PRESS RELEASE
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, announced ten teams of college journalists as semifinalists in the 2010 Oscar Correspondent Contest, each vying for a coveted position on the red carpet at the 82nd Academy Awards in Hollywood. Video entries from the semifinalist teams are posted online at http://oscars.mtvU.com, where students and other viewers can vote for their favorite college journalists until February 10 at 2 p.m. PT.
The semifinalists are (listed in alphabetical order by university):
- Chapman University, Orange, CA – Rachel Berry (anchor) and Christian Hartnett (videographer)
- Emerson College, Boston, MA – Terry Stackhouse (anchor) and Zach Cusson (videographer)
- Emerson College – Dean Dimitruk (anchor) and Tyler Weinberger (videographer)
- Florida A&M University, Tallahassee – Brandon McCaskill (anchor) and Kiarra Hart (videographer)
- Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro – Nicki DeCroce (anchor) and Tony Holt (videographer)
- Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ – Kelly Dixon (anchor) and Gina Grosso (videographer)
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY – Eeshé White (anchor) and Patrick House (videographer)
- Texas State University-San Marcos – Amanda Dugan (anchor) and Colby Howell (videographer)
- University of South Dakota, Vermillion – Angie Lacompte (anchor) and Travis Berg (videographer)
- University of Texas at Austin – Loren Grush (anchor) and Xorje Olivares (videographer)
On February 12, the three teams with the most online votes, and as agreed upon by the Academy and mtvU, will advance to the final round of competition. From February 16 to March 2, fans can continue to cast their votes for the teams of finalists as they compete for grand prize. All three teams will be flown to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award media op, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.
The grand prize-winning team will be revealed on Saturday, March 6, at an Academy press conference. The anchor and videographer will be awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards arrivals, as well as credentials for access to backstage press rooms. The winning team’s coverage will be aired on MTV News and mtvU. The two finalist teams will receive bleacher seats along the red carpet and admission to an Oscar viewing party.
The ten semifinalist teams were selected by the Academy and mtvU from videos submitted for the competition. The entries were judged based on criteria including originality, creativity, and how compelling the video was overall. The competition was open to teams of two college students, one anchor and one videographer, residing in the United States.
For a complete list of rules and regulations for the Oscar Correspondent Contest, visit http://oscars.mtvu.com.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.