Keep the Awards Coming! VO Projects Win Big in 2025

As if doing voice over for animation projects isn’t enough fun on its own, it becomes even more exciting when those projects win multiple awards. Just ask my daughter Natalie Rarick. She was part of two projects that recently scooped up a number of honors from three notable organizations. The projects are:

Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth

Available on the NOAA website, this five-part animated series explains the ocean’s influence on our planet’s weather and climate. Natalie was the voice of Teek, a curious one-eyed purple alien who asks a zillion questions of NOAA climate scientist Tom Di Liberto. See our previous post here.

MechWest

Natalie and I both had the pleasure of working on MechWest, a cartoon world where robots, called mechs, meet the Wild West. Natalie is the voice of “Pearl,” one of the main characters of the series. I got to play some bit parts and help out with some of the VO session directing. The series was created by a father-son team. See our previous post here.

Awards for ‘Teek and Tom’

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) definitely had an out-of-this-world hit with “Teek and Tom.” The project scored nine awards and a slot in the finalist category for an additional honor.

Telly Awards 2025

• Gold – Sound and Sound Design (Episode 1)
• Gold – Voice Over and Narration (Episode 1)
• Silver – Education and Discovery (Entire Series)
• Bronze – Craft-Fully Animated Piece (Episode 1)

It was heavy metal across the board with the Telly awards scored by “Teek and Tom.” The show brought home two Gold awards, one Silver and one Bronze.

Collision Awards 2025

• Silver – Kids and Family, General category
• Silver – Character Design, Craft category
• Silver – Music
• Silver – Voice Acting

“Teek and Tom” swooped up four different Collision Awards in the Silver category, including one for voice acting.

Shorty Awards 2025

• Bronze – Audience Honor for Animation
• Finalist – Government and Politics

Teek would be thrilled that the show was up for two Shorty award categories, with public votes helping them win one and place as a finalist in the other.

Awards for ‘MechWest’

Robots in the Wild West are apparently wildly successful, as evidenced with the four awards bestowed upon the “MechWest” series.

Telly Awards 2025

• Gold – Craft, 3-D Animation (Episodes 1 and 2)
• Silver – General, Children

Episodes 1 and 2 snagged Gold awards for the specialized category of 3-D Animation. The entire series was honored with a Silver award for being one of the top shows created for children this year.

Collision Awards 2025

• Gold – Kids and Family, General category
• Audience Choice

“MechWest” lassoed in both the Gold and Audience Choice awards in the kids and family television category.

What the Awards Signify

Telly Awards

Recognizing excellence in the television and video industry, the prestigious Telly Awards signify recognition for a project’s originality, quality and creativity. Part of the prestige comes from the panel of 200 judges, industry experts from major production companies, streaming services and television networks.

Collision Awards

Given for excellence in animation and motion design, the Collision Awards are also chosen by a judging panel of industry experts. These prestigious honors signify a high level of recognition and achievement in the industry, highlighting projects that exhibit strong technical talent and creativity.

Shorty Awards

These international awards acknowledge and celebrate the best in digital and social media across the globe. The Shorty Awards highlight innovation and creativity, honoring projects that shape how people interact and connect in the online world.

Collaboration at Its Best

Both “Teek and Tom” and “MechWest” are not only entertaining and captivating, but they truly illustrate what can happen when talented professionals work together to create something truly magical. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to the projects – and if you haven’t seen them yet, do take a gander at these award-winning shows.

“Teek and Tom” on the NOAA website: https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/teekandtom/

“MechWest” website: https://mechwestshow.com/