'New Moon' wins ShoWest fan choice prize

LOS ANGELES, March 16 (UPI) -- The ShoWest/Fandango Fan Choice Award for 2009's Best Movie is to be bestowed upon "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" in Las Vegas, organizers said Tuesday.

The winner of the prize was announced by ShoWest Managing Director Robert Sunshine. The award will be presented at ShoWest's final night banquet and award ceremony Thursday at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

"We are thrilled to once again have the opportunity to partner with Fandango to present the ShoWest/Fandango Fan Choice Award at this year's ShoWest final night banquet and award ceremony," Sunshine said in a statement. "It is no surprise that the fans have chosen the box-office hit 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' as this year's recipient, and we are excited to present the film with this award."

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" earned 66 percent of the vote during an eight-week online survey exclusively featured on the Web site Fandango's Awards Watch section.

ShoWest is an annual convention for the motion picture industry.

Organizers did not say who might be on hand from "Twilight" to collect the prize Thursday.