'30 Rock,' 'Toy Story 3,' 'Saturday Night Live,' 'Ricky Gervais: Out Of England 2,' 'Modern Family,' 'South Park' and 'Late Show With David Letterman' Among the Nominees in First Annual 'The Comedy Awards'

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nominations for the first annual "The Comedy Awards" were announced today by COMEDY CENTRAL and MTV Networks, both divisions of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).  "The Comedy Awards" is the first-ever multi-network, multi-platform, annual event dedicated to honoring and celebrating the world of comedy. Airing on Sunday, April 10, "The Comedy Awards" has garnered support from some of the most iconic names in comedy history.

The nominees reflect a broad range of comedic talent in film, television, stand-up, animation and digital content. "30 Rock" leads the television categories with seven nominations, with "The Office" and "Modern Family" each scoring four nominations.  These three hit shows are up against cult favorites, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Eastbound & Down" in the "COMEDY SERIES" category. "Easy A," "Cyrus" and "Kick-Ass" received the most recognition for comedy films with four nominations each and are joined by "Get Him to the Greek" and "The Other Guys" in the "COMEDY FILM" category.

Nominees were selected by the prestigious "The Comedy Awards" Board of Directors, which include: James Burrows, Stephen Colbert, Billy Crystal, James Dixon, Whoopi Goldberg, Brad Grey, Caroline Hirsch, Martin Lesak, Seth MacFarlane, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Conan O'Brien, Peter Principato, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Phil Rosenthal, Michael Rotenberg, George Schlatter, Sharon Sheinwold Jackson, Mitzi Shore, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin and Sandy Wernick.

The winners of each category will be chosen by an invitation-only voting body comprised of nearly 1000 members from the comedy community – including writers, producers, performers and directors.

"The Comedy Awards" will also feature a "BEST VIRAL ORIGINAL" category, giving the power of the vote to the public. Beginning today, fans can submit their favorite viral videos of the year at www.thecomedyawards.com.  Official nominees will be announced later this month and fans can return to the site to vote to determine the final winner.  Follow "The Comedy Awards" on Twitter @thecomedyawards.

Following is the list of final nominees:

Below are reactions from some of the nominees:

• "It is an honor to be nominated for my stand up at this, the first-ever 'The Comedy Awards'.  In 68 years time, I intend to host it and get it cancelled," Ricky Gervais
• "Just what America needs: another awards show.  How many tickets do I get?," Homer Simpson
• "My special is called 'Whitney Cummings: Money Shot,' so I'm just glad I didn't get nominated for an AVN award.  I'd say it's cool that I'm the only girl nominated but then again I'm not sure how many people consider me a girl," Whitney Cummings

In addition to the launch of "The Comedy Awards," MTV Networks and COMEDY CENTRAL have initiated the previously announced The American Comedy Fund, a partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to establish the first-ever charitable fund dedicated exclusively to supporting the comedy community in times of need. The American Comedy Fund will be administered by EIF with The Actors Fund and Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF), responsible for providing social services and financial assistance to those comedians who qualify.  Without a union, guild, or other protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive.  The American Comedy Fund will provide much-needed financial assistance, health benefits and other resources for comedic performers across the country during times of need, crisis or transition.  Donations to The American Comedy Fund are now being accepted at www.thecomedyawards.com/fund.

To learn more about The American Comedy Fund and each of its esteemed partners visit the following websites: Entertainment Industry Foundation www.eifoundation.org, Motion Picture & Television Fund www.mptvfund.org and The Actors Fund www.actorsfund.org.  Don Mischer Productions' Don Mischer and Charlie Haykel, alongside Casey Patterson, EVP, event production, MTVN Entertainment Group, are the executive producers.  Juliane Hare is the producer.

"The Comedy Awards" are sponsored by Craftsman, Geico, Microsoft and Pizza Hut.

About COMEDY CENTRAL

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 95 million homes nationwide.  COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks.  COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com.  For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products.  The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Shockwave, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, and GameTrailers.  

SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications