MTV Networks is going all in at Comic-Con.
MTV is expanding its presence at the annual geekfest this July with its first fan-centric awards show and festival, tapping Linkin Park to headline the event, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The mtvU Fandom Awards and the Linkin Park-fronted MTV Fan Fest take place on the first official day of Comic-Con: Thursday, July 24, at San Diego's Petco Park. (The festival will lead into the awards, both open to Comic-Con badge holders.) The network is billing the mtvU Fandom Awards as the "ultimate celebration for die-hard fanboys and fangirls" and honors their favorite TV shows and movies of the past year.
For those not able to attend, mtvU will air an hourlong special Sunday, July 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, highlighting the best moments and performances. Nominees and voting categories for the mtvU Fandom Awards will be revealed at a later date.
“The mtvU Fandom Awards will reinvent the traditional award show format,” said Ryan Kroft, mtvU Fandom Awards executive producer. “In addition to handing out trophies, we will recognize the achievements of fans and their favorite obsessions with special surprises and experiences. It’s the perfect event to reward the fans at Comic-Con, the epicenter of all fandoms.”
This will be the second straight year MTV will have a San Diego event, following last year's MTV2 Party in the Park at Petco, which featured performances by New Politics and Dillon Francis. MTV's genre series Teen Wolf has also been a regular presence at the convention.
Networks have been increasing their foothold at Comic-Con in recent years, sometimes holding tailored off-site events (Fox's Animation Domination Hi-Def "experience") and special screenings (USA's midnight showing of the Psych musical) during the four-day gathering. Next year, Conan O'Brien will be the first late-night host to bring his talk show to San Diego for a week of Con-themed episodes.
Linkin Park releases its sixth album, The Hunting Party, on June 17, before kicking off a North American tour with 30 Seconds to Mars and AFI on Aug. 8 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Eric Conte and Kroft are executive producers of the mtvU Fandom Awards.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
