‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and Netflix Lead 2021 Critics Choice Real TV Awards Nominations

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“Ted Lasso” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” are among the first batch of this year’s Peabody Award winners.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“RuPaul’s Drag Race” led all programs at this year’s virtual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, with two nods — for best competition series and best ensemble cast in an unscripted series.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will take place next year on February 27, 2022. That was the date originally reserved for the 94th Academy Awards — but with the Oscars moving to March 27, the SAG Awards will now fill that date.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAnd yet, it was quite deflating to see the recent report “The Prevalence and Portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders Across 1,300 Films,” which found that just 44 of those films featured an API lead or co-star.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe loophole that allowed docs to somehow compete in both Oscars and Emmys was always a bit bizarre. It couldn’t happen in scripted, where the rules have been ironclad: If you were released theatrically first, you’re a movie; if you’re on television, you’re, well, TV.In documentary, though, it’s often TV outlets such as HBO, PBS or Nat Geo commissioning and funding the projects to air on their networks — making them, arguably, TV projects.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Television Academy first expanded the short form categories in 2016, buoyed by the promise of original fare from Maker Studios, Fullscreen, AwesomenessTV, YouTube Red, Adult Swim and others. Maker and Fullscreen basically don’t exist anymore, and the excitement of the short form races has perhaps further cooled after the Quibi debacle.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“I May Destroy You,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Killing Eve” were among the top winners as the Banff World Media Festival revealed the winners to this year’s Rockie Awards International Program Competition. Announced Tuesday via a live, streamed virtual event, this year’s Rockie Awards saw the United Kingdom take home the most kudos, with 11, followed by the United States with ten.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeGreetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is June 14, 2021, which means it’s 3 days until nomination-round voting starts on June 17; 11 days until the Daytime Emmys telecast on June 25; 14 days until nomination-round voting ends on June 28; 29 days until nominations are announced on July 13; 66 days until final-round voting starts on Aug. 19; and 97 days until the Primetime Emmys telecast on Sept.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeJon & Vinny’s is offering pizza with extra chess this weekend. As part of Netflix’s For Your Consideration campaign for its limited series “The Queen’s Gambit,” the streamer has partnered with the popular local pizza chain to hand out custom pizza boxes promoting the show’s awards hopes.As part of the campaign, the Jon & Vinny’s green and white cardboard pizza boxes have been redesigned into chess boards.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Denver-based TV festival SeriesFest is once again going virtual this year, unveiling a lineup of events that include the world premiere of Peacock’s docuseries “Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell,” as well as conversations with guests including actors Jennifer Garner and Mark Duplass, and YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl, and panels dissecting “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” and much more.The seventh year of the event, dubbed

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“NBA on TNT” helped give the WarnerMedia-owned network a big lift over its competitors at this year’s 42nd Annual Sports Emmys. Announced late Tuesday, this year TNT won the most Sports Emmys of any single outlet, with 7 — followed closely by ESPN, which earned six.If corporate entities are combined, then the ESPN triumvirate of ESPN, ESPN Plus and ESPN Deportes actually landed the most wins, with five.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargePublic broadcaster KCET once again led all local TV stations in nominations for the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, announced on Tuesday by the Television Academy. KCET landed 23 nods this year overall, up from 20 last year.

UPDATED, 11:15 AM: Sheryl Underwood is set to host the 48th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, NATAS said today. It will mark The Talk co-host’s fifth time hosting the trophy show.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeCBS is sticking with “The Talk” talent to host this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards, but with a twist: This year, Sheryl Underwood will handle solo duties. The Eye network announced on Tuesday that Underwood will host the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which airs on Friday, June 25 at 8 p.m.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeGreetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is June 7, 2021, which means it’s 10 days until nomination-round voting starts on June 17; 18 days until the Daytime Emmys telecast on June 25; 21 days until nomination-round voting ends on June 28; 36 days until nominations are announced on July 13; 73 days until final-round voting starts on Aug. 19; and 104 days until the Primetime Emmys telecast on Sept. 19.The first weekend of June was truly an FYC

The critics are having their say about the best in non-fiction TV this year.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThose sweatpants you’ve been wearing the past 14 months are comfy, no doubt about it. But it may be time to dust off that formal wear — or at least see if it still fits.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeA few weeks ago, James Corden, his band and his writers were having a laugh about a new hotel chain that superstar music producer Pharrell Williams was opening. That led them down the rabbit hole of discussing what celebrity they’d actually like to see open a hotel.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeMacchio first reprised his signature role as “The Karate Kid,” the now all-grown-up Daniel LaRusso, when “Cobra Kai” debuted on YouTube in 2018. Critics embraced the show and its smart take on what happened to Daniel and his former rival, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) — as did fans of the original 1980s franchise.