Hosted by teen queen Hilary Duff and comedian Rob Schneider, the Awards were presented last night in Universal City, CA at the Gibson Amphitheatre. Taped for broadcast on FOX tomorrow night, the win caps off a remarkable weekend for Degrassi. Just a day before winning their award, cast members greeted thousands of enthusiastic fans at the Los Angeles stop on their 12-city U.S.summer mall tour.
Fresh off a July win at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Awards in Los Angeles, the CTV original series topped all 11 U.S. nominees to take home the coveted Teen Choice surfboard. This marks the first time a Canadian series has been nominated for, and won this award.
Taking in the Awards Ceremony from the Gibson Amphitheatre were Degrassi:
The Next Generation cast members Stacey Farber (Ellie Nash), Aubrey Graham (Jimmy Brooks) and series Executive Producer Stephen Stohn. After walking the red carpet and doing interviews with press themselves, Farber and Aubrey served as eTalk Daily special correspondents for the Teen Choice Awards before picking up the surfboard for their "Choice Summer Series" win.
"Could this summer get any more exciting? This is our second big American win in the last two months. With these, and the wildly successful US mall tours, Degrassi has really been embraced in the American market," said Linda Schuyler, President, Epitome Pictures Inc. "This is extremely gratifying for a show that is unabashedly 100% Canadian!"
"Degrassi: The Next Generation has always been Canada's teen choice," said Susanne Boyce, CTV's President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group. "Congratulations on another remarkable accomplishment for Linda Schuyler and her talented cast and crew."
"We're thrilled that Degrassi has become a favorite among teens south of the boarder," said Tom Ascheim, Executive Vice President, General Manager, The N. "We are grateful to Epitome Pictures for sharing Canada's hidden treasure with The N's devoted teen audience."
The 2005 Teen Choice Awards celebrate the hottest teen icons in film, television, music, sports and fashion. Celebrities in attendance included Eva Longoria, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Bilson, Ashton Kutcher, The Black Eyed Peas and more.
Described as "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!" (New York Times Magazine) and "a cult favorite lurching quickly toward becoming a runaway sensation" (LA Daily News), the announcement of this accolade comes as cast members of
Degrassi: The Next Generation are in the midst of a highly successful U.S.
mall tour. Visiting 12 cities in 12 weeks, the cast has been greeted by thousands of fans that watch the series on the digital cable channel The N.
This past Saturday, cast members Stacey Farber and Aubrey Graham were in Los Angeles to attend the Teen Choice Award, and were greeted by over 4,000 screaming fans on their mall tour stop in Los Angeles
Degrassi: The Next Generation also recently won a Canadian Screenwriters Award for "Best Youth Script - Mercy Street" and The Shaw Rocket Prize celebrating Excellence in Children's Television, voted on by children across Canada.
Nineteen new half-hour episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation are currently in production for CTV and will debut in mid-Septemer (launch date is TBA). The fifth season of the popular teen drama also marks the 25th anniversary of the Degrassi franchise. In addition, the upcoming season finale episode will mark the series' 100th episode. Further 25th anniversary announcements will be made in the coming months.
Twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations kick-off with a back to school "must have" item for Degrassi fans, the official Degrassi: The Next Generation Student Planner. Chock full of fun facts, photos and important dates, the planner is currently available in stores across Canada. As well, Degrassi:
Generations, an illustrated history book and the "Official 411" of the Degrassi franchise from its beginning 25 years ago to the present, will be available for the first time on August 29 during the "Degrassi Birthday Bash" event at the CNE Bandshell and hits stores September 6. Several Classic Degrassi and Next Generation actors will also be on hand at the CNE on "Degrassi Day " to celebrate 25 years of Degrassi with photos and autograph opportunities.
As mentioned above, the Degrassi: The Next Generation US mall tour is in full swing. In addition to the tremendous response in LA, a July stop in Orlando drew an incredible response as almost 1000 fans waited three hours to meet their favourite stars. Proof of the excitement that the series is generating south of the border: on the day of the event, the local retailer took down their Harry Potter displays and replaced them with Degrassi DVD sets and signage. Upcoming dates are as follows: San Francisco (August 20), Seattle (August 27), Chicago (September 3), Detroit (September 10), Boston (September 17), New Jersey (September 24) and Baltimore (October 1). Fans are encouraged to log on to
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