The 2025 Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards nominees

This week's Sunday entertainment feature examines the nominees for the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards, a program I've been following since 2017.

I'm pleased that this year's nominees for feature film, Jurassic World Rebirth, Wicked, and The Wild Robot, are all speculative fiction, one each from science fiction, fantasy, and animation, although The Wild Robot earned two nominations as science fiction in this year's Critics Choice Super Awards. This demonstrates once again that genre entertainment can convey serious messages in the middle of all the escapism. Speaking of serious messages, a combination of environmental content and star power decides these awards and that makes me think that Jurassic World Rebirth is the favorite. Its theme of the importance of biodiversity as natural capital is as strong as the respect for nature in The Wild Robot and stronger as an environmental theme than the animal rights subplot in Wicked. Jurassic World Rebirth also has as much star power as Wicked, although previous host Jeff Goldblum plays the Wizard of Oz, which might tip the balance, and more than The Wild Robot. Sorry, I don't think Lupita Nyong'o in a voice-acting role is enough.

I expect to vote on two of these nominees at the upcoming Saturn Awards, Jurassic World Rebirth, which is my co-favorite with Lilo & Stitch for Best Science Fiction Film and Wicked, which is my choice for Best Fantasy Film. The Wild Robot already won Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards, but lost to Flow at the Academy Awards. As I wrote in April, I now have Flow penciled in for Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards. I also now have Flow as a snub for the EMA Awards. I think it had the environmental content, but it was a foreign film with no dialog, so no Hollywood star power!


Now for the nominees I can recommend to my students as extra credit. My pick is Emmy winner Octopus! on the basis of environmental content and star power. I predicted I would see it nominated at the EMA Awards and I was right. The Last Rhinos: A New Hope and Yanuni have as stong environmental themes, but no other awards nominations and no Hollywood stars. However, Yanuni has a compelling personal story, which might be enough for it to upset Octopus!

Follow over the jump for the television nominees.


I'm glad to see two genre series among the nominees, Alien: Earth and Paradise. I fully expect to see the former nominated at the Saturn Awards and mused about suggesting the latter as an action/thriller or action/adventure nominee. I'm also pleasantly surprised Grey's Anatomy earned a nomination. That's a show I associate with the People's Choice and Teen Choice Awards. My pick is Yellowstone, which is a previous winner. That written, I'm thrilled to see four nominees. It beats the years when The Blacklist would win by default.


Oh, look, three Emmy nominees, Common Side Effects and The Simpsons for Outstanding Animated Program and Abbott Elementary for Outstanding Comedy Series. I'm glad to see animation, which qualifies as speculative fiction, be treated equally with live-action comedy. That written, I'm not expecting either Common Side Effects or The Simpsons to be nominated at the Saturn Awards and I'm not going to suggest either of them, either. Also, Abbott Elementary is a previous winner, so it's my pick to win.

Documentary Series
The Americas “The Gulf Coast”
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild “Safe Passage For Whales” Hearst Media Production Group, Mutual of Omaha
Wild Hope “Thunder and Fire”
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films

I also predicted Creative Arts Emmy nominee The Americas would be nominated at the EMA Awards, so I'm pleased to see it here. Based on the environmental content and Tom Hanks' star power, I'm predicting it will win, too. That written, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild is a Daytime Emmys nominee and is running an awards campaign on Instagram, so I'm recognizing it. Also, Tangled Bank makes great science and nature content, so Wild Hope is a worthy contender on that basis alone.

Reality Series
Top Chef “Foraged in Fire”
NBCUniversal, Bravo, Magical Elves
The Visioneers with Zay Harding “Sustainable Skylines”
Hearst Media Production Group, VoLo Foundation
Life Below Zero: “Night Moves”
Produced by BBC Studios for National Geographic

Top Chef is a multi-Emmy nominee and so is Life Below Zero, so I think it's between the two. I think the edge in environmental contest goes to Life Below Zero, while star power helps Top Chef. I've never even heard of The Visioneers with Zay Harding, so unless its environmental content is that much better, it should be happy merely to be nominated.

Variety Series
The Daily Show “Nick Offerman Is Sounding the Alarm: America’s National Parks Are Under Attack” Comedy Central (Paramount)
Aventura Gastronómica Colombia S3 episode “Taganga”
Sony Pictures Television
Real Time with Bill Maher
S23 E13: “Al Gore, Sen. Adam Schiff, Bret Stephens”
HBO in association with Bill Maher Productions

I think it's between The Daily Show, which has Nick Offerman's star power along with an urgent environmental issue and Real Time with Bill Maher with Al Gore as a guest. Aventura Gastronómica Colombia isn't even in English and doesn't have an IMDB entry, so it should be happy just to be nominated. I'm rooting for Offerman and The Daily Show.

Children’s Series
Jane “Pan troglodytes”
Apple TV+ in association with Sinking Ship Entertainment
Mission Unstoppable “Filtering Water, Frog Babies, and Firefighting”
Hearst Media Production Group, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
A Real Bug's Life “Love in the Forest”
National Geographic, Plimsoll Productions

Jane won this category at the strike-delayed 2023 ceremony while A Real Bug's Life is the returning winner of the 2024 awards. I think it's between these two, although Mission Unstoppable could surprise me.

Student Film Award
Patchwork In Progress
Cal State Long Beach
NISHI
IAFM – Eco Film Lab Residency
Ashes to the Eyes
The City College of New York

Based on the institution, I'd say Nishi.

That's a wrap for these nominations. The ceremony is October 11th, so expect me to report on the winners for Wester on October 12th. In the meantime, I might continue my entertainment coverage with Daytime Emmys nominees in science and nature tomorrow since I already mentioned them above or I might blog about something less demanding. Stay tuned to find out.