Emmys cut five categoriesfrom primetime

Academy seeks more room for entertainment as guilds protest move

The Television Academy is cutting five award categories from this year's primetime Emmy broadcast in an effort to make the three-hour ceremony more entertaining, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from major Hollywood guilds.

According to Variety, the Academy's Board of Governors voted to shift the five categories to ceremonies on Saturday (tomorrow) and Sunday, ahead of the Sept 14 NBC telecast. It will cut the number of awards presented during the primetime ceremony from 26 last year to 19.

The awards include writing for a variety series, supporting actor and actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, directing for a limited or anthology series or movie, and writing for a limited or anthology series or movie.

Academy chair Cris Abrego said the move would give producers more time for musical performances, comedy segments and acceptance speeches, which have often been squeezed by the number of awards.

The decision has prompted an immediate backlash. The Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America said in a joint statement that removing the categories from the primetime broadcast devalues the contributions of the artists being honoured.

UTA also criticised the timing, arguing that the changes should have been announced before nominees were revealed. The agency said moving categories after nominees had been notified disrupted expectations and urged the Academy to reverse the decision.

The overhaul comes as the Emmys seek to strengthen their television audience. Last year's ceremony on CBS averaged 7.4 million viewers, an 8% increase over the 2024 show and the highest audience for the awards since 2021.

The Academy is also considering the future of its traditional broadcast arrangement, under which ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox rotate coverage. The deal expires after this year's NBC ceremony, although Abrego said the changes were made separately from those negotiations.

The Sept 14 ceremony will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, airing live on NBC and streaming on Peacock from the Peacock Theatre at LA Live.

The Academy has attempted similar changes before, including moves in 2005, 2009 and 2023 to streamline the ceremony. Those efforts faced resistance from industry guilds, with the Academy ultimately abandoning its 2005 proposal.

Abrego said the Academy would now engage with the guilds, acknowledging that the decision would upset some members. He said the aim was to protect the integrity of the Emmys while ensuring the awards remain culturally meaningful for future audiences.