Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Honors Next Generation of Industry Leaders with Scholarships, Celebrity Presenters

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s 32nd Annual College Television Awards gave nominees the all-star Hollywood treatment with a special event at the Renaissance Hotel hosted by Mary Lynn Rajskub of “24” fame. On April 9, undergraduate and graduate work was honored in several categories, including Animation, Drama and Newscast, as well as some very special awards for industry veterans.

“The College Television Awards is the country’s premier exposure opportunity for television’s next generation of leaders,” said Norma Provencio Pichardo, Executive Director of the Television Academy Foundation. “Past winners have gone on to successful careers in television, and have even won Primetime Emmy Awards. This competition opens many doors for talented student producers.”

First place winners in each category were awarded $2,000, with second place receiving $100 and third taking $500 home. Several of the winning pieces will be featured on mtvu.com.

Each category was presented in a decked out banquet hall to the winner in front of their college peers and their television idols. These idols also served as official award presenters, all recognizing the importance in honoring the next generation of talent.

Drew Roy (“Fallen Skies”) & Aldis Hodge (“Leverage”) presented Best Animation to Ting Chian Tey, of Academy of Art University for his piece “Bridge.”

Roy celebrated a breakout role with this year’s feature film “Secretariat” and recalled the experience of finding out he had the job and being flown out to shoot his most pivotal scene with Diane Lane the very next day. Now, he’s getting ready for the June premiere of the sci-fi series “Fallen Skies,” where he plays Hall Mason.

“He’s a little bit of a hot head, a little bit of a rebel, but in a good way,” Roy told LA’s The Place. “He’s kind of like any teenager, very gung ho in finding his little brother who was taken by aliens.”

Presenting in the Animation category, Roy revealed his favorite animated film to be Disney/Pixar’s “Up.”

Hodge also has a special place in his heart for recent animated fare like “Megamind” but enjoys classic anime the most. He’s even participated in voicing characters before.

“I am a big fan of animation, I think it allows all of us to take a step back and be kids again. I saw the work that these young people have put in, and it’s amazing,” Hodge told LA’s the Place. “[Animation is] the best kind of work. You go in for 30 minutes, you’re in, you’re out. You don’t have to brush your teeth—not advising that—but you don’t!”

Currently, Hodge can be seen in “Leverage,” the TNT drama, where he portrays Alec Hardison, the hacker of the group. Presenting something for the first time, Hodge was a little intimidated by the rest of the lineup, but did great with co-presenter Roy.

“This is like the next generation. We’ve gotta get in good with them now!” Roy said. “They might employ me in a couple of years.”

Shanola Hampton (“Shameless”) presented Best Children’s Piece to Jaye Sarah Davidson, Stephen Griffin of Florida State University for “The Planeteer”

Hampton called the winner a really “smart piece” and was impressed by the winner. As for her own favorite children’s shows, she explained, “Well, I’m of the generation where we watched a lot of TV and they had to make us play outside,” she said laughing, specifically citing “Sesame Street” and PBS shows as her favorite.

Now, Hampton is Veronica Fisher in Showtime’s “Shameless,” also starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. Veronica was given quite a cliffhanger, “at the end of the finale, we may or may not have a foster child that will be staying with us,” Hampton said.

Hampton knows a thing or two about college education too, having a theatre degree from Winthrope University and a Master’s Degree from Illinois University.

“I think it’s really good to build up and focus on the industry leaders of tomorrow. It’s really nice to be recognized and have the opportunity to have equipment, to let your mind go and be free and not be shut down. I’m so excited to be a part of it!”

Aimee Teegarden (“Prom”) & Matt Lauria (“Chicago Code”) presented Best Commercial to “Coppertone – Boxer,” by Ian Kammer from the Art Center College of Design

Teegarden recently wrapped her role in the acclaimed series “Friday Night Lights” as Julie Taylor and immediately found work on four films, including recent release “Scream 4” and “Prom,” which will hit theaters on April 29. So how is she handling the stress?

“I’m taking my vitamins, having my green tea and honey,” Teegarden explained. “That’s my regiment right now to get through the full month of April.”

She doesn’t dismiss her good fortune though, calling the work a blessing and her “Friday Night Lights” fans “die-hard” and “fantastic.”

A little young when the first “Scream” trilogy was out, Teegarden watched the originals with her grandmother, a big fan of the movies. “Working with Ghost Face on set is still a little freaky, even though you know it’s an act,” she revealed.

Presenting the Best Commercial award with Lauria, Teegarten called the winner, “super cute,” and Lauria was also impressed.

“Everything about it, the cinematography, the actors, the concept, everything was just incredibly well executed,” Lauria said. “It didn’t look like student anything, which I guess is the point of tonight.”

Michael Cudlitz (“Southland”) presented Best Documentary to “Feast & Sacrifice,” by Clare Major of University of California, Berkeley

After its first season, “Southland” was on the brink of being no more when NBC canceled it, but the drama found a new life when TNT picked it up, reviving the show and its fans.

“We’re here, and we’re not going away,” Cudlitz exclaimed about the show. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” he said of the creativity on set.

On his off time, Cudlitz has been working on “The Grief Tourist,” a film project where he serves as both a producer and actor, opposite Melanie Griffith and Pruitt Taylor Vince. Cudlitz described the movie as a character study about a man obsessed with serial killers and looking for intimacy. The flick is in the post-production phases now.

Cudlitz watched the nominated documentary pieces and enjoyed the fact that he cared for the people involved. “There are great films here. They open up and pull you in and teach you, so I am very excited for all of the filmmakers coming out of this. With this digital age, you don’t have to necessarily have major funding behind you to make a documentary, which is great.”

Jason Ritter (“The Event”) & Amber Tamblyn (“House”) presented Best Drama to “Thief” by West Lee McDowell of the American Film Institute

Ritter and Tamblyn worked together on past TV series “Joan of Arcadia,” so the two already had a rapport ready for presenting, even wroting their own piece for the awards show.

“It’s going to be as organic as it would be if you were hanging out with us,” she said.

Ritter was able to continue the friends theme, by revealing that presenter Simon Helberg was his college roommate. The actors know a lot about drama with several serious pieces on their resume, including Ritter’s latest intricate outing: NBC series “The Event.”

“It’s been fun. I think that a lot of TV shows or dramas that I’ve been involved in, you know your character and what’s going on, generally,” he explained. “With ‘The Event,’ there’s a whole new set of boundaries, and it’s really exciting to kind of not know and go along with the audience as to what’s going on.”

Elijah Wood (“Wilfred”) & Jason Gann (“Wilfred”) presented Best Music Composition to “DreamGiver” by R. Lance Montgomery II from Brigham Young University

Wood might be known for his film roles, including “The Lord of the Rings” franchise and upcoming “Hobbit” adventures, but soon he will be seen on the small screen opposite Gann in the eccentric comedy “Wilfred.”

Gann began the piece in Australia and is now bringing it over to the States. It revolves around two friends, one human, the other a dog that appears to be a human dressed as a dog to only one lucky fellow-played by Wood. The series will premier on FX this summer.

“Well, you know, we want there to be questions. We want audiences to think a bit. We don’t want to lay it all out,” co-creator and star Gann told LA’s The Place. “Look at movies like ‘Inception’ and a whole swarm of movies that are challenging perceptions of reality, and we’re doing that in a fun and comedic way.”

Gann said behind the scenes, Wood is funnier than he is, and he hopes audiences get to see that.

Wood explained there are basic themes and lessons in each episode, and the guest star list is star-studded with Ed Helms (“Hangover”) and Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation”).

“This is my first experience doing a television show, and it’s exciting. It’s different in its pace, but I love the pace, and I think especially for the kind of show we’re making, it lends to the piece very, very well.”

As for the importance of music in cinema and television, including the piece that Wood and Gann presented at the College Television Awards, the duo feel the two mediums go together, hand in hand.

“Music is instrumental. It’s so important in terms of establishing tone and intensifying emotion and connection to character and atmosphere,” Wood explained. “ The piece we’re giving the award to is really beautiful. It’s actually for an animated short film, and the short is a mixture of what looks to be traditional animation and traditional animation. It’s really stunning.”

Gann reiterated Wood’s thoughts: “You hear people say they don’t like this kind of film and they don’t like this kind of music, but you don’t here people say they don’t like film or they don’t like music. They kind of go together.”

Darren Criss (“Glee”) presented Best Use of Music to “Underground” by Allison Leger of Florida State University

Last year, Criss’ onscreen love interest Chris Colfer presented this award, so it was fitting for the piece to come full circle with the “Glee” cast. No one can deny the musical group knows a little bit about the best way to use music on screen.

“Music is the most manipulative tool in the whole world. It can change anything, especially in storytelling,” Criss revealed. “When you’re crying at a movie, unless the scene is incredibly strong, when you are really crying, you’re crying with the strings or that love song, and ‘Glee’ is case in point. It is such a reinforcer of emotion and heightens a moment when the actors just can’t. It’s a fun trick.”

Joining the already-successful cast of the Fox high school dramedy could have been tough for Criss, but he was able to form his own group with the Warblers, his character’s school singing group.

“I love the kids at McKinley, but I just love my boys, my Warblers. We’re very close.”

Criss’ next “Glee” outing is the Warblers’ very own musical CD, debuting on April 19, the same day that the all musical DVD of Season 1, “Glee Encore,” hits stores.

KaDee Strickland (“Private Practice”) presented the Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award to Allison Leger for “Underground” from the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts

Presenting the Bricker Humanitarian Award found a special place in Strickland’s heart this year.

“I’m thrilled! I know what it’s like to work in a way in which you affect change. That’s what I have been doing this year,” Strickland told LA’s The Place. “People telling the truth about the way that they want to view the world, and I think that is super important.”

Though Strickland protested the thought of an all-musical “Private Practice” episode in the same vein as the recent “Grey’s Anatomy” installment, the Georgia native’s favorite pastime is cooking with husband Jason Behr of “Roswell” fame.

“I love to cook with my husband. It makes me so happy, there’s really nothing better. He’s a phenomenal cook, and I always learn when I’m in the kitchen with him.”

Additional presenters and winners:

• Geena Davis presented the first-ever Focus on Diversity and Gender Equality in Children’s Media award to Nicholas William Allred for his animated piece entitled “The Girl and the Fox.” He was awarded $5,000 on behalf of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
• Loreen Arbus Foundation’s Focus on Disability Scholarship of $10,000 was presented by Loreen Arbus herself to Stanford University’s Anthony Dale Weeks for his film “Imaginary Circumstances.”
• Primetime Emmy Award-winner Jane Lynch (“Glee”) presented one of two Visionary Awards of the evening that recognize the use of television to affect social change. Lynch presented the piece to friends and colleagues “Glee” creators Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk.

• Terrence Howard (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) presented the second Visionary Award to the Entertainment Industry Foundation, represented by President and CEO Lisa Paulsen.
• Simon Helberg (“Big Bang Theory”) presented Best Comedy to “In Captivity” by Giles Andrew & Corbin David Frost of the University of Southern California
• David Henrie (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) presented Best Magazine piece to “alt.news 26:46 Episode 1203” by Ian Damian & Kelly E. Reed of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

• Trevor Donovan (“90210”) & Shenae Grimes (“90210”) presented Best Narrative Series to “NSTV (Northwestern Sketch Television” by Daniel Scott Siegel of Pat Bishop, Northwestern University
• David Ono (“ABC7 Eyewitness News”) presented Best Newscast to “Phoenix14News,” Kirsten Bennett of Elon University
• Greg Yaitanes (“House”) presented Best Directing to Julian Higgins of the American Film Institute for his work on “Thief”

For more information about the 32^nd Annual College Television Awards or the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, visit www.emmysfoundation.org.