Judah Friedlander joins the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards as online host. Best known for playing head writer Frank on the critically acclaimed NBC comedy 30 Rock, Judah is a talented stand-up comedian whose on-stage “grandiose self-promoting nerdy slacker” persona has won him fame and a cult following.

In the late 1990s, Judah appeared on the Al Franken sitcom Lateline, and as a guest on Spin City. He can be seen as “The Hug Guy” in the 2001 video for the Dave Matthews Band song “Everyday.” Judah got his start on the big screen playing a (bad) pharmacy clerk in the comedy blockbuster Meet the Parents, and had small but notable roles in Wet Hot American Summer, Zoolander, How High and Showtime. Critical praise came with the role of Toby Radloff in the indie film American Splendor with Paul Giamatti. Judah’s performance won him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards, and Mike Clark of USA Today declared it “The supporting performance of the year.”

Role in movies such as Along Came Polly, Starsky & Hutch, The Darwin Awards and Date Movie followed, and Judah made a memorable appearance on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm as Donald, a mentally challenged car wash attendant who steals Larry David’s sunblock. He has been a regular guest panelist on the popular VH1 cable show Best Week Ever since 2004.

TV Land has no doubt that Judah will prove to be the “World Champion” of online hosts.

One of the most respected performers in the world, Vanessa Williams has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. Now this multi-faceted entertainer brings her tremendous talent to TV Land as host of the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards.

The daughter of music teachers, Vanessa pursued her love of the arts from an early age. She won a Presidential Scholarship in drama and majored in musical theater at Syracuse University. In 1987, Mercury/Wing executive Ed Eckstine signed Vanessa to his label after noticing her back-up vocals on the George Clinton single, “Do Fries Go With That Shake.” The next year, her first album The Right Stuff made an immediate impact on the pop and R&B charts. The record went gold and she earned her first three Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. In 1991, her multi-million selling follow-up The Comfort Zone took Vanessa to new heights. The unforgettable single “Save the Best For Last” earned her the true respect of the recording industry and captivated audiences around the world.

On the big screen, Vanessa has appeared in Another You, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man and Eraser (with Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Caan). She won the NAACP Image Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress for her starring role in the 1997 film Soul Food (with Nia Long and Vivica A. Fox). It was a box-office success, winning the Image Award for Best Motion Picture.

Triple-threat Vanessa has also dazzled theater audiences, starring on Broadway in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Into the Woods,” for which she earned her first Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Currently, Vanessa stars as the deliciously wicked Wilhelmina Slater on ABC’s critically acclaimed hit series Ugly Betty. The role is a showcase for Vanessa’s comedic wit and dazzling beauty, and Vanessa, her co-stars and the show have won or been nominated for numerous individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe, and NAACP Image Awards.

Robert Verdi
New Jersey native Robert Verdi got a taste for the finer things in life by watching his Portuguese mother, a skilled dressmaker, and noshing on culinary delights prepared by his father, a French chef. As a teen he began designing jewelry, which he sold on the streets of Manhattan and later, to highbrow stores like Barney’s and Bergdorf. He then became a TV host, a lifestyle expert, and an in-demand stylist who works with A-list stars like Eva Longoria, Hugh Jackman and Mariska Hargitay. Verdi holds a degree from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and in addition to writing fashion columns and hosting his own shows has even guest-starred as himself in The Devil Wears Prada.