New critics' television awards show vies with Emmys

(AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK)

The recently formed Broadcast Television Journalists Association in the US announced the nominees on June 6 for the first Critics Choice Television Awards. Scheduled for June 20, it will get a jump on the Emmys, which will announce candidates next month for its September 18 telecast.

The critics' top nominees are last year's Emmy-winners: sitcom Modern Family received six nominations, and period drama about the ad business Mad Men is up for five awards, including for actors Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery and Christina Hendricks.

Other contenders include Tina Fey's sitcom 30 Rock with Alec Baldwin and HBO's Golden Globe winner Boardwalk Empire, the critically-acclaimed Prohibition-era drama starring Steve Buscemi and Michael Shannon.

Other favorites up for awards include Emmy-winner The Good Wife, J.J. Abrams's sci-fi series Fringe and The Killing, the American version of the Danish hit thriller series.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for June 20 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, to be streamed live on VH1.com and followed by a telecast from cable/satellite network REELZ on June 22.

Surprising snubs included the reality show Survivor and most late night talk shows. In the Best Talk Show category the nominees included The Daily Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show, which could get nostalgic votes.

An interesting category that is still accepting submissions is Most Exciting New Series for shows debuting this fall.

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association is affiliated with the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which presents the Critics Choice Movie Awards prior to the Oscars.

http://criticschoice.com/static/ccta

RC