen
