Michael Waddell and Tom McMillan to Co-Host;
Taya Kyle, Willie Robertson, Eva Shockey and More Among the Presenters;
Legendary Rock & Roll Musical Guest and Kristy Lee Cook to Perform

 

DENVER (January 5, 2016) – Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel, part of Outdoor Sportsman Group – Networks, today announced the nominees for the 16^th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards Powered by RAM (OSA). The OSA serve as the hallmark event to recognize the outstanding programming created by Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel’s talent and production teams during the previous year.

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at The Venetian in Las Vegas during the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual industry gathering, the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) and Conference. In addition to the 15 awards outlined below, a coveted Fan Favorite Host(s) award for Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel will be handed out that night, as voted on by thousands of the networks’ biggest fans.

“After more than a year as a unified force created to super-serve passionate audiences that are dedicated to the growing outdoor lifestyle in America, Outdoor Sportsman Group – Networks is pleased to come together to honor the very best in outdoor television,” said Jim Liberatore, CEO and President of Outdoor Sportsman Group – Networks. “With so many remarkable shows on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel that are brought to life by the incredible work of our talent, producers, directors, writers, camera crews, editors and others, 2015 was truly an extraordinary year for our industry and I look forward to presenting these lauded accolades.”

This year’s awards show will be emceed by Michael Waddell of Outdoor Channel’s Realtree Road Trips with Michael Waddell and Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector, along with Tom McMillan of Sportsman Channel’s McMILLAN.

Kristy Lee Cook, country singer, seventh place American Idol finalist and co-star of Sportsman Channel’s The Most Wanted List, is kicking off the ceremony with The Star-Spangled Banner. The star-studded gathering also will include a special musical performance by a legendary rock & roll singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music helped shape a generation.

Among the Outdoor Sportsman Awards presenters are Taya Kyle, wife of the late U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most prolific sniper in American history and frequent Outdoor Channel guest star; Krissy Wejebe, daughter of the late legendary angler and Spanish Fly star Jose Wejebe; Willie Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty and Buck Commander protected by Under Armour on Outdoor Channel; Eva Shockey co-star of Outdoor Channel’s Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures; Louie Tuminaro, host of Outdoor Channel’s The Gunfather presented by Brownells; Jana Waller, star of Sportsman Channel’s Skull Bound TV; David and Karin Holder of Outdoor Channel’s Raised Hunting; National Rifle Association Vice President Pete Brownell; and Bass Pro Shops Director of Conservation Rob Keck.

This year, the Outdoor Sportsman Awards will be streamed live at www.OutdoorChannel.com/OutdoorSportsmanAwards, starting 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT. Live updates from the awards ceremony will be posted on the networks’ respective Facebook and Twitter platforms. Viewers can join the conversation by using: #OutdoorSportsmanAwards. Moreover, key moments from the OSA red carpet will be available live on Periscope. Check the networks’ Twitter feeds for direct Periscope links.

And the nominees for the 16^th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards are…

BEST OVERALL:

• Bow Madness
• Crush with Lee & Tiffany
• Driven with Pat & Nicole
• Drury’s THIRTEEN
• GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey
• Hunt Masters
• Huntin’ Fool
• Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED
• MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories
• NRA All Access
• Raised Hunting
• Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish

 

BEST NEW SERIES – OUTDOOR CHANNEL:

• Alaska’s Ultimate Bush Pilots
• Blue Water Savages
• GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey
• Major League Fishing’s GEICO Selects
• The Reluctant Outdoorsman
• Shootout Lane

 

BEST NEW SERIES – SPORTSMAN CHANNEL:

• Apex Predator
• Guidefitter TV
• Huntin’ Fool
• Lake Commandos
• Red Rising
• Shed Wars
• Sheep Shape

 

BEST DEER HUNTING:

• Adventure Bowhunter with Tom Miranda presented by Mathews
• Bow Madness
• BuckVentures’ The Woodsman
• Crush with Lee & Tiffany
• Easton Bowhunting TV
• Heartland Bowhunter
• Hunt Masters
• Major League Bowhunter
• Name the Game
• Raised Hunting
• Winchester Deadly Passion
• The Zone

 

BEST BIG GAME:

• #PROJECTELK
• Archer’s Choice with Ralph & Vicki
• Chris Brackett’s Fear No Evil presented by Mossy Oak
• Crush with Lee & Tiffany
• Driven with Pat & Nicole
• Hank Parker’s Flesh & Blood
• Hunt Masters
• Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED
• Sasquatch Mountain Man
• SWAROVSKI OPTIK Quests
• The Western Hunter
• YoungWild

 

BEST BIRD HUNTING:

• American Birdhunter
• Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak
• Avian-X TV
• Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors
• Crush with Lee & Tiffany
• Gun It with Benny Spies
• Pure Hunting
• Ram Outdoorsman
• Relentless Pursuit
• World of Beretta

 

BEST FISHING:

• Dave Mercer’s Facts of Fishing
• The Habit
• Hook N’ Look
• IGFA Angler’s Digest
• Lake Commandos
• Money Fish
• The Obsession of Carter Andrews
• The Outfitter’s Built by Ford F-Series
• Out Da’ Bayou
• Penn’s BigWater Adventures
• Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas
• Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish

 

BEST SHOOTING SPORTS:

• American Rifleman
• GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey
• Guns & Ammo TV
• Handguns and Defensive Weapons
• MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories
• NRA All Access
• NRA Gun Gurus
• Ruger Inside & Out
• Shooting Gallery
• Shootout Lane

 

BEST GENERAL INTEREST:

• Fight to Survive
• The Habit
• Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED
• MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories
• Mossy Oak’s Hunting the Country
• NRA All Access
• NRA Gun Gurus
• Out Da’ Bayou
• The Reluctant Outdoorsman
• Sasquatch Mountain Man
• Under Wild Skies
• Western Extreme

 

BEST COMEDY:

• Apex Predator
• Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak
• Backwoods Life
• Buccaneers & Bones
• Larysa Unleashed
• Modern Fishing with Jared Jeffries
• Primos TRUTH About Hunting
• Relentless Pursuit
• The Reluctant Outdoorsman
• The Sporting Chef
• Whitetail Fix presented by Bear Archery
• Winchester Deadly Passion

 

BEST COMMERCIAL:

• Bushnell Elite Test
• Cooper Firearms
• Gold Tip
• Huk – Moneyfish 1
• Legendary Whitetails – Not Again
• Leupold Optics – CDS
• Minn Kota – Ulterra
• Nosler
• RAM Trucks – Stay Inside
• ScentLok – Keefer Bros.
• Silencer Shop – Elephant
• Streamlight
• Under Armour
• Yeti – Rambler Happy Hour

 

BEST GRAPHICS:

• Blue Water Savages
• Dave Mercer’s Facts of Fishing
• Dream Season The Journey
• Drury’s THIRTEEN
• Fight to Survive
• Guns & Ammo TV
• Lake Commandos
• Nock on TV
• NRA Gun Gurus
• Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show

 

BEST SHOW OPEN:

• Alaska’s Ultimate Bush Pilots
• Apex Predator
• The Best Defense
• Big Boys TV
• Blue Water Savages
• Bow Madness
• Dog Soldier TV
• Driven with Pat & Nicole
• Heartland Bowhunter
• Hollywood Hunter
• Pigman: The Series
• The Reluctant Outdoorsman

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN:

• Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak
• Avian-X TV
• Conquest 200
• Dirt Trax TV
• FOXPRO Furtakers
• MeatEater with Steven Rinella
• MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories
• Red Rising
• Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish
• Wardens

 

BEST VIDEOGRAPHY:

• Dirt Trax TV
• Chris Brackett’s Fear No Evil presented by Mossy Oak
• GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey
• Hunt Masters
• Huntin’ Fool
• Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED
• Magnum TV presented by Western Powders
• Red Arrow
• Savage Outdoors
• Trev Gowdy’s Monster Fish
• Western Extreme
• YoungWild

FAN FAVORITE HOST(S) – OUTDOOR CHANNEL:

▪   Chris Brackett – Arrow Affliction presented by Mossy Oak and Chris Brackett’s Fear No Evil presented by Mossy Oak

▪   Craig Morgan – Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors

▪   Jim Shockey – Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED

▪   Lee and Tiffany Lakosky – Crush with Lee & Tiffany

▪   Michael Waddell, Travis “T-Bone” Turner and Nick Mundt – Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector

▪   R. Lee Ermey – GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey

▪   Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo – Archer’s Choice with Ralph & Vicki

▪   Shawn Michaels and Keith Mark – Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures

▪   Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild

▪   Willie Robertson, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Tombo Martin, Adam LaRoche and Ryan Langerhans – Buck Commander protected by
Under Armour

 

FAN FAVORITE HOST(S) – SPORTSMAN CHANNEL:

▪   Benny Spies – Gun It with Benny Spies

▪   Brian Quaca – Pigman: The Series

▪   Doug Roberts – Conquest 200

▪   Jana Waller – Skull Bound TV

▪   Jason Matzinger – Into High Country with Jason Matzinger and #PROJECTELK

▪   Melissa Bachman – Winchester Deadly Passion

▪   Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton and Woody Sullivan – Backwoods Life

▪   Randy Newberg – Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg

▪   Steven Rinella – MeatEater with Steven Rinella

▪   Tim Wells – Relentless Pursuit

 

To view winners from last January’s event, please click here for Outdoor Channel and click here for Sportsman Channel.

 

About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world’s foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes three leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network. The Group also consists of a number of established integrated media assets: 15 outdoor magazines, such as Guns & Ammo, Petersen’s Bowhunting and Florida Sportsman, and 17 top websites, including BassFan.com. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group includes television production operations, Winnercomm, as well as aerial camera businesses, SkyCam and CableCam.

 

About Outdoor Channel: Outdoor Channel has been taking viewers across America and around the world on unparalleled adventures since 1993. Dedicated to the outdoor lifestyle and conservation, the independent cable network is a division of Outdoor Sportsman Group and provides a complete spectrum of riveting hunting, fishing, shooting and adventure entertainment. Outdoor Channel has the largest outdoor TV footprint in the country and is available in more than 50 countries internationally. Outdoor Channel can be viewed in HD and is accessible by broadband and mobile platforms. For program times and other information, visit www.outdoorchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and download our iPhone and iPad app. #WhatGetsYouOutdoors

 

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of Outdoor Sportsman Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of “Red, Wild & Blue America” – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 

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Media Contacts:

Tom Caraccioli | Outdoor Sportsman Group | 212-852-6646 | tcaraccioli@thesportsmanchannel.com

Nancy Zakhary | Outdoor Channel | 212-986-6667 | nancy@braincomm.com

Kathleen Hopkins | Outdoor Channel | 212-986-6667 | hopkins@braincomm.com

NEW BERLIN, WI (June 19, 2015) – Cancer. The loss of a leg. Childhood abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are challenges four hunters – Chad Hall, Rick Carone, Kelsie Burford and Patrick Scrogin – must wrestle with as they embark on another life-altering journey during the 12-episode Sportsman Channel saga Sheep Shape exclusively premiering on Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

By finding solace in the great outdoors, these daring hunters continue to reflect and attempt to overcome personal obstacles while on a high mountain hunt for sheep, mountain goat, bear and caribou. Hunting locations including: Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories serve as the backdrop for this rugged and unforgiving test of endurance, stamina and will to overcome. The terrain is tough, but the hunters will train to prove they are tougher.

Co-produced by Reel Wild Creative and Rusted Rooster, catch a sneak peek of the Sportsman Channel original series here: http://www.thesportsmanchannel.com/shows/sheep-shape/ and tune into the season premiere of Sheep Shape, featuring back-to-back episodes, Thursday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

“Sportsman Channel’s Sheep Shape stays true to our viewers’ passionate outdoor lifestyle,” explained Mitch Petrie, vice president of programming for Sportsman Channel. “The show also brings aspects of unexpected life challenges and ultimately creates compelling television that hunters and non-hunters will find relatable.”

Four hunters battle separate life challenges. Together, with the help of their trainers and coaches, they will work to accomplish one common goal: dominate a North American high mountain hunt. The physical requirements of the hunt are brutal, but the mental and emotional obstacles these hunters will face, at times, far outweigh the physical.

High mountain hunts are not for the weary. And training must be taken seriously. The hunters will hit the gym and go into the field to prepare themselves for the most challenging hunt of their lives. The terrain is taxing but the emotional and mental obstacles the hunters will encounter could make or break their hunting success. Viewers will witness the struggle between personal life challenges – including cancer, war injuries, childhood abuse and bullying – and the fight to defy the odds and conquer fear on a hunt of a lifetime.

“High mountain hunts aren’t just about the harvest – it’s more about the blood, sweat and tears it takes to get to that mountain peak – to hike through that shrouded valley,” said Burford. “It’s about knowing, despite whatever challenges you may be facing in other aspects of your life, you are more than capable of accomplishing a grueling training regimen, or a hunt you’ve been dreaming of for years.”

For a closer look, meet the hunters:

Chad Hall (St. Petersburg, Fla.) – At 19 years old, Hall was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. The disease caused his knee to be completely replaced and he lost parts of his quadricep muscle, femur and tibia. The replacement resulted in having to learn to walk again with more than 1,000 days of physical therapy and a few more surgeries under his belt. Hall never looked back and has set his sights on training for one of his lifelong dreams – to hunt wild sheep.

Rick Carone (Cary, Ill.) – After playing four years of professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox minor league organization, Carone became heavily involved in the outdoor lifestyle. In 2014, Carone’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. His fight against the disease has become powerfully inspirational and the entire outdoor industry has come to the prayerful aid of this outdoorsman.

Kelsie Burford (Helena, Mont.) – Having dreamed of playing college basketball, Burford experienced sexual abuse and bullying as a child that took her dream away. She has battled PTSD, suicidal thoughts and depression before reaching this point in her life. For half of her life she let others dictate her life and let them win. Meeting Johnny (her husband) and hunting has empowered her to pursue her athletic abilities in a way she never thought existed.

Patrick Scrogin (Cibolo, Texas) – While serving as an Army Chief Warrant Officer in Iraq, engine failure caused Scrogin’s helicopter to hurtle toward the ground. In the six seconds it took for the helicopter to touch down, Patrick leveled the aircraft out of a 75-degree bank turn and saved his and his co-pilots’ lives. Though he had nine fractured vertebrae, an above-the-knee amputation, a crushed pelvis, nerve damage and a partial amputation of a middle finger – Patrick was ready to get back in the air to learn how to fly with a prosthetic leg.

“What struck me about Chad, Kelsie, Patrick and Rick, is their ability to take the cards they’ve been dealt, and really work to achieve something they’ve all wanted to do for years,” said Chase Reatherford, lead editor for Sheep Shape. “Capturing their ups, downs, and everything in between will hopefully give viewers – people who may be dealing with similar challenges – the confidence to say ‘I can do this,’ and a glimpse into what it takes to pull off a hunt of this caliber.”

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of Outdoor Sportsman Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of “Red, Wild & Blue America” – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Sportsman Channel reaches more than 36 million U.S. television households. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

To find Sportsman Channel in your area click here.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Shannon Kolpin, Sportsman Channel, P: 262.432.9100 ex 102, skolpin@thesportsmanchannel.com