An Emmy Award, or simply Emmy, recognizes excellence in
the
television industry, and corresponds to the
Academy Award (for
film), the
Tony Award (for
theatre),
and the
Grammy Award (for
music).[1][2]
Because Emmy Awards are given in various sectors of the
American television industry, they are presented in different annual
ceremonies held throughout the year. The two events that receive the
most media coverage are the
Primetime Emmys and the
Daytime Emmys, which recognize outstanding work in American
primetime and daytime entertainment programming, respectively. Other
notable Emmy Award ceremonies are those honoring
national sports programming,
national news and documentary shows, national business and financial
reporting, and
technological and engineering achievements in television.
Regional Emmy Awards are also presented throughout the country at
various times through the year, recognizing excellence in local and
statewide television. In addition,
International Emmys are awarded for excellence in TV programming
produced and initially aired outside the United States.
Three related but separate organizations present the Emmy Awards: the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), and the
International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.[3]
Each is responsible for administering a particular set of Emmy award
shows.[4]
History
The
Los Angeles-based
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) established the Emmy
Awards as part of an image-building and
public relations opportunity.[4]
The
first Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949 at the
Hollywood Athletic Club, but solely to honor shows produced and
aired locally in the Los Angeles area.
Shirley Dinsdale has the distinction of receiving the very first
Emmy, for Most Outstanding Television Personality, during that first
awards ceremony.[4]
In the 1950s, the ATAS expanded the Emmys into a national event,
presenting the awards to shows broadcast nationwide. In 1955, the
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) was formed
in New
York as a sister organization to serve members on the
East Coast, and help to also supervise the Emmys. The NATAS also
established regional chapters throughout the
United States, with each one developing their own local Emmy awards
show for local programming.[4]
The ATAS still however maintained its separate regional ceremony
honoring local programming in the Los Angeles Area.[5]
Originally there was only one Emmy Awards ceremony held per year to
honor shows nationally broadcast in the United States. That changed when
the
Daytime Emmy Awards, a separate awards show specifically just for
daytime programming, was first held in 1974. Other area-specific Emmy
Awards ceremonies soon followed. Also, the
International Emmy Awards, honoring television programs produced and
initially aired outside the U.S., was established in the early 1970s.[4]
Meanwhile, all Emmys awarded prior to the emergence of these separate,
area-specific ceremonies are listed along with the
Primetime Emmy Awards in the ATAS' official records.[6]
In 1977, due to various conflicts, the ATAS and the NATAS agreed to
split ties. However, they also agreed to share ownership of the Emmy
statue and trademark, with each responsible for administering a specific
set of award shows.[4]
Emmy statuette
The Emmy statuette, depicting a winged woman holding an atom, was
designed by television engineer
Louis McManus, who used his wife as the model. The TV Academy
rejected a total of forty-seven proposals before settling on McManus'
design in 1948. The statuette "has since become the symbol of the TV
Academy's goal of supporting and uplifting the art and science of
television: The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron
of science."[7]
When deciding a name for the award, Academy founder
Syd
Cassyd originally suggested "Ike", the nickname for the television
iconoscope tube. However, "Ike" was also the popular nickname of
World War II hero and future
U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, and therefore Academy members wanted something
more unique. Finally, television engineer and the third academy
president, Harry Lubcke, suggested the name "Immy", a term commonly used
for the
image orthicon tube used in the early cameras.[7]
After "Immy" was chosen, it was later feminized to Emmy to match their
female statuette.[7]
Each Primetime Emmy statuette weighs six pounds, twelve-and-a-half
ounces (3.08 kg), and is made of copper, nickel, silver and gold. The
statue stands 15.5 inches (39 cm) tall with a base diameter of 7.5
inches (19 cm) and weight of 88 oz (2.5 kg). The Regional Emmy Award
statuette is 11.5 inches (29 cm) tall with a base diameter of 5.5 inches
(14 cm) and weight of 48 oz (1.4 kg). Each takes five-and-one-half hours
to make and is handled with white gloves to prevent fingerprints. The
Regional Emmy Awards are made by
Society Awards, a New York based company that also makes the
Golden Globe Awards. The Primetime Emmy statues are manufactured by
R.S. Owens Company based out of
Chicago,
Illinois which is also charged with manufacturing the Academy Award
statues.[8][9]
As its trademark owners, the ATAS and the NATAS hold firm rules on
the use of the "Emmy" image as well as its name. For example, the Emmy
statuette must always appear facing left. Any copyright notice for the
statue should read "ATAS/NATAS", listing both academies. Academy members
must also obtain permission to use the statue image or name for
promotional uses even though they are winners of the award. Furthermore,
DVDs of Emmy-winning shows may reference the fact that they received an
Emmy, but cannot use the statue image unless it is capable of being
removed from all copies after one year after the award is presented.[10][11]
Area-specific ceremonies
The Emmys are presented in various area-specific ceremonies held
annually throughout the calendar year, ranging from honoring nationally
televised shows to regionally- and locally-produced programs. Each
ceremony has their own set of nominating and voting procedures, along
with different rules regarding voting committees. Also, the various
ceremonies each have own set of award categories, and it is not uncommon
for them to have some of the same names (e.g.
Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and
Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series).
A show that enters into one of the national Emmy competitions cannot
also be entered into any of the others. For example,
syndicated shows whose air times vary between media markets may be
eligible for both the Daytime and Primetime Emmys, but cannot enter in
both.[12]
In general, a show is considered national if it reaches more than 50
percent of U.S. households; programs that do not reach at least 50
percent of the country may enter into the Regional Emmys instead.
Regardless of which area-specific ceremony one wins an Emmy, all
winners are called an "Emmy Winner".
Calendar
A typical calendar of the major Emmy ceremonies is as follows, with
the dates listed being those in 2013:
Primetime Emmys
The
Primetime Emmys are presented in recognition of excellence in
American
primetime television programming. Ceremonies generally are held in
mid-September, on the Sunday before the official start of the fall
television season, and are currently broadcast in rotation among the
ABC, CBS,
NBC, and
Fox networks.
Some award categories presented to behind-the-scenes personnel such
as
art directors,
costume designers,
cinematographers,
casting directors, and
sound editors are awarded at a separate
Creative Arts Emmys ceremony held a few days earlier.
The Primetime Emmys are run and voted on by members of the ATAS. For
most categories, members from each of the ATAS' branches vote around
June to determine the nominees only in their respective categories. All
members can however vote for nominations in the best program categories.
The final voting to determine the winners is held in August.[13]
Daytime Emmys
The
Daytime Emmy Awards, generally are held in June, are presented in
recognition of excellence in American
daytime television programming. The first daytime-themed Emmy Awards
were given out at the primetime ceremony in 1972, but the first separate
awards show made just for daytime programming was not held until 1974.
Like the Primetime Emmys, a separate Creative Arts Emmy ceremony is
also held a few days earlier to honor the behind-the-scenes personnel
working in daytime television.
The Daytime Emmys are run and voted on by members of the NATAS.
Voting is done by peer judging panels. Any active member of the NATAS,
who has national credits for at least two years and within the last five
years, is eligible to be a judge. Depending on the category, voting is
done using either a ratings score criteria or a preferential scoring
system.[14]
All the drama acting categories have an addition preliminary voting
round called the "pre-nominations", where one or two actors from each
show is selected to then move on and be considered for the primary
nominations for the awards.[15]
Sports Emmys
The Sports Emmy Awards are presented for excellence in
sports programming. The awards ceremony takes place every Spring,
usually sometime in the last two weeks in April or the first week in
May, and is held on a Monday night in
New York City.
Voting is done by peer judging panels. The NATAS solicits anybody
with significant experience in national sports production to serve as
judges. The panels are organized so that they only have one
representative from each corporate entity (i.e.
CBS Corporation,
Disney,
NBCUniversal,
News Corporation,
Time Warner etc.) Most categories only have a single voting round
using preferential scoring system. The top 5 entries in each category
are announced as the "nominations", and then the top entry is announced
as the Emmy winner later at the awards ceremony.[16]
News and
Documentary Emmys
The
News & Documentary Emmy Awards are presented for excellence in
national news and documentary programming. The awards ceremony takes
place every Fall.
Voting is done by peer judging panels. The NATAS solicits anybody
with significant experience in national news or documentary reporting or
production to serve as judges. Most categories have two voting rounds,
with separate judging panels in each round. The top entries in each
category are announced as the "nominations", and then the top entry is
announced as the Emmy winner later at the awards ceremony.[17]
Technology and Engineering Emmys
The
Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards are presented to individuals,
companies, or to scientific or technical organizations in recognition of
significant developments and contributions to the technological and
engineering aspects of television. The award is determined by a special
NATAS panel composed of highly qualified, experienced engineers in the
television industry.[18]
Regional Emmys
There are 20 total regional chapters located across the United States
that each conduct regional awards to recognize excellence in all the
regional
television markets, including state to state programming as well as
local news and
locally produced shows. Nineteen of the regional chapters are
affiliated with the NATAS,[19]
while the Los Angeles-based ATAS acts as the regional chapter serving
the Los Angeles area.[5][20]
In general, a show is considered regional if it does not reach more
than 50 percent of U.S. households; programs that reach more than 50
percent of the country must enter into one of the national Emmy
competitions instead.
The Regional Emmys are essential in helping NATAS and ATAS honor the
works of deserving individuals in local TV through a regional outreach.
Like the national awards, each region goes through their own rigorous
nomination and voting procedures. Committees are formed to review
entries for eligibility and high standards. Once accepted, each entry
goes before different review committees, and their votes are cast to
determine the final nominees. The final votes are then calculated by
certified accounting firms within each region. Regardless of winning on
a national or regional level, all recipients are "Emmy Award"
winners.
Originally, each Regional Emmy Awards ceremony primarily focused on
only honoring individuals in local news programming.[4]
The regionals have since been expanded to encompass all locally and
state to state-produced shows that receive less than fifty percent of
the country's viewing audience.
| Regional chapter |
States in region |
|
Boston / New England |
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and
Vermont; Most of Connecticut |
|
Chicago / Midwest |
Parts of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin |
|
Highlands Ranch / Heartlands |
Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma; Parts of Wyoming |
|
Dallas / Lone Star |
Texas; Parts of New Mexico |
|
Los Angeles (ATAS) |
Los Angeles only |
|
Brecksville / Lower Great Lakes |
Parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania |
|
Southfield / Michigan |
Michigan |
|
Arkansas / Mid-America |
Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri; Parts of Illinois and
Louisiana |
|
Delaware / Mid-Atlantic |
Delaware; Most of Pennsylvania; Parts of New Jersey and Ohio |
|
Nashville / Midsouth |
North Carolina, Tennessee |
|
Maryland / National Capitol/Chesapeake Bay |
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. |
|
New York / New York |
New York; Parts of Connecticut and New Jersey |
|
Alaska / Northwest |
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington |
|
Kentucky / Ohio Valley |
Kentucky and West Virginia; Parts of Indiana and Ohio |
|
San Diego / Pacific Southwest |
Most of Southern California; Parts of Nevada |
|
Arizona / Rocky Mountain |
Arizona and Utah; Most of New Mexico and Wyoming; Parts of
Southern California |
|
San Francisco / Northern California |
Northern California and Hawaii; Parts of Nevada |
|
Atlanta / Southeast |
Mississippi and South Carolina; Most of Alabama and Georgia |
|
Suncoast |
Florida; Parts of Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia |
|
Minnesota / Upper Midwest |
Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota; Parts of Nebraska
and Wisconsin |
International
Emmys
The
International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presents the
International Emmy Award to the best television programs produced, and
initially aired, outside the U.S. There are fourteen program categories
for the International Emmy Awards: Arts Programming; Best Performance by
an Actor; Best Performance by an Actress; Children & Young People;
Comedy; Current Affairs; Documentary; Drama Series; Interactive Channel;
Interactive Program; Interactive TV Service; News; Non-Scripted
Entertainment; Telenovela; and TV Movie/Mini-Series.
The awards are presented at the International Emmy Awards Gala. Held
each year in November at the
Hilton Hotel, New York City,[21]
the Gala attracts over 1,200 television professionals, who gather to
celebrate excellence in television and network with their peers. The
three Interactive categories are awarded in a separate ceremony held
during
MIPTV in
Cannes.
The International Emmy award categories have three voting rounds.
Judges must have at least five years of experience in the television
industry. They are not required to be existing members of the
International Academy, but are encouraged to join.[22]
College
Television Awards
College Television Awards are given nationally and 2013 marks the
34th annual year for college awards.
History
High school and college students can submit productions to their
region's charter and receive recognition in the categories of News, Arts
& Entertainment, Documentary, Public Affairs/Community Service/Public
Service, Sports, Technical Achievement and Writing.
The school or after-school program attached to the students then
receives a plaque with the name of an adult advisor and the student
film-makers. Up to one-hundred students are allowed to be attached to an
award.
From there, a "blue-ribbon" panel judges the winners from each region
and awards the National Student Television Award for Excellence.
However, in 2009, this program was suspended at a national level and
competition went on only regionally. Per the NationalStudent.tv website:
"Partly as a result of the recent severe downturn in the nation’s
economy, corporate and personal grants and donations that provided
National Student Television (NSTV) with funds to conduct our annual
competition have not materialized. There is no money to continue our
operations."
Other Emmys
- Business and financial reporting
- Public Service—for
public service announcements and programming to "advance the
common good"
- The
Bob Hope Humanitarian Award—awarded by the Academy Board of
Governors
- The Governors Award honors the achievements of an individual,
company or organization whose works stand out with the immediacy of
current achievement. It is the highest award presented by the
Academy.[23]
See also
- Emmy related
|
- Other similar awards
|
References
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External links