
This is an interview of Andrew and Kristen from The American Reality Television Awards. Their answers are written below the questions.
Please introduce yourself, what your organization does, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
Our names are Kristen Moss and Andrew Ward and we are the creators of the American Reality Television Awards. We started the awards as a way to recognize the hard working professionals both on and off screen in Reality Television.
What we have discovered is that reality television has an unwarranted stigma surrounding it and our mission is to change that narrative. Reality television is real, raw and unapologetic.
It offers the viewer a glimpse into the lives of others which, in turn, brings the world a little closer together. Andrew and Kristen along with John Barra, our Co-EP and Talent Producer work tirelessly year round to stay ahead of the curve and always keep the audience entertained.
What makes you different from other television award organizations?
Andrew, Kristen and John created this show, not as awards’ producers, but as reality television industry professionals who wanted to develop a show to honor our colleagues.
They recognize the artistic integrity of the industry in a way that hadn’t been done before, offering fans a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes in reality TV. What’s fun about this awards show is that when the talent arrives, they are the actual characters that you have come to love watching on television. The talent were all cast for their personalities, looks, skills and “it” factor and the actual person has a lot to say!
Our red carpet at the live events is a wild fanfare of people from all walks of life; and they’re all fans of each other! From drag queens to kid cooks, ninjas to survivalists. Singers, dancers and even famous pets have taken part in our show and we can’t wait to get back to the live events to see it all unfold in person once again.
How did you come up with the idea for Reality Television Awards?
After starting out in casting in 2010, Kristen realized that there was no one awarded for finding great talent. After realizing that the rest of the industry also wasn’t recognized, she made it her mission to start an awards show that allowed the hardworking people who made up the industry to finally be recognized.
Andrew and Kristen partnered up in 2012, a year after Kristen moved to Los Angeles and a few months after Andrew made LA his new home. What started out as a Facebook post looking for someone to help him start a networking group, Andrew and Kristen came together in a fated way when Kristen wrote to Andrew with ideas and contacts to make Andrew’s vision come to life.
A year later, Andrew was making Kristen’s vision of the awards come to life and nine years later they are having the 8th Annual Awards show on July 7, 2021.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face with this venture and how did you overcome it?
They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery and we agree. In the past three years, two other awards’ shows honoring Reality Television have come to fruition. We have decided to continue forging our path, as we have always done. We plan to continue building our show and always stay one step ahead. We have big plans for the future live events as we continue our tradition of bringing recognition to the hardworking individuals on screen and behind the scenes.
What is your proudest moment for Reality Television Awards
There are many moments that stand out, and each year has its own set of “wow” happenings. The hall of fame award recipients have always been special to us as we have offered some big names in reality television an honor that they have never considered before. Leah Remini received her first ever award in our show, so her acceptance speech is hilarious and incredible. She has gone on to win a PGA award and two Emmys since then. We were the first to award RuPaul’s Drag Race. That show has, as well, gone on to receive multiple Emmy wins. The list goes on!
What is your biggest goal this year with your organization?
We hope to inspire more shows to get involved and we also hope to expand our Reality Television Academy and Board of Governors. Our goal is to have a Network pick up by the 10th Annual show.
You can check out their website here: www.realitytelevisionawards.com
Here is their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realityawardstv/
Here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RealityTVAwards/