Oculus Story Studio’s virtual-reality short Henry won an Emmy Award in 2016.
Released in 2015, Henry is an animated VR short about a lonely hedgehog whose wish for friendship creates an unusual problem: anyone he hugs is hurt by his sharp spines. The character was voiced by Elijah Wood, and the film was directed by Ramiro Lopez Dau.
Henry received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Interactive Program in 2016. The honor helped demonstrate that immersive VR storytelling could receive recognition from major television and interactive-media institutions.
Henry is often mixed up with Lost, Oculus Story Studio’s first short film. Lost premiered earlier, while Henry became the studio’s notable Emmy-winning production. Dear Angelica was another later Oculus Story Studio project, created using an illustrated virtual-reality style.