Nominations Announced for the 18th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards

NEW YORK, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), today announced nominees for the 2012 NAMIC Vision Awards.  Now in its 18th year, the awards recognize original, multi-platform television programming that depicts the lives, spirit and contributions of people of color and best reflects the diversity of the global viewing audience.

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Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., encompassing CNN and its brand of networks, TBS and TNT, garnered 13 nominations to lead all contenders vying for this year's NAMIC Vision Awards.  BET Networks and BET International collectively, earned nine nominations. ESPN and ESPN Deportes, earned a total of seven nods, with HBO also receiving seven.  Other top nominated networks include the newly launched OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with five nominations; Scripps Networks Interactive and Universal Television each garnered four. 

BET Networks, TNT and Universal Television dominated the Comedy and Drama award categories.  BET Networks' "Reed Between the Lines" was this year's top nominated program, garnering Best Performance – Comedy nods for series co-stars, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Tracee Ellis Ross.  "Reed Between the Lines" also received a nomination in the Comedy category.  Additionally, Best Performance – Comedy nominees include Luis Guzman, "How to Make It in America" (HBO), Maya Rudolph for "Up All Night" (Universal Television), and Tasha Smith for "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse" (TBS).  In addition to "Reed Between the Lines," programs rounding out the Comedy category are: "30 Rock" (Universal Television), "Are We There Yet" (TBS), "Glee" (Fox Broadcasting Company), "Let's Stay Together" (BET Networks), and "The Game" (BET Networks).

TNT led the Best Performance – Drama category with Andre Braugher and Lisa Gay Hamilton garnering nominations for "Men of a Certain Age," Regina King for "Southland," and Jada Pinkett-Smith for "Hawthorne."  Jenifer Lewis and Rosario Dawson were also recognized for their performances in Lifetime's "Five."  This year's Drama category nominees are: "Army Wives" (ABC Studios), "Treme" (HBO), "Southland" (TNT), "Law & Order: SVU" and "Parenthood" (Universal Television).  

Founded in 1994 by NAMIC – Southern California, the 2012 NAMIC Vision Awards are presented in 15 categories: Best Performance – Comedy, Best Performance – Drama, Children's, Comedy, Digital Media – Short Form, Digital Media – Long Form, Documentary, Drama, Foreign Language, Lifestyle, News/Informational, Original Movie or Special, Reality, Sports and Variety/Talk Show.  Winning programs will be showcased via the online event format with the unveiling of the 2012 NAMIC Vision Awards Winners Gallery.  Starting in mid-April, :60 second clips of the winning entries in each of the 15 categories may be viewed at http://www.namic.com.   Additionally, NAMIC members will have the opportunity to cast their votes for the NAMIC Members' Choice Award and select their favorite program from the field of winning entries.

"As television viewers become increasingly multi-ethnic and culturally diverse, through the Vision Awards, we are pleased to continue recognizing those entities committed to programming that best reflects the full spectrum of the global audience that our industry serves," said Mitchell Christopher, president, NAMIC – Southern California, and vice president, Operations, Time Warner Cable. 

The NAMIC Vision Awards competition extends eligibility to national broadcast and cable networks; local affiliates; local origination programs from cable operators; and VOD content produced for digital platforms.  Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of entertainment industry executives.  Judging is focused on overall imagery (creative merit, originality, and presentation quality), sensitivity (the consideration given to cultural nuances), writing (the depiction of issues relevant to people of color) and the quality of acting in the performance categories.

A complete list of nominees for the 2012 NAMIC Vision Awards follows.  For more information, visit www.namic.com or contact Sandra Girado, director of Meetings and Events, at the NAMIC national headquarters, 212-594-5985.

ABOUT NAMIC

NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises over 2,600 professionals belonging to a network of 16 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and DiversityLive: The Business > Social NAMIC Network.

SOURCE NAMIC