Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards |
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| Presented by | Nickelodeon |
| Country | United States |
| Reward |
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| First awarded | March 28, 1987 |
| Television coverage | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice, is a super fun annual awards show made by Nickelodeon in America. It usually happens on a Saturday night in March or early April. This show celebrates the biggest stars and moments in TV, movies, music, and sports, all chosen by kids around the world who watch Nickelodeon! Winners get a cool, hollow orange blimp trophy. This blimp was also a big part of Nickelodeon's logo for many years and even works like a kaleidoscope.
The show is packed with famous celebrity guests and awesome musical performances. Since 2002, getting covered in slime has become a huge part of the show, making it extra messy and exciting! Nickelodeon's famous green slime is a big deal at the KCAs. The animated show SpongeBob SquarePants has won the most KCA awards ever, with twenty-two trophies! Individually, Selena Gomez has won the most awards (13), followed by Adam Sandler (12). Other big winners include Will Smith, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande (each with 11), and Justin Bieber (with 9). Whoopi Goldberg is the only person to win a Kids' Choice Award and also the "EGOT" (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards). Rosie O'Donnell has hosted the show eight times, which is more than anyone else! Jack Black has hosted three times, and Candace Cameron, Whitney Houston, and John Cena have each hosted twice.
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The Story of the Kids' Choice Awards
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The Kids' Choice Awards were created by Alan Goodman, Albie Hecht, and Fred Seibert. They got the idea in 1987 after Nickelodeon made a special part for a movie review show called Rated K: For Kids by Kids. This part was named "The Big Ballot" because kids would vote using paper ballots. They would mail in their votes, and then the winners would record a "thank you" video to be shown during the program. Goodman, Hecht, and Seibert thought Nickelodeon needed a much bigger and more exciting way to celebrate kids' favorites.
The famous blimp award shape, which also works as a kaleidoscope, was introduced in 1990. The only change to the award since then was updating the Nickelodeon logo on its side in 2010.
As the Internet became popular, voting for the awards changed. At first, kids voted by calling a special phone number or filling out paper ballots at Pizza Hut restaurants. Later, voting moved completely online to the Nickelodeon website. By 2007, you could even vote by text messaging. In the early days of online voting, there were some issues, like too many votes from one person or adults trying to vote. So, a new system was put in place: now, only one vote is allowed per Nick.com account. In 2010, you could also vote using an iPhone app or your phone's web browser.
In 2009, a new award called "The Big Green Help Award" was added. This award honored a celebrity who did amazing things to help the Earth. The first winner was Leonardo DiCaprio. For the 2010 awards, this award was renamed "The Big Help Award," and First Lady Michelle Obama was the first to win it under the new name.
Unlike many other awards shows, the Kids' Choice Awards doesn't always use a simple envelope to announce winners. Sometimes they use balloons, T-shirts, models, giant letters, stickers, or even a foot!
Kids in Canada could start voting for the awards in 2010, after Nickelodeon launched its Canadian channel in November 2009.
The 2020 ceremony was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a big change!
The 2024 ceremony was special because it was the first time since 2020 that the show wasn't in March or April. It happened on July 13 and was hosted by animated characters, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, to celebrate SpongeBob's 25th anniversary!
Kids' Choice Awards Around the World
Many other countries also have their own Kids' Choice Awards! For example, Nickelodeon Latin America started a Kids' Choice Awards for Mexico in 2010. Other countries like Brazil, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Indonesia also have their own versions. These shows are either completely new local productions or they are shown during the broadcast of the U.S. ceremony. Australia's local Kids' Choice Awards had its last show in 2012. Later, Argentina (2011) and Colombia (2014) also started their own Kids' Choice Awards events.
Where the Slime Happens: Award Show Venues
The Kids' Choice Awards usually take place in and around Southern California. Over the years, the ceremonies have been held at cool places like the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, the Hollywood Bowl, the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, and Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City. However, the show was most often held at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus.
After Pauley Pavilion was renovated starting in 2011, the show moved to the Galen Center at USC. This was meant to be a temporary home, but Nickelodeon kept using the Galen Center for the 2012–2014 shows because construction nearby made it hard to set up the famous "Orange Carpet." The smaller Kids' Choice Sports show had its first ceremony at Pauley in 2014. For the 2015 and 2016 shows, the awards moved to the newly updated Forum in Inglewood, California. From 2017 to 2019, the show switched between the Galen Center and The Forum. The 2023 ceremony took place at the Microsoft Theater.
The 2020 awards were originally planned for March 22 but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony later happened virtually on May 2. The 2020 show was also supposed to be connected to Nickelodeon's SlimeFest event.
Stars Who Hosted More Than Once
Five amazing people have hosted the Kids' Choice Awards multiple times!
- Candace Cameron hosted in 1990 and 1994.
- Whitney Houston hosted two years in a row, in 1995 and 1996.
- Rosie O'Donnell hosted an incredible eight times, from 1996 to 2003! (She co-hosted with Whitney Houston in 1996 and with four other people in 2000).
- Jack Black hosted three times: in 2006, 2008, and 2011.
- John Cena hosted two years in a row, in 2017 and 2018.
Special Awards and Their Meanings
Sometimes, the trophy given for these special awards might be a different color than the usual Nickelodeon orange blimp!
The Hall of Fame Award
From 1991 to 2000, the Hall of Fame Award was a shiny gold blimp. It was given to people whose achievements, fame, and popularity made them stand out from everyone else. Kids initially voted for this award from a list of nominees, which included actors, athletes, and singers.
| Year | Winner(s) |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Paula Abdul |
| 1992 | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 1994 | Michael Jordan |
| 1995 | Boyz II Men |
| 1996 | Tim Allen |
| 1997 | Will Smith |
| 1998 | Tia & Tamera Mowry |
| 1999 | Jonathan Taylor Thomas |
| 2000 | Rosie O'Donnell |
The Wannabe Award
The Wannabe Award was a silver blimp, given from 2001 to 2008. It honored the best celebrity role model or inspiration – someone kids wanted to be like! The winner was chosen before the show without kids' votes. Interestingly, Will Smith is the only person to have won both the Wannabe Award and the Hall of Fame Award.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Tom Cruise |
| 2002 | Janet Jackson |
| 2003 | Will Smith |
| 2004 | Adam Sandler |
| 2005 | Queen Latifah |
| 2006 | Chris Rock |
| 2007 | Ben Stiller |
| 2008 | Cameron Diaz |
The Big Help Award
The Big Green Help Award (later called The Big Help Award) was given to people who went above and beyond to protect the environment. It was inspired by Nickelodeon's The Big Help program. The award was green in 2009 but changed to silver in later years.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Leonardo DiCaprio |
| 2010 | Michelle Obama |
| 2011 | Justin Timberlake |
| 2012 | Taylor Swift |
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Nickelodeon Lifetime Achievement Award is a golden blimp. In 2023, a regular orange blimp was used.
In 2014, this award went to TV producer Dan Schneider, who created many popular Nickelodeon shows. Cast members from his shows like Kenan & Kel, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and Sam & Cat joined him on stage. In 2023, the award was given to the Transformers character Optimus Prime! In his acceptance speech, Optimus Prime said the award would "...seal the bond between humans, Maximals, and Autobots, as we fight together to protect the planet."
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Dan Schneider |
| 2023 | Optimus Prime |
Legend Award
This award first appeared at the Kids' Choice Sports ceremony, but now it's also given out at the main Kids' Choice Awards show.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2014 | David Beckham |
| 2015 | Derek Jeter |
| 2016 | Kobe Bryant |
| 2017 | Michael Phelps |
| 2018 | Danica Patrick |
| 2019 | Dwyane Wade |
| 2024 | Serena Williams |
Generation Change Award
The Generation Change Award is given to people who have worked hard to bring positive changes for the new generation of kids. This award also started at the 2019 Kids' Choice Sports ceremony before coming to the main show.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe |
| 2020 | LeBron James |
| 2021 | Kamala Harris |
King of Comedy Award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Adam Sandler |
| 2025 | Jack Black |
ICON Award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Rihanna |
Kids' Choice Sports Awards
From 2014 to 2019, Nickelodeon also held the Kids' Choice Sports awards. This show celebrated kids' favorite athletes, sports teams, and amazing sports moments from the year. Michael Strahan helped create and hosted the very first ceremony.
Kids' Choice Sports Ceremonies
| Year | Host(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Michael Strahan | Pauley Pavilion |
| 2015 | Russell Wilson | |
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | ||
| 2018 | Chris Paul | Barker Hangar |
| 2019 | Michael Strahan |
Getting Slimed: A KCA Tradition
During the Kids' Choice Awards, a celebrity who is presenting an award or winning one might suddenly get slimed! Sometimes they don't even know it's coming. Over the years, getting slimed has become a huge honor, not just a funny surprise. The idea of sliming came from an early Nickelodeon show called You Can't Do That on Television.
The hosts of the show often get slimed too! Sometimes, celebrities who aren't even at the awards show get slimed through a video. For example, Rosie O'Donnell tricked Melissa Joan Hart into getting slimed on the set of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in 2001. Or, Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hutcherson were slimed at a KCA watch party in 2013. Even celebrities sitting in the audience can get slimed, as Mandy Moore found out in 2007, and Halle Berry learned in 2012.
Below is a list of all the celebrities who have been slimed at the Kids' Choice Awards over the years.
Amazing Slime Stunts
Beginning in 2002, the Kids' Choice Awards began its yearly "World Record Slime Stunts." Famous Olympians, extreme sports stars, and daredevils would perform incredible stunts live on TV, often ending up covered in the famous green slime!
| Year | Celebrity (ies) | Stunt Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Dave Mirra | The BMX pro-biker broke his own record for a double backflip on a BMX bike and landed in a huge 5,000-gallon tank of green slime. |
| 2003 | Tony Hawk | The famous skateboarding champion skateboarded right into an even bigger 11,000-gallon tank of green slime. |
| 2004 | Mat Hoffman | The BMX pro performed the "World Record Skydiving Bike Jump," skydiving 14,000 feet into a lake full of green slime. |
| 2005 | Donald Trump/David Spitz Jr. | From New York, The Apprentice host "fired" human cannonball David Spitz Jr. into the air. He landed in a net covered in green slime. |
| 2006 | Ryan St. Onge | In a live broadcast from the Utah Olympic Park, the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Aerial Skier skied into 10,000 gallons of green slime. |
| 2007 | Ron Jones | He bungee jumped into a giant pool of slime. |
| 2008 | Jack Black Orlando Bloom |
The 2008 Kids' Choice Awards had many slime stunts, all hosted by professional boxer Laila Ali. Depending on how well the stunt went, more green slime was added to a big "Slime Meter" backstage. This slime was used at the end of the show for the "World's Longest Celebrity Sliming," where Orlando Bloom joined host Jack Black to be slimed for a full minute! Jack Black even joked that 27 tons of slime couldn't fit in a vat that only held 25 tons. |
| Akon | In the first stunt, called the "Slime-o-Lition Derby," the pop star had 45 seconds to ride a Kids' Choice Bobble Head Kart. He chose the Jack Black Bobble Head Kart (a go-kart with a giant Jack Black head). Akon finished the course, adding 10 tons of slime to the vat, plus 5 more for finishing, making it 15 tons total. | |
| Usher | The famous R&B singer performed the second stunt. He used a "slime hose" to spray a sumo wrestler and push him along a long platform. Kids voted online to choose the sumo wrestler. The wrestler was pushed all the way to the 5-ton mark, bringing the total slime in the vat to 20 tons. | |
| Heidi Klum | The last stunt featured the supermodel, or as Jack Black called her, "Heidi the Human Dart." Klum was attached to a harness and swung freely. She had a pad with spikes and swung into a wall covered in slime balloons. For every balloon she popped in 30 seconds, one more ton of slime was added. Kids voted online for the type of spike pad she would use, choosing the "butt pad" over "mittens." Klum popped 7 balloons, adding 7 more tons of slime and bringing the total to 27 tons. | |
| 2009 | Will Ferrell | The comedian-actor slid down a slime-covered slide on the UCLA campus, going headfirst on a luge into a pool of slime. |
| 2010 | Apolo Anton Ohno | Two stunts happened in 2010. First, eight-time Olympic medalist Ohno was launched into slime by a slingshot, with help from WWE wrestler John Cena. |
| Jerry Trainor Jackson Rathbone Nicola Peltz |
For the second stunt, to promote The Last Airbender, stars Peltz and Rathbone, along with iCarly star Trainor, did a "bending-slime" event. Since Peltz's character is a "water-bender," she "bent" the slime towards Trainor and Rathbone. | |
| 2011 | Kelvin Ramer | Ramer's monster truck, decorated for the event, jumped over a 50-foot Nickelodeon blimp award and landed in a pool of slime. Paul "The Big Show" Wight hosted and called it the most dangerous Kids' Choice slime stunt ever. |
| 2012 | Big Show and The Miz | A slime-themed wrestling match between Big Show and The Miz. When either wrestler hit special cannons in the ring corners, slime shot out and covered the audience. The Big Show won by throwing The Miz over the ring into a pool of slime. Then, The Big Show himself got slimed as his reward! |
| 2014 | Dave England & Jukka Hildén | Kids voted online for one of three slime stunts: an Ultimate Slime Rodeo, a High Speed Bathtub Race, or a Slippery Obstacle Course. The Ultimate Slime Rodeo won! Dave and Jukka rode electronic horses with slime hoses in their mouths. Whoever held on longest won. Dave held on the longest and won. |
| 2015 | Cast of The Thundermans | Kids voted online during the show for one of three Nickelodeon shows: The Thundermans, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, or Bella and the Bulldogs. The cast of the winning show went through a "car wash" where slime was shot at them from everywhere! |
| 2016 | Bethany Mota & Cameron Dallas | As part of the ceremony's website/app voting system set up for the show, kids voted for the best internet personality. They chose between YouTuber Bethany Mota and YouTuber/Viner/TikToker/actor Cameron Dallas. Both participated in the "Slime Soakers" stunt, but only one would get slimed. Kids voted on Nick.com and in the Nick app. Cameron Dallas was revealed as the winner and got slimed! |
| 2020 | Astronauts | ESA Astronaut Col. Luca Parmitano and NASA Astronaut Christina Koch opened and played with the first ever slime in space, inside the International Space Station! |
See also
In Spanish: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards para niños
