The Emmy Awards Explained

Television is deeply ingrained in our daily lives. More than 99 million U.S. households have a TV, and the average American watches around three hours of television daily. We often plan our time around favorite shows. TV's popularity has led to cultural shifts and driven technological advancements like VCRs, cable, satellite TV, and high-definition broadcasting.

Television also taps into our passion for competition. It's thrilling to watch shows where the outcome is uncertain. When the Emmy Awards are revealed, millions eagerly tune in to see how their beloved programs perform. A victory can elevate an actor's career or dramatically increase a show's ratings. Occasionally, an Emmy win can revive a show with low viewership but exceptional quality. In the 1980s, NBC’s 'Hill Street Blues,' a police drama that earned critical acclaim but lacked a wide audience, won multiple Emmys for acting, writing, and best drama series, saving it from cancellation.

So, how do the Emmys operate? Who nominates the nominees, and who casts the votes for these nominations? This article delves into the Emmy process, explaining what happens before the envelopes are opened live during the Emmy broadcast.

­

­

­

Who Grants the Emmys?

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS), located in Los Angeles, is responsible for presenting the Emmy awards for prime time television shows. On the other hand, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), based in New York City, oversees the awards for daytime programming, as well as news and documentary categories. When television award winners express their gratitude by saying, 'I'd like to thank the academy,' they are referring to either the ATAS or the NATAS.

Here, we will concentrate on the prime time awards. Members of the ATAS, which was established in 1946, are professionals working within the television industry. These are the individuals who cast their votes for the awards. To become a member, they must pay a membership fee. Members are organized into peer groups, based on their specific areas of expertise in the industry. For instance, performers belong to one peer group, makeup artists and hairstylists form another, and camera operators and videotape professionals are grouped separately. Nominees often express their appreciation for being recognized by their peers, as the peer groups are the ones responsible for the initial round of Emmy voting, which narrows down the list of nominees.

The academy has a dedicated Awards Committee that manages the Emmy process each year. The prime time awards are typically presented in August or September. To qualify for eligibility, programs must have aired on broadcast or cable television during prime time (6 p.m. to 2 a.m.) between June 1 and May 31. Additionally, they must have been available to audiences in regions that cover at least 51 percent of the nation's television viewers. Individuals involved in eligible shows are allowed to submit their own nominations. A single team can enter multiple categories, as long as each entry is for a different program. Entrants are required to pay a fee, which varies depending on the nature of the nomination—whether commercial, individual, or for a program—and the size of the team for group entries. Submissions can be made by mail or fax.

Television producers often promote their shows in the trade press before Emmy nominations are submitted, aiming to capture the attention of voters. After the nominations are announced, producers continue their promotional efforts with advertisements, highlighting their shows' nominations.

The Emmy awards are divided into numerous categories, reflecting the different peer groups. These categories cover areas such as animation, art direction, casting, choreography, cinematography, commercials, costume design, directing, engineering development, hair styling, lighting direction, main title design, makeup, music, nonfiction, performance, picture editing, program types, sound mixing, sound editing, special visual effects, technical direction, video, voice-over performance, and writing. Within each major category, specific awards are given, such as 'outstanding directing in a comedy series' or 'outstanding lead actress in a drama series.' A full list of these categories is available on the Emmy Web site.

Who Determines the Emmy Winners?

Once the entry deadline has passed, ballots listing all qualified entries are sent out to academy members. Each peer group votes within their own field—performers vote for performers, directors vote for directors—while all members vote in program categories like best comedy series and best miniseries. The completed ballots are submitted to Ernst & Young, an independent accounting firm, for counting. The nominees are then announced, typically the top five vote-getters in each category, though there may be fewer.

The academy enlists volunteers from its members to judge the nominees and select the best in each category. These volunteer judges are also grouped by their expertise, and the number of judges in each category can vary. However, everyone votes for the outstanding program categories. In earlier years, judging panels would meet in Los Angeles for a two-day marathon to watch all the nominated shows and performances. This system was introduced in the 1960s by Rod Serling, creator of the 'Twilight Zone,' who was president of the academy at the time. He, along with others, wanted to ensure that judges actually watched the nominees instead of simply voting for their favorites.

Judging procedures evolve as the industry and the voting members' needs change. For instance, in 2000, the academy introduced a new system that allowed members to watch nominee tapes at their convenience, from the comfort of their homes. This shift aimed to increase voter participation, especially since television critics and others had criticized the previous process. They argued that the old system was biased toward older members who had more free time and were less likely to recognize the boldest, most innovative shows. While the new method provided flexibility, critics argued that it lacked accountability, relying on the honor system to ensure voters actually watched the submissions.

After volunteer voters return their ballots to Ernst & Young, the firm securely counts them while keeping the results confidential until the live broadcast. During the show, one or more representatives from the accounting firm will be introduced, and they will securely hold the envelopes containing the names of the winners until the presenters take them on stage.