RELLY AWARDS Online vote to pick winners

The prize is a Golden Stool, the trophy-size version of the seats used on 'Live.'
By FRAZIER MOORE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- It was time for Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa to take matters into their own hands.
Year after year, their syndicated talk show -- "Live with Regis and Kelly" -- had been jilted for a Daytime Emmy.
They knew it was time to take a stand.
Then inspiration struck.
"Most of the great successes of our show have begun as a joke," Ripa notes. "So we were kidding around that we should have our own awards show, with categories where only we are nominated against ourselves. That way, we couldn't lose."
"We couldn't MISS getting SOME kind of an AWARD!" Philbin blares. "We wanted an AWARD in this BUILDING! THAT was our reasoning!" He pauses for a breath. "And, to have some fun."
Thus the Relly Awards were born. And on a special airing of "Live" last September, the inaugural Rellys were handed out.
What's scheduled
How time flies. This Friday (9 a.m., WFMJ Channel 21), "Live" will present the Second Annual Relly Awards in more than a dozen self-affirming categories including Best Guest Co-Host, Favorite Musical Guest, Funniest Guest and Best Audience Winner. Also, Best Dressed: Will Regis as Kid Rock collect a trophy?
Leading the pack in nominations are Regis and Kelly, with 10 apiece (including four they share in competition with themselves for Best Host Chat), followed by Ben Affleck (with three nominations), and other past guests Donald Trump, Howie Mandel and Dana Carvey, each with two.
Winners were chosen online by the "Live" audience (this much of the contest is serious) with each destined to take home a coveted Golden Stool, the trophy-size version of the seating that accommodates "Live" co-hosts and guests.
Golden Stool?! Well, that part is a little less serious. And if last year is any indication, the 2004 Relly gala will serve "Live" not just as a much-deserved pat on its own back, and as a clever sort of retrospective of the past season's highlights -- but also as a riotously wacky send-up of all awards telecasts.
For instance, last year's Rellys had a red carpet complete with Joan Rivers, and a cheesy-but-dead-on dance opening, complete with artificial smoke.
Who will assist
This year: more and better, promises executive producer Michael Gelman, who expects these stars to be among the glitterati as audience members, presenters and red-carpet arrivals outside the "Live" studio: Andy Dick, Carrot Top, Chris Rock, Glenn Close, Kwame Jackson, Martin Short, Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton, Ray Romano and Will Ferrell.
Gelman says he has the certified Relly results -- but won't be sharing them beforehand with Regis or Kelly.
"They both hate surprises -- which makes me love them even more!
"But as a viewer, I hate awards shows," he confesses. "Even though I love the entertainment business, I'm so tired of seeing people in our business get awarded, and honor themselves, and take themselves so seriously."
This Friday, the most hotly contested Relly race could well be the one for Best Regis, whose eight competing impersonators include Dana Carvey, Darrell Hammond, Tom Hanks and Kevin Pollack.
Yet another nominee is Philbin himself.
"Regis is up for Best Regis!" chuckles Gelman, clearly savoring this bit of Relly silliness for what's at stake: "Wouldn't it be embarrassing if viewers chose someone else as the Best Regis?"