SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series that has aired on Nickelodeon since May 1, 1999. Created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, the show chronicles the adventures and endeavors of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Many of the ideas for the show originated in an unpublished, educational comic book titled The Intertidal Zone, which Hillenburg created in the mid-1980s. SpongeBob SquarePants features the voices of Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett and Lori Alan. It is executive produced by Hillenburg and formerly by Paul Tibbitt, who also functioned as its showrunner from the fourth season to the ninth.
Since its debut, SpongeBob SquarePants has earned widespread critical acclaim, and has been noted for its appeal towards different age groups. It has also received a variety of different award nominations, including 17 Annie Awards (with six wins), 17 Golden Reel Awards (with eight wins), 27 Emmy Awards (with six wins), 23 Kids' Choice Awards (with 22 wins), five BAFTA Children's Awards (with two wins), three Television Critics Association Awards (with one win), and two Producers Guild of America Awards.
Voice cast members Catlett, Kenny and Bumpass have each received nominations for their voice acting performances. Kenny is the most decorated actor in the cast. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, a feature-length film released in 2004, has received 11 awards nominations, with two wins coming from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the Australian Kids' Choice Awards. The stand-alone sequel released in 2015 garnered an additional five nominations. The third film released in 2020 garnered an additional five nominations. The stage musical adaptation opened in Broadway in 2018 win 12 awards. In total, the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise won 218 prizes including 75 victories and trophies.
Awards of SpongeBob SquarePants
Annie Awards The Annie Awards are accolades annually presented by ASIFA-Hollywood recognizing excellence in the field of animation. First awarded in 1972, it deems itself as "animation's highest honor." SpongeBob SquarePants has received six wins. + List of Annie Awards and nominations received by SpongeBob SquarePants Year Category Nominee(s) Result 2005 Best Animated Television Production 2006 Best Writing in an Animated Television Production C.H. Greenblatt, Paul Tibbitt, Mike Bell, and Tim Hill 2010 Best Voice Acting in a Television Production Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants 2011 Best Animated Television Production for Children Music in a Television Production Jeremy Wakefield, Sage Guyton, Nick Carr, and Tuck Tucker 2013 Character Animation in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production Dan Driscoll
British Academy Children's Awards Awarded since 1969, the British Academy Children's Awards are annual accolades bestowed by members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recognizing excellence in children's media. SpongeBob SquarePants was nominated for nine awards with four wins. + List of British Academy Children's Awards and nominations received by SpongeBob SquarePants Year Category Recipient(s) Result 2007 International Stephen Hillenburg and Alan Smart 2012International Paul Tibbitt, Casey Alexander and Zeus Cervas 2017 Production team2018 International Animation Stephen Hillenburg, Vincent Waller, Marc Ceccarelli
Emmy Awards Awarded since 1949, The Primetime Emmy Awards recognizes outstanding achievements in American prime time television programming. The accolade is annually bestowed by members of The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Awards presented for accomplishments in daytime television programming are designated "Daytime Emmy Awards." Since 2022, the Children's and Family Emmy Awards are accomplishments in recognition of excellence in American children's and family-oriented television programming. To date, the show has been nominated for 27 Emmy Awards, with six wins (one in 2010, one in 2014, two in 2018, one in 2020 and one in 2022).
Primetime Emmy Awards + Year Category Nominee(s) Episode(s) Result 2003 Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) "New Student Starfish" and "Clams" 2004 Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) "Ugh" 2005 Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) "Fear of a Krabby Patty" and "Shell of a Man" 2007 Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) "Bummer Vacation" and "Wigstruck" 2008 Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) "The Inmates of Summer" and "The Two Faces of Squidward" 2009 Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Animated Programs "Dear Vikings" 2011 Outstanding Short-format Animated Program "That Sinking Feeling" 2016 Outstanding Short Form Animated Program "Company Picnic" 2019 Outstanding Short Form Animated Program "Plankton Paranoia"
Daytime Emmy Awards
+ List of Daytime Emmy Awards and nominations received by SpongeBob SquarePants Years Categories (Nominees) Results 2010 Outstanding Special Class Animated Program Dina Buteyn, Stephen Hillenburg, Paul Tibbitt Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program Alan Smart, Andrew Overtoom, Tom Yasumi and Andrea Romano 2012 Outstanding Children's Animated Series Stephen Hillenburg, Paul Tibbitt, Executive Producer and Jennie Monica Hammond Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program Alan Smart, Tom Yasumi, Andrew Overtoom, Paul Tibbitt, Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Aaron Springer, Nate Cash, Luke Brookshier, Zeus Cervas, Sean Charmatz, Vince Waller and Andrea Romano, Voice Director Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program Rodger Bumpass as Squiadward Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation Paulette Lifton, James Lifton, Kimberlee Vanek, Nick Carr, MIshelle Fordham, D.J. Lynch, Jeffrey Hutchins, Aran Tanchum, Matt Hall, Chris Gresham and Todd Brodie 2013Outstanding Sound Editing – AnimationPaulette Lifton, Jimmy Lifton, Mishelle Fordham, DJ Lynch, Jeffrey Hutchins, Wes Otis, Aran Tanchum, Vincent Guisetti and Monique Reymond 2014Outstanding Sound Editing – AnimationDevon Bowman, Nicolas Carr, Mishelle Fordham, Jeff Hutchins, Aran Tanchum and Vincent Guisetti 2018 Outstanding Children's Animated Series Stephen Hillenburg, Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller and Jennie MonicaOutstanding Performer in an Animated ProgramTom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants 2020Outstanding Performer in an Animated ProgramTom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants Outstanding Sound Mixing for an Animated Program D.J. Lynch, Justin Brinsfield, Ryan Greene, Manny Grijalva, Jeff Hutchins, and Aran Tanchum 2021Outstanding Performer in an Animated ProgramTom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePantsOutstanding Voice Directing for a Daytime Animated SeriesTom Kenny
Children's and Family Emmy Awards + List of Children's and Family Emmy Awards and nominations received by SpongeBob SquarePants Year Category Nominated Episode Result 2022Individual Achievement in AnimationBenjamin Arcand"SpongeBob's Road to Christmas"Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated ProgramTom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants2023Outstanding Voice Performance in a Children's or Young Teen ProgramTom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants
Golden Reel Awards The Golden Reel Awards are annual accolades presented by the American Motion Picture Sound Editors since 1953, honoring the year's best work in the field of sound editing. Since the show's debut, it has received eight wins. + Year Category Nominee(s) Episode(s) Result 2000 Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Music Stephen Hillenburg, Donna Castricone, Nicholas R. Jennings, Alan Smart, Peter Burns, Mr. Lawrence, Derek Drymon, Alex Gordon, Donna Grillo, Jennie Monica, Krandal Crews, Jim Leber, Justin Brinsfield, Tony Ostyn, Nicolas Carr "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" and "Pickles" — via Internet Movie Database Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Sound Nicolas Carr "Karate Choppers" 2001 Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Sound "Rock Bottom" and "Arrgh" — via Internet Movie Database 2002 Best Sound Editing in Television – Animation Timothy J. Borquez, Jeff Hutchins, Daisuke Sawa "Secret Box" and "Band Geeks" — via Internet Movie Database 2003 Best Sound Editing in Television Animation "Nasty Patty" and "Idiot Box" — via Internet Movie Database Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Music Nicolas Carr "Wet Painters" and "Krusty Krab Training Video" 2004 Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Music Nicolas Carr "The Great Snail Race" and "Mid-Life Crustacean" — via Internet Movie Database 2008 Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated "SpongeHenge"
Kids' Choice Awards The Kids' Choice Awards is an awards show recognizing the year's best television, film, video games and music acts, as chosen by Nickelodeon viewers. First awarded in 1988, it has been described as "the loudest, sloppiest and funniest awards show around." The American awards show also has been localized in many countries. To date, SpongeBob SquarePants has won 21 Kids' Choice Awards, including sixteen straight in the Favorite Cartoon category. In 2008 SpongeBob's record ended; however, it was regained from 2009 onward. Aside from Avatar: The Last Airbender winning in 2008, other long-running nominees like The Loud House (8 nominations) and Teen Titans Go! (10 nominations) haven't won a blimp due to SpongeBob's winning streak.