'El Deafo' scooped Power of Sound award at Munich's Prix Jeunesse

Ireland has a reputation for being something of a powerhouse when it comes to animation, and the folks at Lighthouse Studios are continuing the new era of Irish animation excellence.

The Kilkenny-based studio scooped the Power of Sound award for their mini-series 'El Deafo' at the Prix Jeunesse festival in Munich this week, a festival that honours the best in children's television.

Based on the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir of the same name by US author, Cece Bell, 'El Deafo' tells the story of a young Cece who must learn to navigate the world after a sudden illness causes her to lose her hearing, and copes by creating a super-hero alter ego, El Deafo. 

Managing Director of Lighthouse Studios, and one of the exeuctive producers on 'El Deafo' Claire Finn, said "ever since its release in January, 'El Deafo' has been winning the hearts of audiences and critics alike."

"Much of that is down to the incredible work of 'El Deafos' director and Lighthouse Studio's head creative, Gilly Fogg, who was able to guide our teams to tell Cece Bell's story in the way that Cece wanted it to be told - from her own unique perspective."

"We were privileged to be commissioned by Apple TV+ and greatly enjoyed the close collaboration with Apple and Cece Bell herself as we adapted her story for television, and we couldn't be prouder of the result," she said.

Fogg also expressed delight at the award, saying "We are delighted to see 'El Deafo' receive a Prix Jeunesse award. The award recognises excellence in children’s programming, and this means so much to the whole team."

"Working with Cece and Apple TV+ to bring this story to screens across the globe has been a privilege and a pleasure," she added.

The accolades are rolling in for the project, with 'El Deafo' also scooping a nomination for a Television Critics Association Award in the United States earlier this week, and the series is in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.

Lighthouse Studios has established itself as one of Ireland's top animation outlets, with the Kilkenny studio providing animation for 'The Bob's Burgers Movie' as well as Netflix series 'The Cuphead Show!' which is also in competition in Annecy.