‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ & Netflix Lead Critics Choice Real TV Award Nominations; Alex Trebek Set For Impact Award

Matt Grobar
·5 min read
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When nominations for the third annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards were announced on Wednesday, RuPaul’s Drag Race led with five.

At the award show, recognizing “excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programing across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms,” the long-running VH1 series is up for Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast In An Unscripted Series, Best Show Host (RuPaul), Male Star of the Year (RuPaul) and Female Star of the Year (Michelle Visage).

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Other series leading in noms this year, with three each, include Queer Eye (Netflix), Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN), Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu) and Top Chef (Bravo).

The leader this year among networks is Netflix, which scored 22 nominations. HBO / HBO Max (with 14) follows the streamer in nominations, along with Food Network / Food Network Kitchen (with six), VH1 (with six), National Geographic / Nat Geo WILD (with 5) and Discovery Channel / discovery+ (with 5).

At this year’s ceremony, the late Alex Trebek will be honored with the Impact Award, which recognizes an outstanding individual for career excellence, as well as the positive impact they’ve made on the world of nonfiction content. The beloved Jeopardy host, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in November of 2020, is specifically being recognized for “his longstanding commitment to the pursuit of excellence” and “his continual encouragement of curiosity.”

“As the number of platforms continues to grow, the quality of unscripted television programming has skyrocketed, and we are thrilled to be able to recognize so much great work, especially at the end of a year when this content was needed more than ever,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin in a statement. “We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s winners, and our most deserving Impact Award honoree Alex Trebek, later this month.”

Bob Bain and Joey Berlin are exec producing the Critics Choice Real TV Awards alongside NPACT’s Michelle Van Kempen.

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 here. All winners will be announced on Monday, June 21.

The full list of nominees can be found below:

BEST COMPETITION SERIES

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)

Top Chef (Bravo)

Tough as Nails (CBS)

BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY

American Idol (ABC)

Legendary (HBO Max)

The Masked Singer (Fox)

The Voice (NBC)

World of Dance (NBC)

BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES

Crikey! It’s the Irwins (discovery+)

Deaf U (Netflix)

Lenox Hill (Netflix)

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)

The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)

BEST STRUCTURED SERIES

A World of Calm (HBO Max)

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)

History of Swear Words (Netflix)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)

BEST BUSINESS SHOW

Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network)

Shark Tank (ABC)

Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis (CNBC)

Undercover Billionaire (Discovery Channel and discovery+)

Wahl Street (HBO Max)

BEST SPORTS SHOW

30 for 30 (ESPN)

Defying Gravity (YouTube Originals)

Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix)

Peyton’s Places (ESPN+)

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)

Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix)

Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)

The Ripper (Netflix)

The Vow (HBO)

Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES

American Masters (PBS)

Dear … (Apple TV+)

Frontline (PBS)

POV (PBS)

The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth (Showtime)

The Vow (HBO)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV+)

Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix)

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)

Love Fraud (Showtime)

Murder on Middle Beach (HBO)

Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)

BEST SHORT FORM SERIES

First Person (Snapchat)

Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines (MasterClass)

Lady Parts (ellentube)

OWN Your Vote (NowThis and OWN social channels)

Ready Jet Cook (Food Network Kitchen)

BEST LIVE SHOW

A special winner will be announced on June 21.

BEST CULINARY SHOW

Amy Schumer Learns to Cook (Food Network)

Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (discovery+)

Nailed It! (Netflix)

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)

Top Chef (Bravo)

BEST GAME SHOW

25 Words or Less (Fox/Syndicated)

Jeopardy! (CBS Television/Syndicated)

Supermarket Sweep (ABC)

Weakest Link (NBC)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)

BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW

Men in Kilts (Starz)

Running Wild with Bear Grylls (National Geographic)

Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)

The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network)

BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW

Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix)

Secrets of the Whales (Disney+ / National Geographic)

That Animal Rescue Show (Paramount+)

The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo WILD)

Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)

BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW

Haute Dog (HBO Max)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Shine True (Fuse)

Skin Decision: Before and After (Netflix)

Stylish with Jenna Lyons (HBO Max)

BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW

90 Day Fiancé (TLC)

Couples Therapy (Showtime)

Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)

Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)

My Love: Six Stories of True Love (Netflix)

BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW

House Hunters International (HGTV)

Martha Knows Best (HGTV)

Property Brothers: Forever Home (HGTV)

Rock the Block (HGTV)

Selling Sunset (Netflix)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES

Top Chef (Bravo)

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Crikey! It’s The Irwins (discovery+)

The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount+)

BEST SHOW HOST

RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Oprah Winfrey – The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)

Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)

Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)

John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)

Guy Fieri – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)

Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR

Nicole Byer – Nailed It! (Netflix)

Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)

Michelle Visage – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)

Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM

Discovery+

Disney+

HBO Max

Hulu

National Geographic

Netflix

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION

The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC)

Jigsaw Productions

Renegade 83

Sharp Entertainment

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