Hollywood guilds hit Emmys over categories cut from NBC telecast
DGA, WGA and SAG-AFTRA objected after the TV Academy moved five awards from the Sept. 14 NBC broadcast to Creative Arts Emmys weekend.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Three of Hollywood’s most powerful guilds are pushing back after the Television Academy pulled five awards categories from the main Emmy Awards telecast.
The Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA issued a joint statement objecting to the change, saying the move diminishes the work of artists the Emmys are supposed to celebrate.
The categories will no longer be handed out during the Sept. 14 Emmy broadcast on NBC, according to the Television Academy’s announcement. They are being shifted to the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which take place the weekend before the televised ceremony.
In their joint response, the guilds said, “The Emmys exist to celebrate the best of television and the artists who are central to bringing these stories to life.”
They added that removing the categories from the prime-time show “devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor,” and said an awards program built around recognizing excellence should not scale back recognition for the artists behind the work.
Which Emmy categories are moving
The Television Academy’s change affects acting, writing and directing races tied to limited or anthology series and television movies, along with one variety writing category.
The categories moving off the main broadcast are:
- Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Television Movie
- Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or a Television Movie
- Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or a Television Movie
- Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or a Television Movie
- Writing for a Variety Series
The Writing for a Variety Series category had previously been part of an alternating setup with Writing for a Variety Special, with the two categories moving between the main Emmys telecast and the Creative Arts ceremonies.
The guild statement brought together three groups whose members are directly affected by the shift. The DGA represents directors, the WGA represents writers, and SAG-AFTRA represents performers.
The objection centers on visibility. The main Emmy broadcast is the awards’ highest-profile stage, while the Creative Arts Emmys are held separately before the NBC telecast.
The Television Academy announced the programming change earlier Friday. The guilds’ response followed the same day.
No further explanation from the Academy was included in the announcement described by Deadline, and the guilds’ statement focused on the symbolic weight of moving the awards away from the prime-time ceremony.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.