Looney Tunes Cartoons’ Bugs Bunny Wins His First Emmy

The legendary figurehead of Looney Tunes, the one and solely Bugs Bunny, simply celebrated 80 years—and he’s simply obtained his first Emmy. Bugs’ present voice performer, Filipino Canadian and proud animation fanboy Eric Bauza, received the Children’s and Family Emmy Award for “Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program.”

It’s an enormous deal for Bugs Bunny, nevertheless it’s additionally an enormous deal for Bauza, who was acknowledged for his work as not simply Bugs but additionally Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck (animation enjoyable truth: Joe Alaskey received an Emmy in 2004 for voicing Daffy Duck in Duck Dodgers), and Tweety within the Looney Tunes Cartoons collection on HBO Max.

“Mel Blanc.” Eric Bauza began off his speech by honoring the person of 1,000 voices, Mel Blanc—the O.G. Bugs Bunny in addition to Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and extra on the unique Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies shorts through the Golden Age of Animation. “If it wasn’t for Mel Blanc I would not be standing here right now,” Bauza continued. “He created such larger than life characters that 80 years later we’re here talking about [them].” He additionally paid respect to fellow nominees like Tom Kenny (SpongeBob) and Mark Hamill (Skeletor), who he grew up on, and closed with a nod to the Looney Tunes voice legacy carried over time. “If you count the 80 years, you gotta count the 40 past Mel,” he stated, and paid homage to fellow voice actors Jeff Bergman (Bugs Bunny, Sylvester), Bob Bergen (Porky Pig, Tweety), Fred Tatasciore (Taz, Yosemite Sam), and Candi Milo (Granny, Witch Hazel).

This is Bugs Bunny’s first correct award win since Warner Bros.’ varied Oscar-winning shorts, together with the Bugs-led Knighty Knight Bugs in 1958. As far because the Emmys go, a decade in the past The Looney Tunes Show was nominated for Bob Bergen and Kristen Wiig’s performances as Porky and Lola, respectively. Bauza at the moment gives voices on the Looney Tunes Cartoons and Bugs Bunny Builders; additionally he’s spotlighting the facility of animation in his present Stay Tooned, the place he highlights diversity behind the mic alongside his friends and icons.

Like many exhibits on HBO Max proper now, the future of the present Looney Tunes Cartoons period isn’t fully sure. But Bauza’s win marks the primary time a voice performer is being honored for voicing primarily a personality synonymous with and as large as Warner Bros. itself.

Watch Looney Tunes Cartoons on HBO Max—with extra episodes coming in 2023—and Eric Bauza’s Stay Tooned via clips on YouTube from the series streaming on CBC Gem.

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