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Yorkshire coast animation wins regional award

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Sand Eels animation

The ‘secret of the shoal’ animation has been awarded a Royal Television Society Yorkshire Award 2025, in the category of Animation, VFX, and CGI.  

The video was commissioned by the Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership (YMNP), which is supported by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and illustrates how the small fish play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem.  

Some of East Yorkshire’s best-known species, including seabirds and marine mammals, are drawn to the Yorkshire coast to feed on the shoaling fish. The animation allows people to dive beneath the waves to learn more about this delicate marine food web, in an engaging and accessible way.  

This recognition from the Royal Television Society highlights the quality and impact of the animation, which was developed in collaboration with Little Motel Motion Studio.  

It was funded with support from the Championing Coastal Coordination fund and working closely with the North York Moors Trust and East Riding of Yorkshire Council.   

The ’secret of the shoal animation was released in spring 2024, alongside three other animations that explore Yorkshire’s coastal and marine environments. The other animations cover how Yorkshire’s marine environments help keep our atmosphere clean, how a changing climate is impacting Yorkshire’s coastline, and the journey of sediments from the Holderness coast into the ocean currents.  

All of the animations are available on the YMNP’s website and on YouTube at https://yorkshiremarinenaturepartnership.org.uk/celebrate/connected-ecosystems/the-secret-of-the-shoal/  

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council cabinet member for heritage and coastal said “The marine ecosystem plays a crucial role in supporting our coastal communities. Congratulations to everyone who played a role in highlighting our stunning natural environments, and the ecosystems that sustain them.” 

The YMNP’S Development Officer, Heather Davison-Smith, said “We’re thrilled that our work to highlight the importance of Yorkshire seas has been recognised by the Royal Television Society, and are incredibly grateful to the brilliant team at Little Motel for bringing this idea to life in such an engaging way.” 

Matt Cochrane, Managing Director at Little Motel said “As a proud Yorkshire-based animation studio passionate about our region’s wildlife, working with YMNP and their partners to create this series of animations was a dream collaboration for us. We’re delighted that the hard work of everyone involved has been celebrated in winning this award.” 

James Metcalfe, Director at the North York Moors Trust said “We are thrilled that this animation has been recognised. The aim of the project was to raise awareness of the pressures facing our marine environment in a way that is both engaging and accessible, and Little Motel have done just that, creating something fun and captivating for all ages. Real change happens when people don’t just understand the issues, but feel motivated to take action themselves, and animations like this do exactly that. We are proud to have helped make it possible.” 

Mike Jones, from the Championing Coastal Coordination fund managed by the Environment Agency said “We are proud the 3Cs programme has contributed to a broader appreciation of the critical role our coasts and seas play, and we hope this film will inspire the next generation of coastal champions” 

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