THE CW ANNOUNCES WINNERS FOR "THE WORLD DOG AWARDS"

Star-Studded Ceremony Honors Exemplary Dogs in Categories Including Best in Film, Top TV Dog, and Dog of the Year

Telecast Airs Thursday, January 14 (8:00-10:00 pm ET) on The CW

January 9, 2016 (Burbank, Calif.) - Tonight, celebrities and their famous canine companions honored man's best friend at THE WORLD DOG AWARDS. Hosted by George Lopez ("George Lopez," "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"), THE WORLD DOG AWARDS will airThursday, January 14 (8:00-10:00 pm ET) on The CW Network.

THE WORLD DOG AWARDS honored some of the most commendable pups from around the globe. The winners ranged from Khaleesi, a pit bull without a snout who won the Underdog award, to Instagram sensation Doug the Pug, who won for Best Dressed. By casting their votes at www.worlddogawards.com, fans chose winners in viewer-generated categories such as "Pawpular" (awarded to the dog with the most influential social media presence) and "Hot Dog" (awarded to the most talented extreme sports dog).

Returning host George Lopez kept the crowd of full of dogs and celebrities entertained. "Dogs are man's best friend, and tonight we celebrate the best of the best," he said. "By the end of the night, there won't be a dry eye in the house - or a dry place to stand. I'm still cleaning off my shoes from last year."

This year THE WORLD DOG AWARDS featured a live reunion between an active duty U.S. soldier, Brandon Harbaugh, and his loyal dog, Saint. In the spirit of viral videos that feature dogs being reunited with the soldiers who love them, "The Leftovers" actress Amy Brenneman presented the Award of Loyalty to Saint, who has held down the homefront while his human companion, a 15-year Army service member who is a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, defends our country overseas. Saint jumped onto his owner and licked his face, to loud applause from the audience. The segment was arranged in partnership with Dogs On Deployment (www.dogsondeployment.org), a national non-profit that connects service members with volunteers who board their pets during service commitments.

Celebrities in attendance and appearing onstage included Roselyn Sanchez ("Devious Maids"), Ta'Rhonda Jones ("Empire"), Shanice Williams ("The Wiz Live!"), Loni Love ("The Real") Rico Rodriguez ("Modern Family"), supermodel and actress Joanna Krupa ("The Real Housewives of Miami"), Caity Lotz ("Arrow," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow"), Justin Baldoni ("Jane The Virgin"), Melissa Rivers ("Fashion Police"), Maggie Lawson ("Psych," "Angel from Hell"), Todrick Hall (MTV), Aubrey Anderson Emmons ("Modern Family"), Keltie Knight (The Insider), iJustine (YouTube), JB Smoove ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Amy Brenneman ("The Leftovers"), Mark Feuerstein ("Royal Pains"), Ali Fedotowsky (E! News), Alison Sweeney ("Days of Our Lives"), Jason Schwartzman ("Rushmore"), Joey Graceffa (YouTube), Lizzy Greene ("Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn"), Rocky Kanaka (founder of Dog for Dog), and Kristine Leahy ("American Ninja Warrior").

Kirstin Maldonado from the Grammy Award winning groupPentatonix performed "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" onstage in honor of Toto. The iconic pup from "The Wizard of Oz" and also "The Wiz" received The Dog's Life Achievement award, which celebrates an iconic dog character in pop culture that has had a huge cultural impact. "The Wiz Live!" star Shanice Williams presented the award.

"The Insider" correspondent Keltie Knight reprised her role as roving reporter at THE WORLD DOG AWARDS. Stationed "barkstage," Knight caught up with celebrities - and their dogs - throughout the telecast.

Full list of winners from THE WORLD DOG AWARDS:

· Dog of the Year: Gabe, therapy dog to wounded U.S. Army veteran Justin Lansford

· Top Movie Dog: Carlos as "Max" (from the film "Max)

· Top TV Dog: Scruffy as "Whoop Dee Woo" (television series "Empire")

· A-List Dog: Amanda Seyfried and Finn

· Pawpular: Manny The Frenchie (@mannie_the_frenchie on Instagram)

· Supporting Actor to a Dog: Jason Schwartzman in the film "7 Chinese Brothers"

· Best Dressed: Doug The Pug

· Most Amazing Journey: Sissy

· Top Spot: "Mastery" / Chase (a commercial that featured a dog)

· Celebrity Dog Selfie: Joey Graceffa and Wolf

· Top Trick: Norman, the Bike Riding Dog

· Hot Dog: Dally, the Horserider

· Most Dog-Like Animal: Amy Trotter, the Pig

· My New Puppy: iJustine and Matt

· Pop Dog: "All of Me" (Charity) - John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Puddy and Pippa

· Performing Pups: Nathan

· Best Rescue: Joel Silverman and Duchess

· Top Video Game Dog: River as "Dogmeat" from "Fallout 4"

HONORARY CATEGORIES

· Underdog: Khaleesi

· The Dog's Life Achievement: Toto (from "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Wiz")

· Subaru Pet Hall of Fame: JJ

· Award of Loyalty: Saint and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brandon Harbaugh

THE WORLD DOG AWARDS honored some of the most laudable pups on the planet, from the ones who have achieved fame in the world of entertainment or on social media to everyday dogs who have had an indelible impact on the lives of their human companions. The show is produced by Juma Entertainment with executive producer Robert Horowitz, Josh Greenberg and George Lopez, and presented by IAMS(TM) Brand and Subaru.

ABOUT THE CW

THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, made its debut on September 20, 2006 as America's fifth broadcast network and is the only network specifically targeting viewers ages 18-34, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW offers a five-night, 10-hour primetime lineup that runs Monday through Friday. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a five-hour Saturday morning kids block. For more information, visit www.cwtv.com

ABOUT JUMA ENTERTAINMENT

JUMA Entertainment is a full-service production and event management company known for its character-driven unscripted series. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and New Hope, PA, JUMA is the co-creator and executive producer of the hit variety game show THE SINGING BEE (NBC/CMT). JUMA's other credits include VANILLA ICE GOES AMISH (DIY/HGTV), WORLD DOG AWARDS (CW), GREATEST HOLIDAY COMMERCIALS COUNTDOWN (CW), SORORITY SISTERS (VH1), WORLD'S WILDEST COMMERCIALS (ABC), AMISH RENOGADES (DIY), BARN HUNTERS (GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY), MAGIC MAN (TRAVEL), DECEIVED (TV ONE), SUPER BOWL'S GREATEST COMMERCIALS (CBS), CLASH OF THE COMMERCIALS - USA VS. THE WORLD (CBS), THE CLIOS (NBC), SUPERSTARS (ABC), OCHOCINCO: THE ULTIMATE CATCH (VH1), THE ULTIMATE MERGER 1-2 (TV ONE), YARD ATTACK! (DIY), DOUBLE EXPOSURE (BRAVO), DEER VALLEY CELEBRITY SKIFEST (CBS), TATTOO HIGHWAY (A&E), MANHUNT: THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S MOST GORGEOUS MALE MODEL (BRAVO), and BATTLE OF THE NETWORK REALITY STARS (BRAVO). For more information, visit JUMATV.com.