Netflix's “Cheer” and VH1’S “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Lead Nominations for 2nd Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards

TV / Video Download
Cover image for  article: Netflix's “Cheer” and VH1’S “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Lead Nominations for 2nd Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT unveiled today the nominees for the second annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.  They also announced that Survivor host and executive producer Jeff Probst will receive this year’s Critics Choice Real TV Impact Award, for his ongoing contributions to the unscripted television industry.

All Critics Choice Real TV Awards winners will be celebrated via a special press release and announcement on Monday, June 29.  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.

For the second year in a row, Netflix leads the network tally with 31 total nominations.  Netflix’s Cheer and VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race lead this year’s field with five nominations each.  Cheer is nominated for Unstructured Series, Sports Show, Limited Documentary Series, Male Star of the Year and Female Star of the Year, while RuPaul’s Drag Race is nominated for Competition Series, Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, Female Star of The Year, Male Star of The Year and Show Host. 

Queer Eye (Netflix) follows closely behind with four nominations, and Couples Therapy (Showtime) received three nominations.

Many programs received two nominations, including A Very Brady Renovation (HGTV), Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (HBO), Chasing the Cure (TNT), Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Animal Planet), Dancing with the Stars (ABC), Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix), Last Chance U (Netflix), Lego Masters (Fox), Making It (NBC), Making the Cut (Amazon), Nailed It! (Netflix), Shark Tank (ABC), Survivor (CBS), T-Pain’s School of Business (Fuse), Talking Dead (AMC), The Goop Lab (Netflix), The Last Dance (ESPN), The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix), The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+), Top Chef (Bravo), Trial by Media (Netflix) and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo).

“Our nominees for the 2020 Critics Choice Real TV Awards reflect the broad range of dynamic unscripted content available on all television platforms,” said CCA TV Branch President Ed Martin.  “We are once again honored to bring much deserved attention to the best of reality TV -- a genre that continues to entertain and educate us all.”

“Each year of our joint awards program has presented a greater opportunity to highlight the breadth and excellence of nonfiction content, and its unique ability to reflect culture,” said NPACT Interim General Manager Michelle Van Kempen.  “We are proud to honor Jeff Probst for his important contributions to our industry, both in front of and behind the camera, and to celebrate the programming and the people who work tirelessly to entertain, inspire and spark important conversation.”

Probst is a four-time Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Reality Host.  He has traveled the world serving as both host and executive producer for Survivor.  This year marked the 20th anniversary of Survivor and its 40th season.

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

The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 when the CCA (then known as the Broadcast Television Journalists Association) and NPACT joined forces to create a large-scale awards platform dedicated to giving the robust, ever-evolving unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, and also recognize industry leaders with special awards highlighting career achievements.  Shows are eligible for nomination if at least three episodes premiered between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 to at least 50% of the total potential U.S. television market.

Nominations for the Second Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards

Competition Series:  Lego Masters (Fox), Making It (NBC), RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1), Survivor (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo)

Competition Series: Talent/Variety:  American Idol (ABC), Dancing with the Stars (ABC), La Voz (Telemundo), Songland (NBC), The Voice (NBC)

Unstructured Series:  Cheer (Netflix), Couples Therapy (Showtime), Intervention (A&E), RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked! (VH1), We’re Here (HBO)

Structured Series:  Encore!(Disney+), Prop Culture (Disney+), Queer Eye (Netflix), Shark Tank (ABC), The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)

Business Show:  Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back (Fox), The Profit (CNBC), Shark Tank (ABC), T-Pain’s School of Business (Fuse), Undercover Boss (CBS)

Sports Show Blackballed (Quibi), Cheer (Netflix), Last Chance U (Netflix), The Last Dance (ESPN), Peyton’s Places (ESPN+), Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

Crime/Justice Series:  Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (HBO), The Innocence Files (Netflix), Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix), The Pharmacist (Netflix), Trial by Media (Netflix), The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix)

Ongoing Documentary Series:  Abstract: The Art of Design (Netflix), The Circus: Inside the Craziest Political Campaign on Earth (Showtime), Frontline (PBS), Last Chance U (Netflix), POV (PBS)

Limited Documentary Series:  Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (HBO), Cheer (Netflix), Hillary (Hulu), Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix), The Last Dance (ESPN), Trial by Media (Netflix), The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix)

Short Form Series:  Carpool Karaoke: The Series (Apple), Comeback Kids (The Dodo), Creating Saturday Night Live (NBC), The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Between the Scenes (Comedy Central), The Impossible Row (Discovery), While Black with MK Asante (Snap)

Live Show:  Chasing the Cure (TNT), Build (Yahoo), Live PD (A&E), Talking Dead (AMC), Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)

Interactive Show:  Chasing the Cure (TNT), Enamorándonos (Univision), Talking Dead (AMC), Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)

Culinary Show:  Chopped (Food Network), Nailed It! (Netflix), Top Chef (Bravo), Tournament of Champions (Food Network), Ugly Delicious (Netflix)

Game Show:  25 Words or Less (Fox/Syndicated), Brain Games (National Geographic), Cash Cab (Bravo), Jeopardy!: The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Mental Samurai (Fox)

Travel/Adventure Series:  Expedition Unknown (Discovery), Extinct or Alive (Animal Planet), Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic), The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network), Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

Animal/Nature Show:  Dodo Heroes (Animal Planet), Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet (Nat Geo WILD), Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Animal Planet), Serengeti (Discovery), Seven Worlds, One Planet (BBC America)

Lifestyle: Fashion/Beauty Show:  The Goop Lab (Netflix), Making the Cut (Amazon), Next in Fashion (Netflix), Project Runway (Bravo), Queer Eye (Netflix)

Relationship Show:  90 Day Fiancé (TLC), Are You the One? (MTV), Black Love (OWN), Couples Therapy (Showtime), Love Is Blind (Netflix)

Lifestyle: Home/Garden Show:  A Very Brady Renovation (HGTV), Celebrity IOU (HGTV), Home (Apple TV+), Home Town (HGTV), Selling Sunset (Netflix)

Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted SeriesMaking the Cut (Amazon), RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1), Queer Eye (Netflix), Dancing with the Stars (ABC), A Very Brady Renovation (HGTV), Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Animal Planet)

Female Star of the Year:  Nicole Byer, Nailed It! (Netflix); Dr. Orna Guralnik, Couples Therapy (Showtime); Dr. Sandra Lee, Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC); Gwyneth Paltrow, The Goop Lab (Netflix); Michelle Visage, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1); Monica Aldama, Cheer (Netflix)

Male Star of the Year:  Jerry Harris, Cheer (Netflix); The Fab Five, Queer Eye (Netflix); Trevor Noah, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central); RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1); Hasan Minhaj, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix); Kevin Hart, Kevin Hart: What the Fit (YouTube Originals)

Show Host:  Will Arnett, Lego Masters (Fox); RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1); Jeff Goldblum, The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney +); Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler, Making It (NBC); Jeff Probst, Survivor (CBS); Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! (CBS Television Distribution)

Outstanding Achievement In Nonfiction Programming By a Network or Streaming Platform:  A+E Networks, HBO, National Geographic, Netflix, PBS, TLC

Outstanding Achievement In Nonfiction Production:  Anvil 1893 Entertainment, Big Fish Entertainment, Florentine Films, Kinetic Content, Raw TV, Smart Dog Media

Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleagues.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.

Copyright ©2024 MediaVillage, Inc. All rights reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.