Josh Wakely is an Australian director, screenwriter, and producer and the founder of the television and film production company Grace: A Storytelling Company. Wakely is principally engaged in the development and production of feature films and series based on the music publishing catalogues of prominent music artists and genres, including The Beatles, Motown, and Bob Dylan and other artists in the Universal Music Group library of recorded master and publishing catalogues. [1] [2]
Wakely created the Emmy-winning Netflix original animated series Beat Bugs and Motown Magic, both on Netflix." [3] [4]
Wakely was raised in Newcastle, a coastal city two hours north of Sydney on the East Coast of Australia. He studied acting at Australia's Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) before transitioning behind the camera and into the world of storytelling. [5]
Wakely is a principal partner at Grace: A Storytelling Company, his film and television production company, based in Sydney and Los Angeles. [6] He is represented by United Talent Agency.
Wakely is the creator, director and producer of the children's animated series Beat Bugs , which Netflix premiered globally on August 3, 2016. [7] [8] Australia's Yahoo7 premiered the series on July 25, 2016 on 7Two. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Netflix globally premiered Season 2 of the show on November 18, 2016. [14] The show now airs on Nick Jr. in Australia. [15]
Inspired by music by The Beatles, the series tells uplifting and life-affirming stories filled with hope and melody. For the show, Wakely acquired the worldwide rights in a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing to record covers of the entire Lennon/McCartney ‘Northern Songs’ music catalogue. [2] [16] He enlisted featured artists to cover songs in the show who include: Pink, Eddie Vedder, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams, Aloe Blacc, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, Sia, The Shins, James Bay, Chris Cornell and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers. [17] [18] [19]
Wakely's production company, Grace: A Storytelling Company, produced the series with Beyond Screen Production and Thunderbird. The Beat Bugs soundtrack is a joint release of Wakely's newly formed label Melodia and Universal Music's Republic Records. [20]
Beat Bugs won the 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Animated Program, [21] and has since been nominated for eight Emmys. [22] Awarded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British Columbia, Beat Bugs won the 2017 Leo Award for Best Animation - Program or Series and was nominated twice in the Best Voice Performance in an Animation Program or Series category. [23] The show was also nominated for Best Animated Program or Series at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards [24] and Most Outstanding Children's Program at Australia's TV Week Logie Awards. [25] In addition, the 'Yellow Submarine' episode won the 2016 AWGIE Award in Animation. [26] Awarded by The Australian Writers' Guild, the AWGIE Awards recognize and reward excellence in performance writing. Beat Bugs also won the 2016 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) award for Best Children's Television Series. [27]
Beat Bugs also inspired a line of merchandise that is exclusively available at Target in the U.S. and Tesco in the U.K. [28]
Wakely is the creator, director and producer of the children's animated series Motown Magic , which Netflix premiered globally on November 20, 2018. [29] For the series, Wakely secured the rights to the Jobete and Stone Diamond catalogues that comprise hundreds of Motown's greatest hits. [30]
Motown singer Smokey Robinson serves as executive music producer on the animated series. [31] Motown Magic features newly recorded versions of songs by Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and many more. Each 11-minute episode incorporates a plot line inspired by the themes and characters of a classic Motown song, and an original version of that song covered by contemporary artists including Ne-Yo, Becky G, BJ The Chicago Kid, Skylar Grey, Calum Scott, and Trombone Shorty.
Motown Magic is a story about music, magic and the power of imagination, told through the sounds of one of the world's most iconic, and culturally important music catalogues, Motown. Colorful and family-friendly, this groundbreaking animated series follows Ben, a wide-eyed eight-year-old with a big heart, and an amazing imagination, who uses his magic paintbrush to bring the street-art decorating his city, Motown, to life.
Melodia/Motown Records released the Motown Magic Original Soundtrack, a 13-song collection of classic Motown hits newly recorded for the show, on November 16. [32]
In 2019, Motown Magic was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the "Outstanding Children's Program" category. [33]
Wakely is currently developing multiple television projects based on various other music catalogues for which he has acquired the rights.
Wakely secured for Grace the rights to international music icon Bob Dylan’s entire 600-plus song catalogue, and is creating a television drama series based on his music. [34]
Building on the popularity of Beat Bugs and the added success of the Dylan deal, Wakely secured additional groundbreaking deals for Grace, locking in the rights to the Jobete and Stone Diamond catalogues that comprise hundreds of Motown's greatest hits and Universal Music Group’s (UMG) vast collection of recorded master and publishing catalogues to create scripted entertainment based on the characters and themes found within these hallowed songbooks. [35]
With extensive access to UMG's illustrious collection of catalogues, Wakely is also currently developing three television series: 27, Tropical Melody Island, and Mixtape (all working titles), all based on the music found within these catalogues. [35]
In 2010, Wakely served as a writer on the acclaimed family series Lockie Leonard, which was nominated for a BAFTA and won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Children's Drama. [36]
Wakely wrote and directed My Mind’s Own Melody, a cinematic modern musical that came out in 2011 and was accepted into the 2013 New York Film Festival. [37] [38] The short film featured original music and lyrics by former Silverchair front-man Daniel Johns and stars Golden Globe Award winner Lisa Gerrard.
Wakely has optioned the rights to Darin Strauss' best-selling memoir Half a Life , which tells the haunting story of one man's 20-year struggle with the accidental death of his high school classmate. [39]
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the former frontman, guitarist, and main songwriter of the rock band Silverchair. Johns is also one half of The Dissociatives with Paul Mac and one half of Dreams with Luke Steele. He released his first solo album, Talk, in 2015. Johns' second solo album, FutureNever, was released on 22 April 2022. In 2007, Johns was ranked at number 18 on Rolling Stone's list of The 25 Most Underrated Guitarists. Johns has won 21 ARIA Awards from 49 nominations as a member of Silverchair, and has earned four other nominations as a solo artist.
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. When Crisp disbanded in 1997, she released her debut studio album, OnlySee, in Australia. She moved to London and provided vocals for the British duo Zero 7. Sia released her second studio album, Healing Is Difficult, in 2001, and her third, Colour the Small One, in 2004.
"Money (That's What I Want)" is a rhythm and blues song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, which was the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. Barrett Strong recorded it in 1959 as a single for the Tamla label, distributed nationally on Anna Records. Many artists later recorded the tune, including the Beatles in 1963 and the Flying Lizards in 1979.
"Good Day Sunshine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. McCartney intended it as a song in the style of the Lovin' Spoonful's contemporaneous hit single "Daydream". The recording includes multiple pianos played in the barrelhouse style and evokes a vaudevillian mood.
"Please Mr. Postman" is a song written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. It is the debut single by the Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. The single achieved this position in late 1961; it hit number one on the R&B chart as well. "Please Mr. Postman" became a number-one hit again in early 1975 when The Carpenters' cover of the song reached the top position of the Billboard Hot 100. "Please Mr. Postman" has been covered several times, including by the British rock group the Beatles in 1963. The 2017 song "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man draws on "Please Mr. Postman" and includes a credit for Brian Holland.
Peter Charles Combe OAM is an Australian children's entertainer and musician. At the ARIA Music Awards he has won three ARIA Awards for Best Children's Album, for Toffee Apple (1988), Newspaper Mama (1989) and The Absolutely Very Best of Peter Combe Recorded in Concert (1992) and three additional nominations. His best-known tracks are "Toffee Apple", "Spaghetti Bolognaise", "Mr Clicketty Cane", "Juicy Juicy Green Grass" and "Newspaper Mama". His Christmas Album reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 50.
The Magic School Bus is an animated educational children's television series, based on the book series of the same name by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Running originally from 1994 to 1997, the series received critical acclaim for its use of celebrity voice talent and combining entertainment with an educational series. The series stars Lily Tomlin as the voice of Ms. Frizzle. Its theme song is performed by Little Richard.
VeggieTales is an American Christian CGI-animated series and franchise for children created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki under Big Idea Entertainment. The series stars Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber leading a variety of fruit and vegetable characters as they retell stories from the Bible and parody pop culture while also teaching life lessons according to a biblical world view.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated children's television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. The series follows a studious pony named Twilight Sparkle, her dragon assistant Spike and her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash (Ball) and Pinkie Pie (Libman). They go on adventures and help others around Equestria, solving problems with their friendships.
Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a Canadian film and television entertainment company, with offices in both Canada and the United States of America. Thunderbird's multiple divisions develop movies and television programs for various demographics.
Meghan McCarthy is an American screenwriter, lyricist, film and television producer, and creative executive best known as the showrunner of the animated television show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. She is also known for her work on Class of 3000 and Fish Hooks. Since June 2015, she has been the Head of Storytelling for the entire My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop brands, helping to "create expansive worlds and characters".
Moose Toys is an Australian-owned toy design, development and distribution company founded in 1985. Moose is headquartered in Australia, has over 600 staff and distributes to over 50 countries.
Beat Bugs is an animated children's television series, created by Josh Wakely, and produced for Netflix by Grace: A Storytelling Company and Thunderbird Entertainment since 2016. The series is centred around five young anthropomorphised insects who live in an overgrown suburban backyard and learn life lessons while having adventures. Wakely acquired worldwide rights from Sony/ATV Music Publishing to a catalogue of music by the Beatles to feature in the series. The program features versions of songs by the popular rock group, performed by contemporary recording artists and interwoven into the narrative.
Ask the StoryBots is an American live-action/animated children's television series based on the characters from the StoryBots educational website and videos. It premiered exclusively on Netflix on August 12, 2016. Originally created and produced by JibJab Bros. Studios, the StoryBots media franchise was fully acquired by Netflix in May 2019.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again is an animated children's web series, based on the book series of the same name by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It also serves as a continuation of the 1994–1997 PBS Kids series The Magic School Bus, with Lily Tomlin reprising her role as Ms. Frizzle. The series premiered on Netflix on September 29, 2017. The second season premiered on April 13, 2018.
Motown Magic is an animated children's television series, created by Josh Wakely, and produced for Netflix. The series follows Ben, described by Netflix as “a wide-eyed 8-year-old with a big heart and an amazing imagination,” who uses a magic paintbrush to bring the street art in Motown to life. Wakely acquired worldwide rights from the music of Motown to feature in the series. The program features versions of songs by the popular record label, performed by contemporary recording artists and interwoven into the narrative. Motown hits that are recorded in the series are from such performers as The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.
Berry Bees is an Italian-Australian animated television series developed for the Nine Network that premiered on 9Go! in Australia on 5 October 2019. The series is based on the Italian book series of the same name by Cat Le Blanc. The series is produced by Atlantyca Entertainment, SLR Productions, Telegael, and Cosmos-Maya Production. The entire series is available to stream on Stan.
Karma's World is a computer-animated musical comedy streaming television series created by Chris Bridges and developed by Wendy Harris, Rachel Kalban, and Jennie Stacey for Netflix. It was released on October 15, 2021.