America's Most Wanted Wants You To Choose Your Favorite Hero

2009 AMW All-Star Contest Nominations Now Open

Crime-Fighting Series Airs on Special Night Friday, February 6, on FOX

(Feb. 4, 2009) - America's Most Wanted (AMW), television's top crime-fighting show, is once again asking the public to help give special recognition to the police, firefighters, EMTs and other first-responders who dedicate themselves to protecting us.

The fifth annual AMW All-Star Contest, sponsored by Sprint, kicks off today, Tuesday, February 4, 2009, with the opening of nominations. Any first-responder is eligible for nomination, and the process is simple. Go to AMW.com to fill out a short online form naming a first-responder and explain what makes this person an All-Star.

Voters will select eight weekly finalists, and each finalist will be profiled on America's Most Wanted airing Saturdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Through their online votes, the public will choose the grand-prize winner. In May, AMW Host John Walsh will present the 2009 AMW All-Star winner with a check for $10,000 at the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series� All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.

Nominations are open at AMW.com until 12:00 PM ET on April 4, 2009. Members of the public may vote for their favorite first responder once a day, every day. Finalist voting runs through 12:00 AM ET on April 12, 2009, and the grand-prize winner voting will run from April 16 - May 5, 2009.

As in previous years, thousands of police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other first responders are expected to be nominated. Each one is a hero, but only one will become the 2009 AMW All-Star.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: AMW is preempted on Saturday, Feb. 7. The series will air a special episode Friday, Feb. 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).]