10 Semifinalists Named In Academy/mtvU Oscars Correspondent Contest

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 2011 Oscars Correspondent Contest. Vying for a coveted position on the red carpet at the 83rd 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 from now until Friday, January 28, at 2 p.m. PT.

The semifinalists are (listed in alphabetical order by university):

Hofstra University, Long Island, NY - Luz Pena (anchor) and Philip Robibero (videographer)
Madonna University, Livonia, MI - Idamarie Tedesco (anchor) and Walid Jaward (videographer)
Madonna University - Sara Simnitch (anchor) and Adam Woloszyk (videographer)
New Mexico State University - Brandi Parrell (anchor) and Angela Hardenburg (videographer)
New York University - Nataliz Jimenez (anchor) and Carla Bernal (videographer)
University of Georgia, Athens - Blake Mitchell (anchor) and David Torcivia (videographer)
University of Miami, Florida - Scotty Braun (anchor) and Alexandra Cotoulas (videographer)
University of Missouri, Columbia - Alex Holley (anchor) and Ryan Brown (videographer)
University of Missouri, Columbia - Erica Coghill (anchor) and John Regan (videographer)
University of Southern California, Los Angeles - Sarah Erickson (anchor) and Joel Kutz (videographer)
On February 2, the three teams with the most online votes, and as agreed upon by the Academy and mtvU, will advance to the final round of the competition. Fans can continue to cast their votes for their favorite team from February 7 to February 18, as they compete for the 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, February 26, at an Academy press conference. The anchor and videographer will be awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 83rd 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, while 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 judging criteria included originality, creativity and how compelling the video was overall. The competition was open to college students who work in teams of two - one anchor and one videographer - and also reside 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 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.