Primetime Emmy Awards
Quick facts for kids Primetime Emmy Award |
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| Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| Country | United States |
| Television coverage | |
| Network | NBC (1955–65) CBS / ABC / NBC (1966–86, rotating) Fox (1987–92) ABC (1993–94) Fox / ABC / CBS / NBC (1995–present, rotating) |
The Primetime Emmy Awards are special prizes given to the best TV shows and people who work on them in the United States. These awards celebrate amazing artistic and technical work in American primetime television. Primetime shows are those that air in the evening when many people are watching.
The awards are managed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). They recognize excellence in different areas of TV production. There are three main types of Primetime Emmys:
- The regular Primetime Emmy Awards, for the best shows and performances.
- The Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which honor behind-the-scenes achievements like special effects, costumes, and music.
- The Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards, for new inventions and technology that make television better.
The first Emmy Award was given out in 1949. Back then, it was just called the "Emmy Award." Later, other Emmy awards were created for different types of TV, like the International Emmy Award and the Daytime Emmy Award. This helped the Emmys celebrate even more parts of the television world.
The Primetime Emmy Awards show usually happens in September. It's often on a Sunday, right before the new fall TV season begins. Since 1995, four big TV networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC) take turns broadcasting the ceremony. Each network gets to air the show every four years. If NBC broadcasts it, the ceremony sometimes moves to a Monday night. This is to avoid clashing with their Sunday night NFL football games.
A Look at Emmy History
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) was started by Syd Cassyd in 1946. The very first Emmy ceremony took place on January 25, 1949. It was held at the Hollywood Athletic Club. Only six awards were given out at that first event.
At first, the Emmys only honored TV shows made and shown in the Los Angeles area. But by 1952, the awards became a national event. This meant they celebrated shows that were broadcast all across the United States.
Over time, different types of TV shows needed their own awards. For example, the separate Daytime Emmy Awards were created for shows that air during the day, like soap operas and talk shows. This happened in the early 1970s.
Later, more types of programs became eligible for the Primetime Emmys. In 1988, shows on cable television could compete. Then, in 2013, shows made only for online streaming television also became eligible. This showed how much TV was changing!
In recent years, the rules for Emmy categories have been updated. This was done because so many new shows are now available on streaming services. The changes help make sure that similar types of shows compete fairly, no matter when or where they are shown. For example, most scripted comedy and drama shows now compete in the Primetime Emmys. This includes shows that target viewers aged 15 and younger, which now have their own Children's & Family Emmy Awards. Also, many game shows now compete in the Primetime Emmys.
How Shows Qualify for an Emmy
To be considered for a Primetime Emmy Award, a TV show must first air in the United States. This usually happens between June 1 of one year and May 31 of the next. For a show to be called "national primetime," it needs to air between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. It also must be available to at least half of the country.
A show can only enter one national Emmy competition. This means if a show enters the Primetime Emmys, it cannot also enter the Daytime Emmy Awards. For shows that are streamed online, they must be available to more than 50 percent of the country. Like other shows, they can only enter one Emmy competition.
Shows that are sold to people before they air on TV or online are usually not allowed. Also, if a show is shown in movie theaters for a long time before it airs on TV, it might not be eligible. However, short screenings just for award consideration, like at film festivals, are usually okay.
Entries for the awards must be sent in by the end of April. This is true even if the show airs in May, which is the end of the eligibility period. For most awards, creators need to send in copies of their show, often on DVDs or through online platforms. For a TV series, usually six episodes that aired during the eligibility period are submitted.
Academy members vote to choose the nominees in June. Members usually vote only for awards in their own area of expertise. For example, writers vote for writing awards, and actors vote for acting awards. However, all 16,000 members can vote for the nominees in the 14 main program categories. These include awards like Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. The final winners are chosen in August by special judging panels.
The Emmy Trophy
The famous Emmy statuette is made from several metals: copper, nickel, silver, and gold. It takes about five and a half hours to create each one. Each Emmy trophy weighs six pounds and twelve ounces.
Sometimes, a whole team wins an award, but not every single person on the team gets their own trophy. However, people who are part of large winning teams, like writers, can often buy their own trophy.
Different Kinds of Primetime Emmys
The Primetime Emmys celebrate many different parts of making TV shows. Here are some of the main awards:
Main Primetime Emmy Awards
These awards honor the best shows, actors, writers, and directors.
Programs
- Outstanding Comedy Series: For the best funny TV show.
- Outstanding Drama Series: For the best serious TV show.
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: For a story told over a few episodes, or a series with a different story each season.
- Outstanding Reality Competition Program: For the best reality show where people compete.
- Outstanding Talk Series: For the best talk show.
Directing
- Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: For the best director of a comedy show.
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: For the best director of a drama show.
Writing
- Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: For the best writers of a comedy show.
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: For the best writers of a drama show.
Acting
These awards celebrate the best actors and actresses in TV shows.
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Creative Arts Emmy Awards
These awards recognize the amazing work that happens behind the scenes. This includes things like costumes, music, and special effects.
Programs
- Outstanding Animated Program: For the best cartoon or animated show.
- Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series: For the best factual series that explores real-life topics.
- Outstanding Television Movie: For the best movie made for TV.
Acting
- Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance: For the best voice acting in animated shows or documentaries.
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: For an actor who appears in only a few episodes of a drama.
Animation
- Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: For special artistic work in animated shows.
Costumes
- Outstanding Period Costumes: For amazing clothes that fit a specific historical time.
- Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes: For creative outfits in fantasy or science fiction shows.
Music
- Outstanding Music Composition for a Series: For the best original music written for a TV series.
- Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: For the best opening theme song of a show.
Special and Visual Effects
- Outstanding Special Visual Effects: For amazing computer-generated images and effects that make shows look incredible.
Stunts
- Outstanding Stunt Performance: For incredible and safe stunt work in a show.
Engineering Emmy Awards
These awards celebrate new inventions and big improvements in television technology. They honor people, companies, or groups who create new ways to transmit, record, or receive TV. These are the highest honors for engineering in television.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Premios Primetime Emmy para niños
- List of Primetime Emmy Awards ceremonies
- Daytime Emmy Awards
- List of American television awards
