30th College Television Awards Garners Record Number of Submissions for March 21 Gala Hosted by Tom Bergeron
214 Schools in 42 States Submit 712 Student Videos, Films for Prestigious Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Competition
North Hollywood, CA, Feb. 10, 2009 - The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has received a record number of video and film submissions for its 30th College Television Awards to be hosted Saturday, March 21, by the Primetime Emmy® Award-nominated Tom Bergeron.
Television Academy Foundation Executive Director Terri Clark today announced an unprecedented 214 schools in 42 states submitted 712 student videos and films, the most ever for the invitation-only ceremony to be held at The Culver Studios. This represents almost twice the amount of entries received in previous years.
"I'm excited to be hosting The College Television Awards for the third time in a row," said Bergeron. "Although, it's ironic. When I was a student I never attended classes three times in a row!"
In 2008, Bergeron was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the new Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for his work on the ABC hit "Dancing with the Stars," which received Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Reality/Competition Program in 2006 and 2008. Bergeron also garnered four Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Game Show Host for "Hollywood Squares," sharing the award in 2000 with "The Price Is Right's" Bob Barker.
The College Television Awards has become a potent industry showcase for up-and-coming talent. In 2005, for instance, it handed out history-making top honors to two students for works that went onto receive Oscar nominations that year: Dan Krauss, a UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism student, for his documentary, "The Death of Kevin Carter"; and UCLA's Shane Acker for his animated film, "9."
Other student winners have also gone onto successful careers. Among them are Greg Berlanti, a 1994 College Television Award recipient for directing who went on to executive produce such acclaimed, award-winning shows as "Eli Stone," "Brothers & Sisters," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Everwood"; Shari Cookson, a 1981 College Television Award winner who in 1993 won the Directors Guild Award for her documentary, "Skinheads USA: Soldiers of the Race War," and subsequently received numerous Primetime Emmy nominations for her documentary and TV movie work; and, Jorge Gutierrez, a 2000 winner, now an acclaimed animation producer who most recently won an Annie for his animated series, "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera."
The College Television Awards recognize excellence in undergraduate and graduate student video/film productions in 12 categories: Animation, Children's, Comedy, Commercial, Documentary, Drama, Interactive Media, Magazine, Music (Best Use),
Music (Best Composition), Newscast and Series (Narrative). Top television industry professionals belonging to the Television Academy judge the College Television Awards entries online, facilitated by the Foundation's media partner, mtvU.
First-place student entries will be showcased free to the public the following day, Sunday, March 22, at the Foundation's College Television Awards Screening. It begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Television Academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation
Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation preserves and celebrates the history of the medium while educating and guiding those who will shape its future. Prominent among its many initiatives are the Archive of American Television, education programs such as the College Television Awards and its renowned student internship program, all of which utilize the resources of the Television Academy. For more information about the Foundation, its many programs and services, please visit www.emmysfoundation.org.
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Contact: Robin Mesger/ Lauren Kelcher/Michael Samonte
