The penguins benefited from the presenters.
Nickelodeon's 2009 Kids' Choice Awards set a host of event viewership records that served as a strong lead-in that helped make the CGI-show The Penguins of Madasgascar, the biggest original series debut in the network's history.
The 2009 KCAs averaged a record 7.7 million viewers from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 28, according to Nielsen Media Research live+ same-day data, which marked the event's fourth consecutive year of growth. The live telecast drew a record 4.6 households million households and a 4.7 ratings average.
More votes than ever were cast for this year's KCAs: with 91.1 million votes counted March 2 through March 28 across Nick.com, Nicktropolis, TurboNick, UPickDaily, and Nick's mobile Web site.
The show, which feted or featured Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Black, iCarly, American Idol, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Jonas Brothers, Beyoncé and Twilight, earned its biggest kids 2-to-11 audience with an 11.0 rating and 3.8 million of those viewers, to supplant the 2008 KCAs.
This year's show also was the highest-rated and most-watched among kids 6 to 11, averaging a 14.2 rating and 3 million of those watchers, as well as a record 13.7 rating and 2.9 million tweens 9 to 14, 10% more than last year's previous record total.
For its part, the bow of the animated The Penguins of Madagascar notched 6.1 million total viewers in the 9:30 p.m. time period on Saturday, the top original series performance in Nick's 30-year history.
The show also was the network's best-ever animated series debut among kids 6 to 11 and scored its top mark ever for an original show debut among tweens, according to Nickelodeon officials.
