Jerry Levitan and his Daytime Emmy, awarded on Saturday in Los Angeles for his animated short, I Met The Walrus.Jerry Levitan and his Daytime Emmy, awarded on Saturday in Los Angeles for his animated short, I Met The Walrus. (Anisa Tejpar)

Canadian Jerry Levitan has collected yet another accolade for his short animated film I Met The Walrus, garnering a Daytime Emmy.

The Torontonian's six-minute film, using pen and ink-style animation, features audio of John Lennon ruminating on global conflict and the need for peace.

"I am stunned that the kindness John Lennon extended to me as a child reverberates to this day around the world," said Levitan in a message to CBCNews.ca on Sunday.

"The support Yoko Ono has given me in telling my story has been a blessing to me."

The audio was recorded by a 14-year-old Levitan, a rabid Beatles fan, who banged on every door of a Toronto hotel until he found Lennon — in Canada for his Montreal bed-in for peace with wife Yoko Ono.

Directed by Josh Raskin, the film captured the Emmy for New Approaches, Daytime Entertainment for its YouTube appearance.

The award acknowledges the team that put the unique film together, which includes pen illustrator and animator James Braithwaite and digital illustrator Alex Kurina, as well as Raskin and Levitan, who is listed as the producer.

The film has been collecting acclaim ever since its first unspooling in late 2007. It also garnered an Oscar nod for best animated short film in 2008.

Levitan recently released it as a book.

I Met The Walrus has travelled the world at various festivals, winning awards at the Middle East International Film Festival, the Manhattan Short Film Festival and the Hawaii Film Festival.

PBS wins big

Many other trophies, including ones for makeup, lighting, sound mixing and editing, were handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday.

PBS was the big winner with 15 prizes in all, followed by ABC with 10 and Nickelodeon with eight.

Some of the winners included:

  • Children's Program: Wordworld (PBS).
  • Writing in Animation: Wordworld (PBS).
  • Pre-School Series: Between the Lions (PBS).
  • Writing in a Children's Series: Between the Lions (PBS).
  • Culinary Program: Grill It! With Bobby Flay (Food Network).
  • Lifestyle: This Old House (PBS).
  • Lifestyle/Culinary Host: Ina Garten in Barefoot Contessa (Food Network).
  • Directing in a Children's Series: Sesame Street (PBS).
  • Directing in a Talk Show: The View (ABC).
  • Directing in an Animated Program: El Tigre (Nickelodeon).