From bedroom stories to Emmy® nod: Siblings' animated series earns regional acclaim
An animated series that began as a childhood bedroom story is now a contender for top television honors, fueled by the multi-talented Woodbury siblings who make up the rising Twin Cities indie-pop group NUNNABOVE.
Created and directed by NUNNABOVE drummer and vocalist Wisdom Nunn, "Bob’s World" received a Regional Emmy nomination in the Animated Series - Entertainment Long Form category. Wisdom was also nominated individually for Best Director. The series, conceived during the 2020 quarantine by Wisdom, 21, with help from his siblings Bennett, 22, Mattie, 24, and Cadence, 26, highlights the family's artistic versatility, with the entire band contributing the original score and soundtrack.
"This point of community, friends and family coming together is at the heart of it," Cadence Nunn said of the project's journey from a comic concept into an animated reality.
The nomination caught the creative team completely by surprise.
"We were on the way to record a song and got the email when we were in the car," said Mattie Nunn, collaborator on the project who plays keyboards and provides backing vocals for NUNNABOVE. "We were very, very excited!"
The core narrative of "Bob's World" follows a 14-year-old bunny named Bob who accidentally destroys the town he moved into while grieving his long-lost parents. The series kick-off features a mysterious, giant orb that crashes into the town. The resulting tremors shatter the only remaining picture frame Bob has of his parents. When Bob tries to punch the orb in anger, he inadvertently triggers a series of chaotic events. The overarching mystery forces Bob to investigate the orb while trying to uncover its connection to his missing family.
Wisdom originally conceived the characters with his brother using two stuffed bunnies they received in second and third grade.
“The show idea came to me after my brother, Bennett, and I made up stories about these stuffed animals in our bedroom,” Wisdom Nunn recalled. It was during COVID-19 when Wisdom was 15 and Bennett was 16. “I started making comics out of them, but my true passion was to make it an animated show.”
Wisdom made good on the goal, creating and drawing the pilot episode of “Bob’s World”. The positive response to the pilot was immediate, with comments praising the tone, visual style, and hidden Easter eggs. The internet buzz even caught the eye of media mogul Ryan Seacrest, who later featured Wisdom on an Instagram Live broadcast to discuss the show's sudden popularity.
A driving force behind the show’s distinct identity is the siblings' musical talent as the band NUNNABOVE handles the entire musical score and soundtrack for "Bob’s World," a collaboration that team member Bennett credits for the show's massive jump in production value.
"By the third episode, the quality is better, the music is better," Bennett said, noting that by the fourth episode, the voice acting, animation, and scoring had completely locked into place.
NUNNABOVE boasts its own extensive musical resume. Formed in 2013 after their father encouraged them to start a band, the group gave their first performance—a rendition of "Joy to the World"—for family members that Christmas. They later successfully auditioned for "America’s Got Talent" in 2018 and opened for legendary funk singer Chaka Khan at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 2023.
The band, which operates out of Automic K Records & Productions, released an album titled "Season 1" and is currently preparing for the release of their upcoming single, "Plastic Parts".
With four episodes of “Bob’s World” currently streaming and a regional Emmy nomination under their belt, the creators are already deep into production on their next installment. Wisdom confirmed that the team is currently storyboarding the fifth episode, which he describes as their best work yet.
Because the animation process can take anywhere from eight months to a couple of years per episode, the Emmy recognition serves as a massive milestone for the grassroots team. Yet, Wisdom remains focused on the community that built the show.
"If I win, I'll be shouting out everyone," Wisdom said.
A link to "Bob’s World" is available on the NUNNABOVE website at: https://www.nunnabove.com/
