One Direction cleans up at Kids’ Choice Awards

Robert Downey Jr. turned inspirational speaker at the Kids’ Choice Awards, Pharrell set another fashion trend, David Blaine lost his head during a slime-induced illusion, One Direction and Jennifer Lawrence cleaned up, and the green goo bath finally caught up with Mark Wahlberg — thanks to some unlikely slimers.

Nickelodeon’s 27th annual awards show was among its more entertaining, opening with a sprawling and colourful Todrick Hall-choreographed performance and closing with Wahlberg’s eventual sliming on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Along the way, One Direction won two awards, producer Dan Schneider won the show’s first lifetime achievement award and Robert Downey Jr. got real after winning best male buttkicker.

“This is the highest honour yet bestowed on me — I’m grateful, humble, the whole deal,” the Iron Man star said. “You know I wasn’t always a buttkicker. In fact, life has kicked my proverbial butt countless times in many ways for many years, until I decided one day to start kicking back. Now look at me!”

He slipped in a plug for new movie Avengers 2 before advising: “Remember when life is kicking your butt, never forget to kick it back right in the face.”

More than a dozen former and current teen stars joined on stage to salute Schneider, the creator of several of the network’s most popular shows, including iCarly, Kenan & Kel and Sam & Cat, a current Nickelodeon hit that won favourite TV show and favourite TV actress for star Ariana Grande.

“You’ve made more milk come out of kids’ noses than anyone else,” Kenan & Kel and Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson said in a video message.

Lawrence picks up two

One Direction won favourite music group and favourite song for Story of My Life, Lawrence won favourite movie actress and favourite female buttkicker, Selena Gomez was named favourite female singer, Adam Sandler was named favourite male actor at the fan-voted awards and Kevin Hart took favourite funny star.

The awards show isn’t much more than an excuse to slime some of today’s top stars, and first-time host Wahlberg executed several slimings as he successfully escaped the green goo for the show’s first 80 minutes. His first victims were actress Kaley Cuoco and Pharrell, who chose fortuitously to wear a pair of bright yellow SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas instead of his now-trademark poofy fedora.

It was Hart who eventually tricked Wahlberg into the goo, with an assist from the actor’s three young children. “I can’t believe my own kids turned on me,” Wahlberg shouted.