Georgina Hurcombe, Creator of Pop Paper City, Awarded MBE for Services to Television and the Creative Sector
Skwigly
Georgina Hurcombe, creator of the internationally broadcast children’s television series Pop Paper City and Founder and Managing Director of LoveLove Films, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in The King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 for services to television and the creative sector.
Georgina Hurcombe
Over the course of her career, Georgina has established herself as a creator, entrepreneur, mentor and advocate for emerging talent. After founding her Dorset studio following redundancy in her twenties, she went on to develop original intellectual property, create opportunities for artists and animators, and champion the value of British creativity both at home and internationally.
Her preschool TV series, Pop Paper City, distributed to 180 territories worldwide by Aardman, has been broadcast to millions of children on leading broadcasters including Milkshake!, CBeebies, HBO, ABC and many others, reaching audiences in multiple languages and cultures. Built around the philosophy of ‘doing as well as viewing’, the series encourages children to engage with creativity through adventure, crafting, imagination and problem solving, inspiring them to become active creators rather than passive consumers.
Alongside her work as a founder and producer, Georgina has dedicated significant time to supporting the wider creative industries and charitable causes. She has mentored emerging talent, speaks at industry events and workshops, contributes to panels and advisory groups, championed opportunities for women in animation, advocated for neurodivergent creatives, and supported initiatives focused on skills development across the sector and with charitable causes.
Throughout her career, Georgina has remained committed to ensuring that the next generation of creators have access to the opportunities, mentorship and support that helped shape her own journey. Most recently, Georgina was appointed to the ScreenSkills Animation Skills Council, helping to support the future development of skills, training and opportunities across the UK animation industry.
At a time when ownership of original British intellectual property is increasingly important, Georgina has consistently championed the development of homegrown content that can travel globally while retaining its British identity and values.
Commenting on the honour, Georgina states:
“I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive this recognition. The creative industries have given me opportunities I could only have dreamed of when I was growing up, and I have always felt strongly about helping to open doors for others.
As a neurodivergent child, school was not always an easy place for me. My strengths were not always reflected in traditional measures of success, and I don’t think many people would have predicted that I would one day be building an international children’s brand or receive an honour such as this. What made a difference was creativity. Great British programmes such as Blue Peter and Art Attack showed me that ideas mattered, that making things mattered, and that there were different ways to learn, communicate and contribute. They sparked my imagination, built my confidence and helped me see possibilities beyond the classroom.
Great children’s content does far more than entertain. It helps children develop confidence, curiosity, creativity and resilience. For some children, particularly those who think differently, it can help them discover strengths they may not yet realise they have. Through Pop Paper City, I wanted to create a series built around the idea of ‘doing as well as viewing’, encouraging children to move from passive watching to active creating. Seeing children around the world engage with the series across different cultures, languages and broadcasters has been one of the greatest privileges of my career.
At a time when British children’s television faces significant challenges, I believe it is more important than ever that we continue to protect and invest in high quality British children’s content. The creative industries play a vital role not only in our economy, but in inspiring future generations, nurturing imagination and helping children develop the skills they will need for the future. The UK creative industries are one of our country’s greatest success stories, exporting British creativity, culture and storytelling around the world. As technology and platforms continue to evolve, I believe it is equally important that we ensure children continue to have access to trusted, high quality content that supports creativity, learning and positive development. If, through my work, I can inspire even one child to believe in themselves, pursue a creative path, or discover a talent they didn’t know they had, in the same way I was inspired by great British television growing up, then I consider that a success.
I hope this recognition helps shine a light not only on my own journey, but on the importance of protecting children’s media, supporting creative talent and investing in the future of the UK’s creative industries.
This award belongs not only to me, but to the talented teams, collaborators, mentors, partners and creatives I have had the privilege of working and growing alongside throughout my career. I remain passionate about supporting the next generation of storytellers, artists and creators and helping ensure the UK continues to be a world leader in creativity, innovation and children’s content”
A full BAFTA member, ScreenSkills Animation Skills Council member, The Great British Businesswomen Awards winner (Media Businesswoman of the Year) and a two time MIPTV Producer to Watch, Georgina continues to champion original British IP, creative education, talent development and innovation across the creative industries.