Awards & Recognition News (Page 4)

The cast of Grey's Anatomy tops Entertainment Weekly's list of the year's top entertainers because of their cultural impact, the magazine said.

The year-end issue of Entertainment Weekly hits U.S. newsstands starting Friday with its widely watched lists of the year's top picks in movies, music, TV, books and many other categories.

Entertainment Weekly said the cast of Grey's Anatomy - McDreamy, McSteamy and all the others - led the chart of top entertainers because they had a cultural impact beyond their show's roughly 20 million weekly viewers. In addition, the episodes - filled with sexual affairs and career problems - sparked chatter around offices, schools and homes across the U.S.

"Grey's Anatomy isn't just a show, it's a phenomenon," said Entertainment Weekly Executive Editor Lori Majewski.

"Back in May when last season's final show aired, every place in New York City was empty. You could get a table at the best restaurants."

Congrats to the Grey's Anatomy cast from the Insider!

The nominations for the Golden Globe Awards have been announced, with the best TV series drama nominees consisting of 24, Big Love, Heroes, Lost and best of all, Grey's Anatomy.

Nominees for best actor in a dramatic TV series are Patrick Dempsey of Grey's Anatomy, Michael C. Hall for Dexter, Hugh Laurie for House, Bill Paxton for Big Love and Kiefer Sutherland for 24.

Vying for best actress in a drama series are Patricia Arquette for Medium, Edie Falco for The Sopranos, Evangeline Lily for Lost, Ellen Pompeo for Grey's Anatomy and Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer.

Up for the award of best supporting actress in a drama series are Emily Blunt for Gideon's Daughter, Toni Collette in Tsunami, The Aftermath, our own Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy, Sarah Paulson for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Elizabeth Perkins of Weeds.

Congratulations go out to Ellen, Patrick and Katherine - and to the rest of the Grey's Anatomy cast, without whom the best drama series nomination would never have been possible.

ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Lost were among the five drama nominees, while NBC's My Name Is Earl and The Office were among the five comedy contenders as the Producers Guild of America announced the TV list for its annual awards Monday.

Fox also drew two nominations for the dramas House and 24. The Sopranos (HBO) rounded out the drama list. Other comedy nominees were Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Arrested Development (Fox) and Weeds (Showtime).

In non-fiction television, nominees included The Amazing Race and 60 Minutes (CBS), American Idol (Fox), Dancing with the Stars (ABC), and Project Runway (Bravo).

And in variety TV, the nominees were The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

The Producers Guild will hold its 2007 awards gala on January 20 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. Nominations in motion picture categories will be announced January 4.

The nominations for the People's Choice Awards were announced Tuesday at the Peninsula Hotel by Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, and Grey's Anatomy stars Isaiah Washington and Kate Walsh (below).

Internet research firm Knowledge Networks called on pop culture fans to help determine the nominees. The public can help choose the winners online HERE. The awards presentation will be broadcast on CBS from the Shrine Auditorium on January 9.

The shows up for top TV drama are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, its Thursday rival, Grey's Anatomy, and Fox's hit House, M.D.

Nominated for top male star are our own Patrick Dempsey, Charlie Sheen, and Kiefer Sutherland. Don't forget to vote!

When VH1 honors winners in categories that captured the year in music, news, politics, arts and gossip during its fifth annual "VH1 Big In '06 Awards," our own Katherine Heigl will be among the nominees!

The year-end celebration will premiere on Sunday, December 3 at 8 p.m. from the Sony Stages in Los Angeles. VH1 is once again letting viewers choose who this year's winners will be. Viewers can vote for each category online as of yesterday, and running through December 1.

Katherine is nominated in the strangely-titled BIG "IT" GIRL category, and finds herself up against three formidable foes whose fresh young faces were simply unavoidable this year:

• Vanessa Mannillo
• America Ferrara
• Katharine McPhee
• Katherine Heigl

Katherine is "it" in our minds, that's for sure. She's certainly proven it with her great portrayal of Izzie Stevens both last season and this season.
Another Grey's Anatomy star, Patrick Dempsey is also nominated in the award show's BIG TV STAR category. Nice work, team!

Performers, presenters and special guests will be announced as they are confirmed. Be sure to cast your vote at VH1.com!

What other show would lead off coverage of Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV Preview? Come on now. 

With Patrick Dempsey on the cover and a feature article inside, detailing a few Grey's Anatomy spoilers, along with insight from the cast, this is a must-have for all fans. We'll review a few of the memorable points/quotes from the piece:

• Early in the season three premiere (airing September 21!), the following exchange takes place after Alex questions Callie about her relationship with George:

''She's a resident,'' Dr, Bailey says. ''She outranks you. You don't ask her personal questions.'' It's a line that would sound perfectly reasonable on any other doctor drama - not here. After wrapping the scene, Chandra Wilson smiles and cracks, '''Not talking about our personal lives? At Seattle Grace? Come on.'

• Dempsey on the dilemma Grey's encounters as it moves to Thursday nights:

''We're at a fork in the road. People are aware of what's happened to other shows [in their sophomore seasons] and what the traps can be. As long as we stay true to the essence of the first season, the show will have a strong place in history. Otherwise, we're just a flash in the pan."

• Ellen Pompeo on realizing just how HUGE the show had become:

'When I got invited on Oprah I thought, Whoa, okay, this is big. I feel really lucky - all of us realize how difficult it is to get the stars to align.''

• Writer Tony Phelan got a first-ear look at how dedicated followers of the show can be when he received a certain phone call after the season finale in May.

''Is this Tony Phelan? The Tony Phelan who writes Grey's Anatomy?'' Figuring it was someone from ABC calling to congratulate him on good ratings for the episode (which he and his wife, Joan Rater, had co-written with Rhimes), he said yes. Then the caller exclaimed, ''How could you kill Denny?'

Ah, yes, The Insider has received similar complaints. Fortunately for rabid and new fans alike, less than three weeks remain until answers to their most pressing Seattle Grace questions are answered.

The action series 24, which turns one dangerous day into a season, ended Sunday with a bang as it won the Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series and best lead actor (Kiefer Sutherland, right).

Our beloved Grey's Anatomy, meanwhile, was almost shut out despite being considered a favorite in some categories.

Despite an impressive 11 nominations, Grey's picked up just one award, for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. Supporting actress nominees Chandra Wilson and Sandra Oh lost out to Huff's Blythe Danner, while writers Shonda Rhimes and Krista Vernoff were trumped by The Sopranos' scribes. Memorable guest stars Christina Ricci, Kate Burton and Kyle Chandler also came up short in their respective efforts.

In the end, though, who really cares? As far as the Insider is concerned, the exclusive poll on this site is the only thing that matters. Grey's fans know this show is top-notch and don't need any extra validation.

For the record, we watched the "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" repeat last night instead of the stupid Emmys. Who needs 'em? We were happy with our decision, as the episode was really good the second time.

NOTE: Anyone who saw the hilarious clips for the Season 3 premiere during the end credits last night, please share your impressions in our forum.

All was not lost, however. Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo presented early in the broadcast, and our beloved Dr. McDreamy was certainly dressed to impress. Here's a picture of the man we know and love from last night. You can thank us by leaving comments.

Oddsmakers are saying Grey's Anatomy is the heavy favorite to win the coveted award for Outstanding Drama Series award at Sunday's Emmy Awards.

If Grey's were to take home the crown, it would dethrone the newly-departed The West Wing in its bid for a record fifth term as prime time TV's best drama.

In addition to the classic presidential series, Grey's faces stiff competition from the critically acclaimed Fox network spy thriller, 24. Thus far, critics and fans like Grey's chances. The two remaining nominees are considered long shots in this year's Emmy drama race -- the Fox hospital show House and HBO's gangster hit and past Emmy winner, The Sopranos.

Sunday's Emmys are being closely watched by the TV industry as a test of new nomination rules designed to give newcomers, lesser-rated series and smaller networks a better shot at the major categories.

One group of TV critics taking part in an odds-making poll posted on the Los Angeles Times' entertainment site, The Envelope, picked Grey's Anatomy to narrowly edge out 24. The two shows lead the way in total nominations this year, with 24 snaring an even dozen and Grey's 11.

The most our beloved show could possibly win is nine, however, with Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson (left) both up for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes going up against fellow writer Krista Vernoff for top scribe honors.

Adding an extra bit of drama to the show is the fact the ABC plans to air the blockbuster film Pirates of Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl opposite the NBC telecast, even as its medical drama looks poised to claim the top prize. Some have criticized the move, though ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson insists he scheduled the film before the Emmy nominees were revealed.

Not that we advocate you bet money on Grey's, but here are the official odds for the Outstanding Drama Series category, according to docsports.com:

• Grey's Anatomy -- 5/14
• 24 -- 4/1
• House -- 13/1
• The West Wing -- 33/1
• The Sopranos -- 33/1

According to this oddsmaker, a $10 bet on 24 would win you $40. You'd have to bet $14 just to win $5 on Grey's Anatomy, however, making it the prohibitive favorite. Here's hoping this prediction comes true -- maybe our poll isn't that far off the mark after all!

Grey's Anatomy took home the prize for Program of the Year at the 22nd annual Television Critics Association Awards, the Hollywood Gossip reports.

The ceremony was held last night at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif., as part of the group's annual summer press tour. Hopefully, this bodes well for Dr. Burke and company at the upcoming Emmy Awards. After a terrific second season, Grey's Anatomy is up for 11 honors at the gala.

Other big winners named by the TCA included The Office, which won for comedy series and for star Steve Carell, and ABC's Lost, which picked up its second consecutive TCA win for drama series despite being largely excluded from the upcoming Emmys. Hugh Laurie of Fox's House was in the same boat, snubbed this year by Emmy nominators but winning his second consecutive individual drama achievement award from the TCA. NBC's My Name Is Earl was voted new program of the year by the group.

The nominees for the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been released and Grey's Anatomy garnered an impressive number of nominations -- 11 -- ranking just behind the dozen earned by 24. Both shows are nominated for top Outstanding Drama Series along with The West Wing, House and The Sopranos.

The awards will be handed out August 27 on NBC. Among the Grey's Anatomy nominees are two principal cast members, a trio of memorable guest stars, and a pair of writers whose creative influence has been the driving force behind the show's soaring popularity. Here's the full list of awards the show us up for...

1. Outstanding Drama Series
2. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
3. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey (right)
4. Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series -- Kyle Chandler as Dylan Young
5. Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series -- Kate Burton as Dr. Ellis Grey
6. Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series -- Christina Ricci as Hannah Davies
7. Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series -- Shonda Rhimes, "It's the End of the World / As We Know It" (Parts I & II)
8. Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series -- Krista Vernoff, "Into You Like a Train"
9. Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
10. Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Non-Prosthetic)
11. Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Prosthetic)

Hoping for a more diverse slate of nominees than in years past, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (which oversees the Emmys), nominated a handful of old and new favorites but not the last year's major winners. Lost and Desperate Housewives were nowhere to be found in the major acting categories or the best series nominations for their respective genres.

While it's disappointing that Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington weren't nominated for Outstanding Actor, it's nice to see Sandra and Chandra get recognized. Guest stars Christina Ricci (with Ellen Pompeo, left) and Kyle Chandler, both of whom starred in the two-part episode following the Super Bowl, made quite the impression on voters -- as did Kate Burton's recurring portrayal of Dr. Ellis Grey. Series creator Shonda Rhimes is also up for top writing honors for the two-part "Code Black" drama, which sparked the show's mid-season ratings climb.

Here's hoping for an Emmy sweep... or close to it. The most awards Grey's Anatomy could actually take home would be eight, as three categories have multiple nominees! Congratulations to all!