It was a big day for multiple Hallmark stars as nominees for the seventh annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards were announced on May 1, 2025, honoring “excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms,” per a press release.
Sisters Ashley Williams and Kimberly Williams-Paisley adorably admitted to having “zero chill” over both being nominated in the same category, and Jonathan Bennett was rendered speechless as he received three nominations, including for Best Male Star of the Year — a category fans get to vote for.
Ashley Williams & Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s Dating Shows Are Up Against 4 Other Nominees
Williams hosted the first season of “Small Town Setup,” which premiered in January on Hallmark+. Before its debut, she told EntertainmentNOW it was “insane” that her big sister also landed a hosting gig on a dating show, FOX’s “Farmer Wants a Wife,” months after her.
Now the siblings’ shows are actually competing against each other in the Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ category for Best Relationship Show. The other contenders are ABC’s “The Golden Bachelorette,” and three Netflix shows — “The Later Daters,” “Love Is Blind,” and “Love on the Spectrum.”
After the nominees were announced, Williams-Paisley shared a screenshot of a text exchange she had with her younger sister. She wrote, “OMG OUR SHOWS BOTH NOM FOR CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS!!! 😆”
Williams replied, “OMG YAY US!! 😂” and Williams-Paisley responded, “DYING 😆😆😆😂😂😂”
In the caption of her post, Williams-Paisley wrote, “My sister @ashleywilliamsandcompany and I had ZERO CHILL today when BOTH our reality dating shows got nominated for @ccrealtv awards! 🎉❤️❤️😁😁😁”
While Williams was filming “Small Town Setup” in August 2024, she told her sister — who was recovering from intense vocal cord surgery — to look into potentially hosting a show because it was fun and would cause less strain on her physically than a big acting gig. Like magic, Williams-Paisley was offered the FOX gig shortly after.
Laughing, Williams told EntertainmentNOW, “I was like, ‘Are we about to be hosting dating shows at the exact same time? This is the most insane thing in the entire world!”
Jonathan Bennett is ‘Overwhelmed’ by Critics Choice Nods
Meanwhile, Bennett was also blown away by being included in the Critics Choice Real TV nominations for “Finding Mr. Christmas,” Hallmark’s first reality competition to search for the next Hallmark hunk, a show concept created, developed, and hosted by Bennett.
He was nominated in the categories of Best Show Host, Best Competition Series, and Best Male Star of the Year. While a panel of insiders will vote on the first two, fans will be able to vote for the Best Male Star award beginning on May 12 at CriticsChoice.com.
Bennett wrote in an Instagram post, “Nominee X 3 – I don’t even know what to say right now, other than I’m so proud of our show Finding Mr Christmas, and I’m so honored to be nominated! I’m a little overwhelmed by the company in these categories because they are all my favorite shows and favorite hosts. I feel like I’m living a dream right now. Thank you to all that nominated us!!”
Many friends fans flooded Bennett’s post with words of congratulations, including Tyler Hynes, who wrote, “I know what to say. You’re a lord 👑”
Hunter King, who had just posted in her Stories earlier in the day how much she loves the show, currently filming its second season, wrote, “YOU DESERVE ALL OF IT❤️”
Bennett’s husband, Jaymes Vaughan, sweetly commented, “That’s my baby!!! So PROUD of you. This is only just the beginning.”
Rachel Boston, who appeared as a guest judge on the series, chimed in, “Love this so much!!!!!!”
The winners of the Critics Choice Real TV Awards will be announced on May 20 at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Fan voting for the Male Star of the Year Award will begin on May 12 at CriticsChoice.com.
Comments
Hallmark Stars Adorably Admit to Having ‘Zero Chill’ Over Critics Choice Nominations