Donny and Marie to salute nation’s moms

updated 10:51 p.m. ET April 8, 2008

NEW YORK - Donny and Marie Osmond will help salute the nation’s moms as co-hosts of an NBC special scheduled for Mother’s Day night, the network and Teleflora, the program’s sponsor, have announced. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft.)

On “America’s Favorite Mom,” airing May 11, the Osmonds will crown a winner chosen online by viewer polling. The program will mark the holiday’s centennial.

“When the concept was first presented to us — Donny and Marie on a Mother’s Day special — I thought, ‘Oh, everybody’s gonna need an insulin shot,”’ said Donny during a phone interview with The Associated Press. “But we’re not just talking about traditional moms. It shows real moms in real situations, and with some of them, you think: How do they do it?”

“They’re empowering for other women,” sister Marie added. “They inspire other mothers to say, ‘I’m not alone. I can get through this, too.”’

Nominations are being accepted through April 25 in the categories of single moms, working moms, stay-at-home moms, unconventional moms and military moms.

The 15 semifinalists will be profiled on NBC’s TODAY show the week before Mother’s Day, enabling the audience to choose the most deserving. The winner will get cash and prizes valued at “thousands of dollars,” Teleflora said.

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Donny and Marie, who since childhood have sung professionally both with and without their large family, recall early Mother’s Day observances as somewhat nontraditional.

“We were touring,” Donny said.

“It was the NON-holidays when we got to celebrate things,” Marie agreed. “But mama was always honored in our home.”

Besides their co-hosting duties on the special, Donny and Marie will do a musical number.

“Marie picked out the song,” Donny said.

“It was a mutual decision,” she argued.

So what’s the song going to be?

“I don’t know,” Marie teased.

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