And the Emmy Goes to ... Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday, September 16, 2007, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Five television programs, both critically acclaimed and popular programs, will compete for the award of Outstanding Reality-Competition Program. To compete in this category, a series must have produced at least three episodes, or have been a television special. Any game show or any program that awards a prize or is a contest can be submitted for consideration in this category.

The nominees for the 2007 Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program are:

American Idol

American Idol is a singing competition, where contestants perform in front of a live audience. They critiqued by a panel of judges - the now-renown trio of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. Each week, the television viewing audience votes via phone for their favorite contestant. The performer or performers (depending at what point of the competition they are at) with the least number of votes is eliminated each week.

Dancing With The Stars

Dancing With The Stars is a dance competition, pairing a celebrity and professional dancer. These dancing pairs perform for a live audience, receive feedback from a panel of judges, and the television viewing audience votes via phone for their favorite team. The team with the least number of votes is eliminated each week.

Project Runway

Project Runway pits individual fashion designers against each other in weekly challenges. A model wears each designer's piece down a runway, in front of a panel of judges each week. The judges decide which contestant is eliminated each week.

The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race features two-person teams traveling around the world, completing different tasks (some strategic, some physical) to arrive at each destination. There are sometimes judges present to ensure a task is completed correctly, but there is not a panel nor is there an audience. Most weeks, the team that arrives last is eliminated. The team that reaches the final destination first is the winner.

Top Chef

Top Chef features a cast of chefs who are assigned meals to prepare each week. There is a panel of professional judges, made of up chefs and culinary experts, who decide which contestant is eliminated each week. There is no studio audience.

While American Idol continues to be a Nielsen Ratings favorite each year, The Amazing Race has dominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Since the category's inception in 2003, The Amazing Race has won every year, beating fan-favorite American Idol. With a solid competitive format, that requires thought, skill, and physical prowess, without all the glitz of celebrities and flash-in-the-pan stars, The Amazing Race is truly a people's competition, and deserves to win the award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program once again!