The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards show is the latest production to be impacted by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Anticipation for the upcoming awards show rose on July 12, when the full list of Emmy nominations was announced. The Emmy Award is the most prestigious award for those in the TV industry, and fans are always excited to see how their favorite shows will fair. This year, Succession, The Last of Us, White Lotus, and Ted Lasso dominated the nominations, promising stiff competition in some categories. Additionally, the upcoming show is a major milestone for the Emmy Awards, which will be celebrating its 75th year.
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However, the Emmys ceremony is expected to be delayed and miss its typical September date due to the WGA strike, a result of studios refusing to pay writers a livable wage. The WGA strike has been ongoing since May 2, 2023, after negations between the labor union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) fell through. The union is seeking better compensation and protections for writers in Hollywood, especially in the face of complicating factors such as streaming and artificial intelligence. As a result, all 11,500 writers represented by the WGA were called to cease all writing for Hollywood as part of the strike. This has brought the production of many TV shows and films to a halt due to incomplete scripts or the inability to shoot without a writer on set. With no clear end in sight, the strike is expected to continue impacting shows and films until studios agree to pay their writers fairly.
Awards shows are no exception here. Most awards shows rely on writers to craft monologues for presenters and hosts. However, the biggest impact of the WGA on awards shows is the threat of boycotts. Members of the WGA will protest these shows; actors, directors, hosts, and other attendees may also refuse to show up or take part in the ceremony in solidarity with the writers. Hence, the Emmys is rethinking its release date amid the ongoing strike.
Will the Emmy Awards be delayed?
Those perusing the news on the Emmy nominations likely spotted a ceremony date of September 18, 2023, for the 75th Emmys. However, Variety has reported that this date will almost certainly be pushed back. A few factors are impacting an official announcement regarding the delay, though. First of all, the Television Academy, which organizes the Emmys, is in disagreement with Fox, the network that will broadcast the show, over where to move the release date. The Television Academy is going for a November release date, which isn’t very far off from the original date, while Fox is demanding a January release date to avoid scheduling conflicts. Also, both Fox and the Academy are waiting to see if the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) will go on strike before confirming the Emmys premiere date.
SAG-AFTRA was supposed to settle on a new contract with the AMPTP on June 30, but extended negotiations through July 12. However, this extended deadline crept up quickly with still no satisfactory conclusion. If a strike is called, it will require all 160,000 members of the guild to withhold labor. This would definitely impact Emmys attendance, which is why Fox and the Academy are waiting to determine if they’ll have one or two strikes to wait out.
Regardless if it ends up being November or January, the delay is likely to impact viewership. In November, there’s a chance of it being overshadowed by football and the holiday season. Then, in January, there’s the chance of interest waning as some of the nominated shows were released a year and a half earlier. However, the delay will be necessary, not just because of potential boycotts, but because it’s not quite right for various contributions to TV to be celebrated in a frivolous star-studded ceremony while writers are still waiting to receive basic compensation for their contributions.
(via Variety, featured image: CBS)
