International Celebrity Images Presents THE REEL AWARDS, 2/21-25

Lights! Cameras! Action! Ready, or not, the bus chock full of celebrity impersonators is headed to Las Vegas! International Celebrity Images will present The 20th Annual Production of THE REEL AWARDS, an entertaining two and a half-hour tongue in cheek parody, homage, spoof and tribute to the real Academy Awards, as well as the 11th Celebrity Impersonators Convention at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino; 129 East Fremont Street; Las Vegas, NV 89101 from Monday - Friday, February 21 - 25, 2011. Janna Joos, Co-Founder of THE REEL AWARDS and International Celebrity Images, will serve as the Producer and Director of the Convention and Awards Show. Alana Joos, Co-Founder of THE REEL AWARDS and Entertainment Express, will serve as the Production Coordinator for the Convention and Awards Show.

Event sponsors of The 20th Annual Production of THE REEL AWARDS and the 11th Annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention include: Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, Q Vegas Magazine and www.callbacknews.com.

Janna Joos, Co-Founder of THE REEL AWARDS and International Celebrity Images, who will serve as the Producer and Director of the Convention and Awards Show, said: "We are thrilled to be celebrating our 20th Annual Production of THE REEL AWARDS in the Celebrity Impersonator Capitol of the World, Las Vegas. From it's inception in 1992, THE REEL AWARDS has always been a time to bring together the best of the professionals in the Celebrity Impersonation business for a really fun filled entertaining awards show. It's high camp, backed by a whole lot of talent. A real hoot! At the same time, our 11th Annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention offers participants the opportunity to meet and network with others in the business, attend seminars and perform in showcases for talent bookers, managers, agents, producers and the general public."

The Awards Show will be co-hosted by Celebrity Impersonators, Marcel Forestieri as Jay Leno and Anne Kissel as ROSEANNE. Celebrity Impersonators who will perform at the Awards Show include: Nick D'Egidio as Frank Sinatra; Michael Firestone as Michael Jackson; Roy Hammock as Willie Nelson; Harmik as Tom Jones; Ron Keel and Leonard Quenneville as BROOKS & DUNN; Sherie Rae Parker as Bette Midler; Heidi Thompson as CHER and Hollie Vest as Peggy Lee. Among the esteemed Celebrity Awards Presenters will be Athena as Lady Gaga, among others.

The Celebrity Impersonators Convention will be held in the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino from Monday - Friday, February 21 - 25, 2011, and include Celebrity Impersonator Showcases which will be open for the general public to attend at $10 per day on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 22nd and 23rd from 12 Noon - 4:00 p.m. in the hotel's Showroom. Concurrently with the Showcases, a Vegas Tribute Idol Competition for cash prizes will be held and open to any Tribute Artist, Impersonator or Impressionist who has registered in advance to attend.

THE REEL AWARDS will kick off on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 12 Noon - 1:15 p.m. with a Red Carpet Event for the Awards Show Nominees and other VIP Celebrity Impersonators, Look-Alikes, Sound-Alikes, Tribute Artists, Awards Show Presenters and Awards Show Entertainers, all of whom will be bejeweled and high accessorized to the hilt, hobnobbing and engaging in small chat to the delight of all those in attendance, including the glitterati, paparazzi and hyperventilating fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them. THE REEL AWARDS will be presented from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. in the Showroom of the Golden Nugget Hotel. The Awards Show will be followed by a Cocktail Hour and Photos Ops from 4:15 - 5:15 p.m.; a Dinner Buffet from 5:15 - 6:30 p.m.; and Dancing to DJ music from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Unlike the real Academy Awards where the winners receive gold Oscar statuettes, winning recipients of THE REEL AWARDS are presented with 16" inscribed gold tin cans, similar to the containers that would be used to encase and house reels of a motion picture's film. Celebrity Impersonators will serve as Presenters and Entertainers during the Awards Show.

General Admission Tickets for THE REEL AWARDS are $20 each to attend the Awards Show and Red Carpet Event. VIP Tickets are $85 each and include admission to the Awards Show, the Red Carpet Event, a No Host Bar Cocktail Reception and Photo Ops with the Celebrity Impersonators after the Awards Show, admission to a Dinner Buffet and Dancing to DJ music. Tickets for the Awards Show and Showcases may be purchased by calling, 1-800-887-5665. For further information about the Awards Show and Celebrity Impersonators Convention, please visit the websites, www.thereelawards.com, www.celebrityimpersonatorconventions.com and www.goldennugget.com.

Celebrity Impersonators from around the country and the world are nominated in 16 categories for this year's THE REEL AWARDS. Nominees include:

BEST ACTOR:
Ronnie Rodriguez as Johnny Depp
John Morgan as George W. Bush
Steve Webber as Forrest Gump
Scot Bruce as Elvis Presley
Larry Bulot as Jim Carrey

BEST ACTRESS:
BettIna Williams as Whoopi Goldberg
Tatiana Turan as Angelina Jolie
Suzanne LaRusch as Lucy
Gailyn Addis as Liza Minnelli/Marilyn Monroe
Susan Griffiths as Marilyn Monroe

BEA FOGELMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:
Hollie Vest as Tina Turner
Heidi Thompson as Cher
Frank Marino as Joan Rivers
Suzanne LaRusch as Lucy
Joe Dimmick as Clint Eastwood

COMEDY:
BettIna Williams as Whoopi Goldberg
Marcel Forestieri as Jay Leno
John Morgan as George W. Bush
Suzanne LaRusch as Lucy
Dee Dee Hanson as Joan Rivers

NEWS HOUND:
Suzie Kennedy as Marilyn Monroe
Deborah Smith Ford, Examiner.com
Ronnie Rodriguez as Johnny Depp
John Morgan as George W. Bush
Harmik as Tom Jones

PETER BANKS HUMANITARIAN:
Sherie Rae Parker as Bette Midler
Hollie Vest as Tina Turner
Richard Skipper as Carol Channing
Larry Edwards as Tina Turner
Pavel Sfera as Bono

RISING STAR:
Brandon Register Watford as Robert Pattinson
Reggie Brown as Barack Obama
Vernetta Jenkins as Michelle Obama
Shannon Michaels as Brett Michaels
Kevin Gilger as Dog the Bounty Hunter

TRIBUTE BAND:
Eric Martin & Carmen Romano - Blues Brothers
Jason Tenner - Purple Reign Prince
Danny D - Rod Stewart & Vagabonds
Ronnie Keel & Leonard Quenneville - Brooks & Dunn
Scot Bruce - Elvis Presley & Rockin' Trio
Chris LeGrand - Satisfactions, Rolling Stones Show

COUNTRY:
Richard Hampton as Kenny Rogers
Johnny Potash as Charlie Daniels
Dean Simmons as Garth Brooks
SAndy Anderson as Dolly Parton
Jimmie & Cyndi Cantrell as Johnny & June Cash
Robin Gallo as Reba McIntire

PRINT MEDIA:
Steve Webber as Forrest Gump
Carla DelVillagio as Barbra Streisand
John Morgan & Dale Leigh - George W. Bush & Bill Clinton
Frank Marino as Joan Rivers
Tatiana Turan, Bling Divas

POP N ROCK FOR REEL:
Michael Firestone as Michael Jackson
Suzanne Goulet as Liza Minnelli
Harmik as Tom Jones
Pavel Sfera as Bono
Chris America as Madonna

R & B FEELIN' GOOD:
Garry Moore as Little Richard
William Hall as Michael Jackson
Pete Peterkin, Multiple Characters
Scot Bruce as Elvis Presley
Trina Johnson-Finn, Multiple Characters

CLASSIC CROONER:
Troy Anderson as Louis Armstrong
Andy DiMino as Dean Martin
Darrell Cole as Nat King Cole
Hollie Vest as Peggy Lee
Nick D'Egidio as Frank Sinatra
George Trullinger as Buddy Holly

IMPERSONATOR I LOVE TO WORK WITH:
BettIna Williams as Whoopi Goldberg
Dee Dee Hanson as Joan Rivers
Richard Hampton as Kenny Rogers
Ronnie Rodriguez as Johnny Depp
Susan Griffiths as Marilyn Monroe

MOST PROFESSIONAL IMPERSONATOR:
Suzanne Goulet as Liza Minnelli
Hollie Vest as Tina Turner
Ronnie Rodriguez as Johnny Depp
Joe Dimmick as Clint Eastwood
Tatiana Turan as Angelina Jolie

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER:
Matt Mamula - Blue Collar Films: Just About Famous
Frank Marino - Divas Las Vegas
Bernhard Kurz & Paul Langley - Stars in Concert
Matt Lewis - Long Live the King
Hollie Vest - Thrillusions
Tatiana Turan - Bling Divas

About THE REEL AWARDSä:
The 20th Annual Production of THE REEL AWARDS will recognize the talents and achievements of outstanding individuals or groups who perform in the field of impersonation. THE REEL AWARDSä was initially conceived in 1989 by Janna Joos of International Celebrity Images and Alana Joos of Entertainment Express. Together they came up with the idea of an Awards Show for Celebrity Impersonators and Look-Alikes as a way of acknowledging their professional performances in the entertainment industry, as well as encouraging up and coming new talent.

The first Awards Show was presented in March 1992 in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the home of the first Academy Awardsä ceremony in 1928. THE REEL AWARDSä loving spoofs other awards shows like the Academy Awardsä. Instead of the "Oscarä," the award recipients receive the "Can," which is a film reel inscribed with the category and winner's name.

Honors are awarded to those who have contributed their talents to the entertainment industry and also to those who have paralleled the success of some of Hollywood's most famous entertainers in movies, television and music, as well as famous names in politics and sports.

The roster of Celebrity Impersonators and Look-Alikes has made this event a favorite with the general public and media alike. THE REEL AWARDS have been featured in the media from Los Angeles to Austria, Japan and Israel, as well as on the BBC, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Bill Geist and CBS Sunday Morning Show, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, E! Entertainment, People Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, to name a few.

 

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