The entertainment industry is grappling with another wave of uncertainty as the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards gets pushed back indefinitely, in the wake of the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), as revealed by Variety.
The grand event, originally slated for September 18th, is now caught in the whirlwind of these labour conflicts, leaving attendees, nominees, and vendors in a state of suspense. This postponement was to be expected, considering the simmering tensions and negligible progress towards resolving the strikes.
Shrouded in Uncertainty: The New Emmy Date
At present, the Television Academy, the official body responsible for the awards, is contemplating a November date. On the other hand, Fox, the network broadcasting the event, is hinting at a possible January 2024 slot. Both dates are tentative, and the industry is still uncertain whether the strikes will be resolved by then.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the Screen Actors Guild’s national executive director and chief negotiator, recently expressed concerns about the actors’ strike potentially extending into 2024, casting further doubts on a smooth progression of events.
Technical Awards on Hold, Voting Schedule Unchanged
Notably, the Creative Arts Emmys, an event honouring technical and similar achievements in American television programming, has been rescheduled from its initial dates of September 9 and 10. Despite these shake-ups, the Television Academy’s voting schedule remains unaffected, with the final round of voting happening from August 17 to August 28.
However, due to the strike rules, actors and writers are prohibited from promoting their projects. Consequently, this year’s campaigning will unfold without the presence of these key figures. As of now, no host for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards has been announced.
Emmy Nominees Speak Up on the Ongoing Strikes
The WGA strike unfolded on May 2, followed by the SAG-AFTRA strike on July 14, marking the first simultaneous action by both unions in more than six decades. In the past, the 1960 SAG-AFTRA strike lasted for 6 weeks, while the WGA strike continued for 148 days. However, given the current impasse, the strikes could potentially extend well beyond their historical duration.
The nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were declared on July 12, just two days before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. With the unions demanding better residual payments and protections against the rise of AI, the strikes seem to eclipse the awards, leaving the nominees in a predicament.
Natasha Lyonne, a nominee for Rian Johnson’s Poker Face, remarked humorously that she was ready with a verbatim rendition of the 1972 Emmy speech by late actor Peter Falk. However, she also acknowledged the grim reality of the strikes:
“It is really, really dark and dystopian, frankly. I don’t know if that was the goal [with the story] or what, but certainly this is a time of needed solidarity….it just feels like, really, the thing to do would be to not be so corrupt such that you actually give the people who make the things you put on your networks fair deals.”
First-time comedy nominee Taraji P. Henson admitted to being so engrossed in following the strikes that she missed out on the nomination announcements.
In Conclusion
The postponement of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, in light of the ongoing strikes, is a sharp reminder of the upheavals in the entertainment industry. While the awards stand as a symbol of recognition and celebration of talent, they are now mired in uncertainty. The outcome of the strikes will be keenly watched by the industry, nominees, and fans alike, for its implications extend far beyond just the awards. In the meantime, stay tuned for further updates on the new schedule of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
