Montreal, March 26, 2025 – The Youth Media Alliance (YMA) proudly announces it will attribute two special awards at the upcoming Awards of Excellence Gala; its Outstanding Achievement Award to Marney Malabar, and its Emerging Talent Award to Lindsay Lee.  

These distinguished professionals will be honored at a gala at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto on May 28th. Join us in celebrating the best Canadian youth productions (television and digital).  

Outstanding Achievement Award 
Presented by Lopii Productions 

Given for a distinguished career in youth production in Canada, this prestigious prize salutes the individual’s contributions to the industry, leadership skills, ability to innovate and inspire and career-long commitment to young Canadians. 

Marney Malabar is an acclaimed industry leader, dedicated to producing educational content where every child feels seen and represented on screen. As the former Creative Head of TVOkids, Marney greenlit local and international co-productions in an ever-evolving digital space helping children succeed both inside and outside the classroom.  
 
As an Executive Producer, Marney has earned over forty national and international awards including Daytime Emmys, Canadian Screen Awards, Prix Jeunesse International, the Japan Prize, Youth Media Award of Excellence, as well as a Juno nomination for Children’s Album of the Year. During her tenure as a staff producer at TVO, she won an International Emmy in 1996 for the International Day of Children’s Programming, as well as a Canadian Gemini Award in 2004, 2009, and 2011. 

In 2017, Marney earned her Master of Education from the University of Toronto. Now, as a consultant, she continues to collaborate with creators worldwide, developing compelling and inclusive media that captivates young audiences everywhere. 

True to her “Just Say YES!” philosophy, Marney is currently embarking on her latest adventure - an 800-kilometer trek along the legendary Camino Francés in Spain. 

Emerging Talent Award 
Presented by Lopii Productions 

This award is given to a promising professional whose achievements have made her a rising star in children’s programming. This award encourages young creators and broadcast professionals to outdo themselves and, more importantly, to pursue a career in youth production. 

Lindsay Lee is a talented writer-producer and a founding partner of Gazelle Automations, a film production company specializing in puppetry, miniatures, and animation. 
 
Gazelle has gained recognition in the UK for its work on ITV's Thunderbirds: The Anniversary Episodes. She is the co-creator and writer of Miikshi, an acclaimed series that won the 2023 Kidscreen Award for Best Original Web Series, and 2022 WIFT-T Toronto Best Writing Award, and was a nominee for the 2023 YMA Award for Best Live-Action Program (Preschool). 

In 2024, she launched GoTogo, a series produced for CBC. It is truly remarkable that Lindsay has built her own production company, carving out a space for herself in the industry and bringing high-quality children's content to life through her vision, creativity, and determination.  

Congratulations to Marney and Lindsay!  

The 2025 Awards of Excellence are made possible through the participation of our sponsors: CBC Kids, Apartment 11 Productions, Canada Media Fund, APTN, Knowledge Network, Sinking Ship Entertainment, Landslide Entertainment, Lopii Productions, Spin Master, TVOKids, WildBraim, 9 Story Media Group, Epic Story Media & Epic Storyworld, and other partners.