Emmy Awards postponed due to actors, writers’ strike

Los Angeles [US]: The 2023 Emmy Awards are officially moving off their usual September airdate as actors and writers continue their strikes against media conglomerates, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

The 75th annual awards were supposed to air on Fox on September 18. However, sources close to the show confirmed that the original date and month are no longer being taken into consideration, although a new date has yet to be set.

The TV Academy and Fox, the 2023 broadcaster, are still negotiating the exact date of the rescheduled event. Ideally, the show won’t take place until SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, had the Television Academy and Fox stuck with the September 18 date, they ran the risk of playing to a mostly empty room, sixteen of the 25 awards given during the 2022 Emmy telecast went to actors or writers.

SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules call for actors not to do publicity for work made by struck companies, and an awards show would fall under that. WGA writers also pen material for the host and presenters (who would almost certainly be SAG-AFTRA members).

The postponement is the first for the Emmy Awards in more than two decades.

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Television Academy and CBS postponed the 2001 ceremony; it broadcast in early November of that year.

Phase two voting for the Emmy Awards is still moving forward as originally planned. TV Academy members will vote on the nominees starting August 17. Whether the 2023 Emmys are actually handed out in 2023, is still up in the air for the moment, reported The Hollywood Reporter.