The Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America Friday criticized a Television Academy decision to remove five Emmy Award categories from the prime-time broadcast.
The criticism came a day after the Television Academy’s Board of Governors approved moving five award categories from the Sept. 14 prime-time telecast on NBC to ceremonies scheduled Sept. 5 and 6, according to Variety.
The affected categories are outstanding writing for a variety series, supporting actor and supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, directing for a limited or anthology series or movie, and writing for a limited or anthology series or movie.
In a joint statement released Friday, the three entertainment unions condemned the decision.
“The Emmys exist to celebrate the best of television and the artists who are central to bringing these stories to life,” the statement said. “The decision to eliminate these categories from the prime-time broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning.”
In a statement Friday, the Television Academy defended the changes.
“The Television Academy is committed to delivering a fresh new take on the Emmys broadcast, with a focus on entertainment that celebrates television shows, artists and moments audiences love while honoring excellent work from the past year,” the statement read.
“Given the extraordinary breadth of work recognized each year and the limited time available within a three-hour broadcast, a select number of categories will be moving to the Emmy ceremonies taking place the week prior to the telecast. This thoughtful evolution ensures this year’s NBC ceremony and future broadcasts remain deeply engaging and tailored to the television audience.”
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source mynewsla.com ’
