As many expected, the 75th Emmy Awards have been postponed due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes.
The show, originally slated for Monday, Sept. 18, has now been officially, indefinitely postponed. (Variety first reported the news.) Rumors have circulated for months that the awards ceremony was likely to move to either a November or January broadcast, with the Television Academy hoping for the former and network Fox preferring the latter option. Date-2023-telecast-september-1235450062/”>According to Deadline, it’s now expected that the Emmys will move to January, giving the industry more time to resolve its conflicts. Vanity Fair has reached out to the Television Academy for comment.
When the WGA strike began in early May, questions immediately began to crop up about what might happen if the work stoppage continued on into the fall. The MTV Awards had to pivot, ditching the red carpet and in-person speeches after talent as well as host Drew Barrymore refused to attend and writers could not be enlisted to write the show. The Tony Awards found a way to go on without writers, after reaching a unique deal with the WGA.
But already the Emmys seemed in a more precarious position as a show that depends so deeply on writers for a scripted broadcast, and as a show that specifically honors writers in several categories. When the SAG-AFTRA strike officially began on July 13, it felt as if it was the final nail in the coffin for the Emmys to keep their original date.
The telecast, which will air on FOX, is completely dependent on stars attending as both nominees and presenters. But SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules are very clear when it comes to awards shows: striking actors can’t even attend. The option of holding a press conference and skipping the broadcast was not seriously considered, in part because of the significance of this ceremony marking the Emmys’ 75th anniversary.
The SAG-AFTRA strike was announced just after the Emmy nominations were, which has created a unique situation for nominees leading up to voting. All acting nominees are prohibited from doing any press about their projects, including for their most recent nominations. These interviews and FYC events (which they are also prohibited from attending) are usually a major staple of awards season; without them, there’s been a strange vacuum in coverage of the nominees this season.
But the voting period on the winners is still slated to take place from August 17 to 28. That’s because the Television Academy has decided shaking up the calendar at this late stage could unfairly benefit or hurt some contenders. For an illustration, then, on just how unusual this moment is: In a few weeks, the Academy will cast Emmy ballots for projects like The Bear season one, whose results won’t be announced until, it seems, January—the same month that FX/Hulu’s hit show will probably start picking up major awards at the Golden Globes and various guild awards for its second season. That this was Hollywood’s best option says it all about this confusing, paralyzing moment for the industry.
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