Reality Hosts Get Emmy Category

Zap2It.com | April 23, 2008

'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest

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Award will be part of primetime ceremony

Ryan Seacrest, Phil Keoghan, Tyra Banks and their reality-hosting brethren have been granted entry into TV's awards ...

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has added a new category to honor their work. The inaugural award for "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program" will be presented at 60th Primetime Emmys this fall. The awards are scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21 on ABC.

"Reality television has become such an integral part of television and our culture, so it only made sense for us to create this new, highly competitive category," says John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the academy.

The Emmys divide unscripted shows into two categories -- the "reality program" category encompasses shows like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Penn & Teller: Bulls**t!" (both nominees last year), while the "reality-competition" slate includes shows with game elements, a la "Project Runway" or perpetual winner "The Amazing Race."

The hosting category won't make that distinction, so nominees could include anyone from "Home Edition's" Ty Pennington to " American Idol" host Seacrest. They won't, however, include Seacrest's foil Simon Cowell: The TV academy says only "proactive 'master of ceremony host[s]" are eligible, while judges and "reactive participants" are not.