‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations Announced Plus Posthumous Award To Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek

The Critics Choice Awards (CCA) fill the void left behind the HFPA and Golden Globes for relevance and diversity of both membership and content nominated in their awards. In addition, this summer will see the third annual Real Awards, where the best in nonfiction television and reality TV are honored.

The award committee is also honoring Alex Trebek, the late Jeopardy host, with their prestigious Impact Award. Trebek passed away on November 8, 2020, from complications of pancreatic cancer. He had served as Jeopardy’s host for 37 years.

After a record-breaking near-600 submissions and a robust slate of reality television, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) once again racked up the most nominations for Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series, Female Star of the Year for Michelle Visage, and two for RuPaul himself – Best Show Host and Male Star of the Year.

Several other programs received multiple nominations, notably Queer Eye (Netflix), Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy (CNN), Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu), and Top Chef (Bravo), each earning three.

Streaming giant Netflix leads all other networks with 22 nominations.  HBO/HBO Max follows close behind with 14 possible wins.

Critics Choice Real TV Awards Winners to be announced on Monday, June 21

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted, and reality programming across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms every year.

All Critics Choice, Real TV Awards winners will be celebrated via a special press release and announcement on Monday, June 21. In addition, winners in two categories – Female Star of the Year and Male Star of the Year – will be chosen by fan voting, which is now open at criticschoice.com.

Alex Trebek honored

Alex Trebek will be honored posthumously with this year’s Impact Award for his outstanding career excellence and the positive impact he made on the world of nonfiction content.

Trebek was an American game show host, best known as the longtime host of the television quiz show Jeopardy!, becoming host upon its 1984 revival in syndication.

Trebek began his career with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), covering national news and special events for both radio and television.

Beloved by so many, Mr. Trebek and his legacy epitomize the award’s intentions and honor his longstanding commitment to the pursuit of excellence, his continual encouragement of curiosity, and his unfailing charm made Mr. Trebek one of television’s most respected and beloved figures.

Notes and quotes

“As the number of platforms continues to grow, the quality of unscripted television programming has skyrocketed, and we are thrilled to be able to recognize so much great work, especially at the end of a year when this content was needed more than ever,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin in a press statement to TV Shows Ace. “We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s winners and our most deserving Impact Award honoree Alex Trebek later this month.”

Said NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, “Throughout the unprecedented challenge of the last year, nonfiction content was a touchstone for audiences around the globe. From documentary to reality, competition to game shows, nonfiction provided much-needed connection and entertainment. We are immensely grateful to the family of Alex Trebek for allowing NPACT and the CCA to honor him this year and to celebrate the positive impact he made on our industry.”

For the Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Bob Bain and Joey Berlin serve as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen is Executive Producer for NPACT.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS

BEST COMPETITION SERIES

  • RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
  • The Amazing Race (CBS)
  • The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
  • Top Chef (Bravo)
  • Tough as Nails (CBS)

BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY

  • American Idol (ABC)
  • Legendary (HBO Max)
  • The Masked Singer (Fox)
  • The Voice (NBC)
  • World of Dance (NBC)

BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES

  • Crikey! It’s the Irwins (discovery+)
  • Deaf U (Netflix)
  • Lenox Hill (Netflix)
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)
  • The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)

BEST STRUCTURED SERIES

  • A World of Calm (HBO Max)
  • Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
  • History of Swear Words (Netflix)
  • Queer Eye (Netflix)
  • The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)

BEST BUSINESS SHOW

  • Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)
  • Shark Tank (ABC)
  • Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis (CNBC)
  • Undercover Billionaire (Discovery Channel and discovery+)
  • Wahl Street (HBO Max)

BEST SPORTS SHOW

  • 30 for 30 (ESPN)
  • Defying Gravity (YouTube Originals)
  • Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix)
  • Peyton’s Places (ESPN+)
  • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW

  • I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)
  • Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix)
  • Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)
  • The Ripper (Netflix)
  • The Vow (HBO)
  • Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES

  • American Masters (PBS)
  • Dear … (Apple TV+)
  • Frontline (PBS)
  • POV (PBS)
  • The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth (Showtime)
  • The Vow (HBO)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES

  • 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV+)
  • Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix)
  • I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)
  • Love Fraud (Showtime)
  • Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)
  • Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)

BEST SHORT FORM SERIES

  • First Person (Snapchat)
  • Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines (MasterClass)
  • Lady Parts (ellentube)
  • OWN Your Vote (NowThis and OWN social channels)
  • Ready Jet Cook (Food Network Kitchen)

BEST LIVE SHOW

A special winner will be announced on June 21.

BEST CULINARY SHOW

  • Amy Schumer Learns to Cook (Food Network)
  • Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (discovery+)
  • Nailed It! (Netflix)
  • Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
  • Top Chef (Bravo)

BEST GAMESHOW

  • 25 Words or Less (Fox/Syndicated)
  • Jeopardy! (CBS Television/Syndicated)
  • Supermarket Sweep (ABC)
  • Weakest Link (NBC)
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)

BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW

  • Men in Kilts (Starz)
  • Running Wild with Bear Grylls (National Geographic)
  • Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
  • The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network)

BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW

  • Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix)
  • Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)
  • That Animal Rescue Show (Paramount+)
  • The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo WILD)
  • Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)

BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW

  • Haute Dog (HBO Max)
  • Queer Eye (Netflix)
  • Shine True (Fuse)
  • Skin Decision: Before and After (Netflix)
  • Stylish with Jenna Lyons (HBO Max)

BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW

  • 90 Day Fiancé (TLC)
  • Couples Therapy (Showtime)
  • Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)
  • Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
  • My Love: Six Stories of True Love (Netflix)

BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW

  • House Hunters International (HGTV)
  • Martha Knows Best (HGTV)
  • Property Brothers: Forever Home (HGTV)
  • Rock the Block (HGTV)
  • Selling Sunset (Netflix)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES

  • Top Chef (Bravo)
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
  • Queer Eye (Netflix)
  • Crikey! It’s The Irwins (discovery+)
  • The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)

BEST SHOW HOST

  • RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
  • Oprah Winfrey – The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)
  • Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
  • Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
  • John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR

  • Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
  • RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
  • Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
  • Guy Fieri – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
  • Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR

  • Nicole Byer – Nailed It! (Netflix)
  • Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)
  • Michelle Visage – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
  • Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
  • Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM

  • Discovery+
  • Disney+
  • HBO Max
  • Hulu
  • National Geographic
  • Netflix

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION

  • The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)
  • Jigsaw Productions
  • Renegade 83
  • Sharp Entertainment
April Neale

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