TORONTO, May 26: At an event in Toronto last night, Degrassi: The Next Generation became the first winner of the C$50,000 Shaw Rocket Prize, which celebrates excellence in Canadian childrens television, beating out Frannys Feet, Poko and Shoebox Zoo.

The four finalists for the Shaw Rocket Prize were selected by an independent, international jury of leaders in childrens TV from the U.K., U.S., Australia, Germany and Canada. A jury of almost 400 students in grades seven through nine, participating in the Royal Conservatory of Musics Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) program in public schools across Canada, reviewed the finalists programs and voted independently for the winner on a secure website.

Degrassi: The Next Generation is an outstanding example of high quality youth television programming produced in Canada, said Annabel Slaight, the chair of the Shaw Rocket Fund. The winning votes from our knowledgeable young jury demonstrates this.