Eva Longoria PARKER has withdrawn her name from contention for the 2008 American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards - because she wants acting newcomers to be recognised for their efforts.

The 33-year-old Desperate Housewives star joined former Dancing With The Stars contestant Cristian de la Fuente to announce the nominations for this year's (08) ceremony at the Universal Studios Backlot in California on Monday (21Jul08).

And after revealing the new contenders, she admitted she had asked to have her own name removed from the running.

She says, "Everybody knows Desperate Housewives; let's recognise the people that you may not know on certain shows.

"I'm involved in the balloting and the selection process and the committee. So for me it was a conflict of interest."

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony hosted by Longoria Parker on 17 August (08) and will be aired on U.S. TV on 12 September (08).