VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race and Netflix’s Cheer have each received five nominations for the 2020 Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards, which will also honor Survivor host Jeff Probst with the Impact Award. RuPaul and his Drag Race franchise are no strangers to awards, having accumulated a total of 29 nominations – and 13 wins – at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Over the years, Survivor has received 61 Emmy nominations, but only won seven of those awards. Currently, RuPaul and Jeff Probst are tied in first place in the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program category at the Emmys, as each host has won four times.
The annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards have been awarded since 2011 by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). Last year, the CCA held the first-ever Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards, which honors nonfiction TV shows. On that inaugural event, RuPaul’s Drag Race led in the number of nominations (six), but the show only won in one category. Queer Eye soared as the biggest winner of the night (four wins), with The Late Late Show With James Corden coming in as a close second (three wins).
This year, Cheer and RuPaul’s Drag Race are leading the Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards nominations, as each show will compete in five categories. Cheer has been nominated for Limited Documentary Series, Sports Show, Unstructured Series, Male Star of the Year (Jerry Harris), and Female Star of the Year (Monica Aldama). The RuPaul’s Drag Race nominations are for Show Host, Competition Series, Ensemble Cast in Unscripted Series, Male Star of the Year (RuPaul), and Female Star of the Year (Michelle Visage). Cheer and RuPaul’s Drag Race will only compete against one another in the Male Star and Female Star categories, which are the two Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards that will be based on public voting.
Other 2020 Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards nominations include Netflix’s Queer Eye competing in four categories and Showtime’s Couples Therapy competing in three. When it comes to networks with the most nominations, Netflix leads the pack with 31. ABC, CBS, VH1, and Bravo are tied in second place, as each of those networks has received six nominations. Moreover, new ‘streaming wars’ challenger Disney+ was nominated four times, three of which were in the Structured Series category.
Having the most nominations at an awards show is not a perfect forecaster that the given project or cast will win the most awards during the actual ceremony. However, given the huge momentum behind Cheer and RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2020, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if these shows do win most of the awards they have been nominated for. Results for the 2020 Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards will be announced by the CCA on June 29.
