Awards & Recognition News (Page 5)

Couch potatoes, unite! Vote for Grey's Anatomy!

Seriously, do it. We're talking about the 2006 E! Online Tater Top Awards, the only awards show in Hollywood that's both for, and decided by, the TV die-hards. You, Grey's fans, have a highly important job. To ensure that every Golden Tater makes its way into the hands of a cast member or someone associated with our favorite show.

The nominations for the 2006 Tater Tops are in, and you have until June 23 to choose what you found most fantastic and heartbreakingly bad about the 2005-06 season. Everything from "Biggest Shocker" to "Best Kiss" and "Best Drama" to "Moment That Made You Want to Throw Out Your TV" is up for an award.

When the winners are declared, E! Online will send out actual Golden Tater Trophies to the recipients, which the cast members, producers and writers will surely treasure for life. This year's 130 nominations in 26 categories were compiled from more than 20,000 emails from fans sent in over the last two weeks. Here's the list of the biggest nomination-getters:

• Grey's Anatomy, 23
• Lost, 12
• The Office, 11
• Veronica Mars, 10
• Scrubs, 6

Yes, 23 nods for Grey's Anatomy! The beloved Seattle Grace gang received so many votes for "Best Bitch," that, reportedly, a separate category had to be created. Now vote! Follow the link above and spread the Grey's love!

Sandra Oh was honored by a leading Asian-American theater group, according to today's San Jose Mercury-News. The East West Players have selected Oh to receive their Visionary Award, which is presented to artists who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American community through film, television and theater. The award was presented at a dinner Monday night.

Oh plays the technically proficient, emotionally challenged and thoroughly hilarious surgical intern Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy. Having won the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a TV drama, as well as the Screen Actors Guild's award for Best Female Actress, she is the most decorated of the show's stellar and diverse cast.

Grey's Anatomy was given this year's Future Classic Award for 2005 at last night's TV Land Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Creator and Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes, along with the show's cast, accepted the honor on behalf of the show. The award, unveiled by TV Land in 1998 and presented annually, recognizes the new show from the past calendar year which best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging phenomenon that will endure for years.

Upon receiving the award, Rhimes (pictured below) was ecstatic.

"We are honored that TV Land has chosen Grey's Anatomy as their Future Classic Award recipient," she said. "TV Land has quickly established itself as a great home for the most loved series to air on television. As we continue to build upon a great start to Grey's Anatomy, we are thrilled to be honored by this institution and look forward to one day joining their elite lineup of fantastic television shows."

Larry W. Jones, President of TV Land and Nick at Nite, had this to say:

"Grey's Anatomy embodies the qualities of a true television classic. The show's complex and emotional storyline, as well as its amazing cast has made it one of the most important television shows to come along in years. TV Land would like to thank ABC, Shonda Rhimes and the entire cast and crew for making every episode a weekly event we look forward to with anticipation."

Hopefully this is not a jinx. Historically, the actual enduring success of past Future Classic Award winners is mixed. Past winners:

• 1998: Sports Night
• 1999: The Sopranos
• 2000: Scrubs
• 2001: Malcolm in the Middle
• 2002: American Dreams
• 2003: Arrested Development
• 2004: Desperate Housewives

An interesting group. One that Grey's Anatomy can most certainly hang with. While it's too early to say for sure, we're confident that Shonda and her co-producers will be bringing us great drama and comedy for years to come.

The Oscars are considered the most prestigious awards in Hollywood - but others can be more meaningful, presented for causes that go beyond mere entertainment. Last week, for instance, The Abe Burrows Entertainment Award was presented to Grey's Anatomy at the Alzheimer's Association 14th annual fundrasier.

It was presented by actor, William H. Macy.

"My papa, William H. Macy Sr., has Alzheimer's. And one of the boldest and bravest characters on Grey's Anatomy is a surgeon battling this disease."

He was referring, of course, to the struggle of Meredith Grey in dealing with her mother's disease and secret.

"This award is particularly meaningful because it speaks to something that we're trying to do that is truly good and positive," said show creator Shonda Rhimes as she stood on stage with members of the cast, "That is, to give viewers a look at a debilitating and fatal disease that is impacting an increasing number of people."

The 1,000 people attending the benefit contributed $1.1 million to the Alzheimer's Association to fund research, support groups and educational programs.