3rd Annual Reality TV Awards Preview 

Calling all fans of everything from Amazing Race to RuPaul’s Drag Race. On Wednesday, May 13, the Reality TV Awards take place in Los Angeles, CA. This 3rd Annual event celebrates a genre of television that routinely brings in the ratings but doesn’t always get singled out for its entertainment value.

What you need to know

• The ceremony will be live streamed @ realitytelevisionawards.com starting at 6 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. CST / 9 p.m. EST with red carpet coverage happening before the big show
• Jonathan Bennett from All My Children, Mean Girls and Dancing with the Stars is hosting
• There are 21 fun categories designed to honor shows, casts, individuals, behind the scenes warriors, great buzz-worthy moments and judges
•  For those who are in the Southern California area, there are a few seats still available — the ceremony will be held at the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood
• Securing a spot in the Hall of Fame is a controversial couple who can’t get enough of reality TV: Heidi and Spencer Pratt. Yes, Speidi’s been on so many different shows including The Hills, Celebrity Big Brother UK, Marriage Bootcamp and I’m a Celebrity…Get me Out of Here
• 10% of all proceeds of this years show are proudly donated to the Wodynsky Heart Foundation

Expected to attend

Abby Lee Miller (Lifetime’s Dance Moms)
Taylor Armstrong (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Candace Smith (Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker)
Bridget Marquardt (E!’s The Girls Next Door)
Kenya Moore (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta)
Alicia Fox (E!’s Total Divas)
Matt Iseman (host of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior)

Plus…cast members from MasterChef Jr., Hell’s Kitchen, Dance Moms, Little Women: LA, MTV’s The Real World, Big Brother, So You Think You Can Dance, Amazing Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race and America’s Next Top Model just to name a few

Reality TV Awards founders Kristen Moss and Andrew Ward banded together to give TV Goodness the lowdown on tomorrow night’s festivities.

TV GOODNESS: Why does the world of reality TV deserve an awards show?

Kristen Moss & Andrew Ward: Reality TV has become a part of the American culture. “Ordinary” people have the opportunity to enter into extraordinary circumstances every day and that is why reality TV is so fascinating. What audiences don’t see are the teams of people behind the scenes who are working just as hard as scripted production teams, but they are not recognized for their creativity, their passion and the sacrifices they make in order to produce this genre of television. The Reality TV Awards are giving recognition not only to those on screen, but also the teams behind the scenes who have made Reality Television what we know it to be today.

TV GOODNESS: What makes this show unique?

Kristen & Andrew: The Reality TV Awards has a vibe that allows the cast members and producers intermingle in an environment outside of work. We strive to make every year feel like a celebration, win or lose, we celebrate our industry together on awards night.

TV GOODNESS: What do you have in store for the 3rd installment of this annual event?

Kristen & Andrew: This year we will be live streaming the awards. The public vote is what determines the winners, but because we are still growing, this is the first year that the public will be able to watch the awards from our website realitytelevisionawards.com and watch their favorite stars from different shows intermingle! The public will be able to tweet to their favorite stars while watching them live. The interactivity will make this an awards show that the public will crave year after year.

TV GOODNESS: What are your three favorite reality shows? What makes you want to tune in every week?

Kristen & Andrew: [Kristen] loves competition shows — Top Chef, Survivor, and Amazing Race. [Andrew] loves Dance Moms and other docu-series type shows. John Barra, our talent and show producer loves Big Brother. He loves the gameplay that goes into average people being put together and challenging themselves mentally and physically in order to come out on top.

TV GOODNESS: Why will Jonathan Bennett make a great host? 

Kristen & Andrew: Jonathan has an energy that is captivating and magnetic. He is exciting and up for anything! If he hadn’t been an actor, he would have absolutely found himself on the small screen in some sort of reality capacity at some point! He is a Reality Casting Director’s dream!

TV GOODNESS: How much has this show evolved since the first year?

Kristen & Andrew: We have two incredible presenting sponsors this year who are supportive of our vision and are allowing us to expand further than we had imagined! They have given us more than we could have ever asked for and each of them will also be playing a special role at the awards. Mohegan Sun has created a special Mohegan Sun lounge where the presenters and winners will be allowed access and will have exclusive media coverage. It will be the place everyone wants to be! Audio Network will be providing all original music that will give each category that special feel. We are also supporting the Wodynski Heart Foundation which supports the prevention of sudden death by raising money for heart screenings nationwide. On top of that, every year, more shows are involved, more production companies and networks acknowledge these awards as a coveted item for their offices and the public support has grown exponentially! Over 1 million public votes this year speaks volumes to us, and proves that we’re here to stay!

TV GOODNESS: How do you come up with the nominations and the categories?

Kristen & Andrew: I believe we started out with about 60 potential categories and narrowed it down from there. We try to make sure that different departments are acknowledged for their part in making their series a success. From Unique Concept, which gives a nod to the development teams. Best Editing – without editors sifting through hours upon hours of footage, these shows would not be as captivating as they are. Bad Ass Crew – would you want to spend months in a jungle or frozen tundra just to film the cast members who decided to make that their life? Creative Challenge, Reality King and Queen, Villain, Host, New and Recurring Cast. The list goes on, but each category will be won with pride!

TV GOODNESS: What was the voting process for fans? And how can they see the show? 

Kristen & Andrew: Fans were able to vote from our website and they will be able to livestream from our website as well. There are also a few tickets left… Everything  you need to know about the awards, you can find at realitytelevisionawards.com. Tune into the live stream on Wednesday beginning at 6pm PT for red carpet coverage and the live show immediately after!

TV GOODNESS: What kind of social media plans to you have in store for the show?

Kristen & Andrew: You’ll have to follow and monitor that for yourselves…There may be some contests and giveaways, we may be featuring tweets on the livestream and within the Avalon itself. All will be revealed on awards night, Wednesday May 13th starting at 6pm PST!

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The Reality TV Awards Nomination Party