Eligible TV Academy members have been in the nomination round of the Emmy vote for nearly a week, but it’s unclear how (or when) would-be winners might reclaim their trophies if Hollywood remains hobbled by the Writers Guild strike. of America.
Less than three months before the ceremony and live stream scheduled for September 18, sources say organizers are actively discussing multiple contingency plans — including postponing the event altogether — if the labor dispute in the town was not resolved until later that summer. (Representatives for the TV Academy and this year’s broadcaster, Fox, had no comment.)
More from The Hollywood Reporter
This is not a completely surprising development. The Emmys are, after all, one of the most writer-centric awards shows on the calendar. The top prizes (Outstanding Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series) are generally accepted by the showrunners. And, like all award shows, TV shows are largely shaped by a team of writers. The recent Tony Awards got away with an unscripted ceremony populated by Broadway stars, but such a version of the Emmys seems unlikely given the working relationship between actors and writers that is so intrinsic to the television medium.
The Emmys bypassed interference from the previous writers’ strike in 2007-08, although the Golden Globes fell within the three-month window. All pomp and circumstance were eighty-six in exchange for a press conference announcing the winners.
Uncertainty seems to require the discussion of other options. The WGA strike is approaching its third month. And while the Directors Guild has reached a tentative agreement with the studios to renew their own contracts, the Alliance of Film and Television Producers has yet to return to the negotiating table with screenwriters. Similar talks have begun between the studios and the actors guild, with SAG-AFTRA voting 97.91% in favor of authorizing a strike if they do not agree.
For now, the schedule continues. The current ballot ends on June 26, with nominations due to be announced on July 12. The second and final round of voting is expected to take place between August 17 and 28. And although Fox hasn’t named a host, the network has put Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay as its production crew for the first month of the strike.
The New York Times was the first to report the potential delay.
The best of The Hollywood Reporter
Click here to read the full article.