MTV Honors Reality Programming Pioneer with 'The Real World Awards Bash: Roast 'Em and Toast 'Em' on Saturday, March 29

- Nominees to be Revealed on TRL This Week and Voting Begins at MTV.com Now Through February 29
- For the First Time, Roommates from 20 Seasons Will Gather Together in Los Angeles for Extravaganza, Including the New 'Hollywood' Cast

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 11, 2008 -- MTV celebrates the leader of reality by bringing together the roommates from every season for ''The Real World Awards Bash: Roast 'Em and Toast 'Em'' (http://realworldawards.mtv.com). Produced with Bunim-Murray Productions, MTV will premiere the first series awards show on Saturday, March 29, prior to the April premiere of the landmark 20th season, ''The Real World: Hollywood.'' The categories and nominees will be revealed on ''TRL'' today through Thursday, February 14, and viewers will decide who wins by casting their votes online.

Unlike the traditional award show, ''The Real World Awards Bash: Roast 'Em and Toast 'Em'' will combine elements from a roast event for a blow-out festivity of hijinks, hilarity and high-drama. The awards bash will focus on how ''The Real World'' influenced pop culture and created a trend in reality programming. Retrospective packages will highlight the funniest and most dramatic moments and show how the series has brought attention to socially- important causes, including AIDS, racism, homophobia, addiction, abortion and eating disorders. A tribute will be paid to Pedro Zamora, who gained President Clinton's support and died of AIDS the day following the last episode aired of ''The Real World: San Francisco,'' and to ''The Real World: San Diego'' cast member Frankie Abernathy, who lost her battle to cystic fibrosis last year. Based on viewer voting, the winners of each ''The Real World Bash'' award will be revealed. The special will tape in Los Angeles.

After seasons of talking amongst themselves about who are the cutest, funniest and nastiest, viewers now have a voice on MTV and will determine in an online voting poll at http://realworldawards.mtv.com the winners of the ''The Real World Bash'' awards. Now through February 29, The Real World Awards site allows viewers to vote as many times as they want in 13 different categories, including ''Best Meltdown,'' Best Fight,'' ''Hottest Male,'' Hottest Female,'' ''Favorite Love Story'' and ''Favorite Season.'' To better help people decide pictures of former roommates and video highlights will be available to review before casting votes. [Please note: the online site will roll out the 13 categories during the week of February 11-15 so viewers will need to check back to vote for all awards.]

''The Real World'' launched the modern reality television genre and is the longest-running reality series in history. Past seasons have taken place in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Miami, Boston, Seattle, Hawaii, New Orleans, Chicago, Las Vegas, Paris, San Diego, Philadelphia, Austin, Key West, Denver and Sydney. The first season, set in New York City, debuted in 1992. Each season, the show brings seven young strangers to live together in a new city and rolls the cameras 24-7, witnessing as their lives intersect, their ideas are challenged and their passions emerge.

''The Real World'' was created for MTV by Jon Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunim of Bunim-Murray Productions. Jon Murray, Jim Johnston and Audrey Morrissey serve as executive producers of ''The Real World Awards Bash: Roast 'Em and Toast 'Em.'' Scott Freeman is co-executive producer. Jacquelyn French and Drew Tappon are the MTV executives overseeing the project.

SOURCE MTV