At the 2026 VRT Awards, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, and Kelly Bensimon received the Golden Kettle lifetime achievement award for their long-standing presence in reality television. Joan Vassos presented the “most prestigious award of the night,” highlighting the women’s experience and longevity in the industry. The winners thanked E! and fans for bringing them back together for a Palm Beach-based spinoff series premiering later that month, while also engaging in playful banter during their acceptance speech.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The 2026 Virtual Reali-Tea (VRT) Awards, hosted by Danny Murphy and Evan Real at Edison Ballroom in NYC on Tuesday night, celebrated reality TV stars from shows like "Real Housewives," "Summer House," and "Selling Sunset." More than 60 celebrities walked the red carpet, including Golden Kettle winners Luann DeLesseps, Sonja Morgan, Kelly Bensimon, Dorinda Medley, and Ramona Singer. Among notable moments was Rowan Henchy’s appearance in a black cape dress that she said came straight from her mother Brooke Shields' closet. The event also honored Ariana Biermann, who won the "Breakout Star" award shortly after her brother KJ faced legal troubles. Philo is the exclusive streaming partner for the VRT Awards, offering free ad-supported viewing starting Oct. 9.
Written for “VRT Awards 2026 Red Carpet” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley and Kelly Bensimon were given the “most prestigious award of the night” by “Golden Bachelorette” star Joan Vassos.
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Lesseps → give → Vassos
“I have to say, as the first-ever Golden Bachelorette, I feel very qualified to talk about all things Golden,” Vassos told the crowd.
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Vassos → have → crowd
“Because ‘Golden’ isn’t just about age; it’s about experience, it’s about longevity, it’s about knowing exactly who you are — and never being afraid to let the world see it.”
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world → ’ → it
“And when it comes to reality television, there are five women who have been doing exactly that for more than a decade.”
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who → come → decade
The reality TV icons, whose Palm Beach-based spinoff will premiere later this month, made their way up to the stage, where they delivered an iconic acceptance speech.
Want to watch from home?Philo
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they → base → speech
is the exclusive streaming partner for the 2026 VRT Awards, and the only place you’ll find the full show this year.
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you → find → show
It’s free to watch on Philo’s ad-supported platform starting Oct. 9.Plus, you can catch up on last year’s awards now on Philo.com/VRTs.
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you → ’ → Philo.com/VRTs
“I want to thank E!, first of all, for believing in us and bringing the OGs back together, the cast back together,” de Lesseps said.
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Lesseps → want → OGs
Bensimon, who fittingly worked for the Page Six column back in 2007, addressed the full-circle moment.
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who → work → moment
“I used to whisper about all of you guys, and now you guys are whispering about us,” she said.
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she → use → us
“It’s unbelievable.
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It → ’ → ?
“
Singer, meanwhile, thanked fans for pushing for their return to the small screen.
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Singer → thank → screen
“All the fans are constantly on social media saying, ‘We want you girls back, [we want] you OGs back on TV,’ so we owe a big one to you,” she said.
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she → say → you
Morgan ended the wildly entertaining speech with a bit of shade toward her castmates.
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Morgan → end → castmates
“I also want to thank the New York Post for always being there for us, and for fact-checking — unlike some of my co-stars,” she said.
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she → want → stars
If we check the facts, we wouldn’t have a show, would we?
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we → check → show
And I’m lucky to still be with you all.”
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I → ’m → you
The Golden Kettle is Virtual Reali-Tea’s prized lifetime achievement award, hand-selected by “VRT” hosts Evan Real and Danny Murphy, that celebrates the most legendary faces in reality television.
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that → prize → television
De Lesseps — who also took home the award for “Musician of the Year” — previously told Page Six she was “honored” to be recognized for her contributions to the world of unscripted television.
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she → take → television
“[It’s] a testament to the entertainment I’ve brought to viewers over the past nearly two decades on television,” she said in a written statement.
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she → ’ → statement
“I’d also love to thank my fellow OGs, the ladies who always keep it ‘cool’ — it’s been so fun to reunite with them for ‘The Golden Life.’”
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it → love → Life
Hosted Murphy and Real, the VRT Awards welcomed a slew of reality stars from hit shows across Bravo, Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, and more.
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Awards → host → Bravo
Winners of the fan-voted categories included Ciara Miller for “Best Reunion Performance,” Kyle Cooke for “Hot-Tea of the Year,” the cast of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” for “Best Cast,” Meredith Marks for “Style Icon of the Year,” Lindsay Hubbard and her daughter, Gemma, for “Best Dynamic Duo,” Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice and Dolores Catania for “Best Return to Screen” and Rosie DiMare for “Quote of the Year.”
Conversation
Your voice matters.
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voice → vote → Conversation
Discussions are moderated for civility.
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Discussions → moderate → civility
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