CBS' The Amazing Race continued its Emmy dominance as it was awarded Outstanding Reality-competition Program honors during last night's live broadcast of the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was the fifth year in a row that The Amazing Race has captured the Outstanding Reality-competition Program award, and it remains the only show to win the award since the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences first created the category five years ago.
"We are so proud to win this again, it's extraordinary," said The Amazing Race creator and executive producer Bertram van Munster during his acceptance speech.
"I really want to thank also my phenomenal team, [without which] we could never do this, and the hundreds of people around the world - some of them don't speak... we can't even communicate with them - who help us produce this show in really very, very difficult and unusual circumstances, so, a lot of honor goes to the team and the people around the world that help us."
The Outstanding Reality-competition Program award -- which was presented during last night's live Fox broadcast by rapper Kanye West and The Office star Rainn Wilson -- brought The Amazing Race's Emmy win total to 10 Emmys since it was first eligible in 2002.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Amazing Race received five 2006-2007 Emmy Award nominations, and in addition to the Outstanding Reality-competition Program award, it also received the Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming and Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming awards at last Saturday's 2007 Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.
"Thanks to all the people at CBS and our fantastic viewers," said producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "Thanks so much, we love you."
The Amazing Race defeated Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, Top Chef and American Idol in the Outstanding Reality-competition Program category.
Dancing with the Stars received eight nominations from the Academy -- leading the 2006-2007 reality TV Emmy Awards nomination field a year after it received six nominations and claimed two awards in its first primetime season. However Dancing with the Stars was shut out in all eight of the categories it received nods in.
The Amazing Race's victory also dropped Project Runway's Emmy nomination record to 0 for 6 (the show has received three nominations during each of the last two years) and Top Chef to 0 for 2 (both of its nominations came this year).
ADVERTISEMENT
After going 0 for 22 without a single Emmy win to its credit since it was first eligible in 2003, Idol was finally able to capture the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special during last week's ceremony to end its losing streak. But Idol was still unable to overcome The Amazing Race in the Outstanding Reality-competition Program category.
The 2006-2007 season also saw the largest number of Emmys presented to reality shows in a single primetime season.
The Amazing Race took home three awards; Idol (the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special as well as the honorary Governors Award) and So You Think You Can Dance (Outstanding Choreography) each won two; and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (the Outstanding Reality Program category) captured one award, bringing the 2006-2007 total to eight and besting last year's total of five (when The Amazing Race received three and Dancing with the Stars was awarded two).
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio