The Emmys ‘F—ed This Up’: Streamers and Networks Are Outraged as Five Categories Get Cut From the Telecast
The Television Academy has sparked backlash after voting to remove five award categories from the main Emmys telecast on 14 September, shifting them instead to the first ceremony weekend on 6 September, previously known as the Creative Arts Emmys. The move effectively merges what was a two-tier awards structure into a more consolidated format, but has drawn strong criticism from streamers, networks and industry figures who argue it creates significant logistical problems for nominees and studios alike.
The affected categories include writing for a variety series, supporting actor and actress in a limited series or movie, directing for a limited series or movie, and writing for a limited series or movie. Around nine additional nominees—including Jason Bateman, Charles Melton, Dakota Fanning, David Harbour and Nick Offerman—will now need to attend the earlier ceremony to potentially collect trophies, on top of those already committed to both weekends, such as Martin Short and Conan O'Brien. Critics note the change eats into the Labor Day weekend for many attendees and clashes with the Venice and Telluride film festivals, with the Toronto International Film Festival also under way by the time of the main telecast on 14 September.
- Emmys move five award categories off the main telecast
- Nine more nominees must now attend the earlier ceremony
- Change clashes with Labor Day and major film festivals
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Streamers, networks and TV studios compete every year at the Emmy Awards, which recognise the best in American television. The awards are handed out at two linked events run by the Television Academy: a headline televised ceremony and a companion event, formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys, for categories not shown on the main broadcast. This background matters because the Academy has decided to move several award categories from the main show to the earlier event, a change that has upset people working in the industry.
The categories being moved cover areas such as writing and directing for limited series, and supporting acting awards in that category, along with writing for variety series. Nominees affected include well-known actors and writers, some of whom were already expected to attend both events. Networks and streaming services are involved because they represent the shows and talent up for these awards, and the scheduling of ceremonies affects their planning.
The timing is significant because the earlier event falls over the Labor Day holiday weekend and overlaps with major film festivals in Venice and Telluride, with the Toronto festival also under way by the time of the main telecast. This creates potential clashes for nominees and studio staff who need to attend multiple events in a short space of time, which is part of why the changes have proved contentious.
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The case for
Supporters of the change, likely including Television Academy organisers, argue that a leaner main telecast serves the show's broader health: broadcast Emmys have struggled with declining viewership and lengthy runtimes, and trimming the ceremony to its highest-profile categories keeps the flagship broadcast tighter and more watchable for a mainstream audience. They can point out that moving categories to the Creative Arts weekend is not new in principle, since that ceremony already honours many technical and craft awards, and that consolidating the structure may be a pragmatic response to a changing television landscape where attention and advertising dollars for a three-hour telecast are harder to justify than before.
The case against
Critics, including streamers, networks, nominees and industry figures, argue the decision was made without adequate consultation and imposes real hardship: performers and writers in significant categories such as directing and writing for limited series now face an awkward choice between attending an earlier, lower-profile ceremony or risking absence if they win, all while the change eats into a holiday weekend and collides with the Venice, Telluride and Toronto festivals that many in the industry are also committed to. They contend that shifting categories like limited-series writing and directing out of the primary telecast implicitly diminishes their prestige and disrespects the creative work involved, and that the Academy underestimated the practical and symbolic costs of the reshuffle.