One of late-night TV’s most prestigious Emmy categories may be presented outside the Primetime Emmy telecast this year.
The Television Academy intends to move Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series out of NBC’s live September 14 Emmy telecast. As Variety’s Michael Schneider first reported Friday, current plans call for the award to be presented nine days earlier, during the first of two ceremonies formerly known as the Creative Arts Emmys.
The Academy’s Board of Governors approved moving five categories out of the main broadcast, reducing the number of awards presented on NBC from 26 last year to 19. Variety writing would be handed out Saturday, September 5, alongside Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series and dozens of other awards.
The change is not necessarily a done deal.
The Writers Guild of America is likely to object, and history suggests the Academy may yet reverse course. In 2005, the Academy similarly attempted to relocate several writing, directing, and acting categories to the Creative Arts ceremonies, only to back down after pushback from the WGA and Directors Guild of America.
Academy chair Cris Abrego acknowledged to Variety that “there’s going to be some upset folks,” but said the organization hopes that presenting fewer trophies will leave more time for performances, comedy and memorable acceptance speeches.
“We’re really excited to flex more creativity into the show,” Abrego said.
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series has been a fixture of the televised Primetime Emmys for decades. First presented in 1966, the category has primarily recognized the writers of variety and sketch-comedy programs, undergoing several name changes before adopting its current title in 2012.
In recent years, it has also become one of the Emmys’ most predictable categories. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has won ten consecutive years, continuing a streak of dominance by Oliver and his fellow Daily Show alumni that dates back more than two decades.
This year’s three nominees are Last Week Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!—all of which are also considered leading contenders in the newly recombined Outstanding Variety Series category.
Ironically, removing the writing award may not ultimately reduce the amount of variety-show acceptance-speech time this year.
Under the Academy’s new area-award rules for the Outstanding Variety Series category, voters will consider each nominee individually. Any show receiving at least 90% approval will win, meaning the category could produce multiple winners—and multiple speeches—during the September 14 telecast.
The Television Academy has said it’s already planning for that possibility. So even with one fewer variety award on the NBC broadcast, Emmy night could still find itself making room for more than one late-night victory lap.
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