| Emmy Award | |
|---|---|
The Emmy Award statuette, depicting a winged woman holding an atom |
|
| Awarded for | Excellence in Television |
| Presented by | ATAS/NATAS |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1949 |
| Official website | ATAS Official Emmy website NATAS Official Emmy website |
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as an Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards (for film) and the Grammy Awards (for music).[1][2]
A majority of Emmys are presented in various sectors of the American television industry. As such, the awards are presented in various area-specific ceremonies held annually throughout the year. The two ceremonies that usually receive the most media coverage are the Primetime Emmys and the Daytime Emmys, primarily recognizing excellence in American primetime and daytime entertainment programming, respectively. Other notable Emmy Award ceremonies include 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 state-to-state television. In addition, International Emmys are awarded to recognize 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]
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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]
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 in the early image orthicon 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, 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 statues are manufactured by R.S. Owens Company based out of Chicago, Illinois who 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]
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).
Regardless of which area-specific ceremony one wins an Emmy, all winners still may be generally called an "Emmy Winner".
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 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 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.
The News & Documentary Emmy Awards are presented for excellence in national news and documentary programming. The awards ceremony takes place every Fall.
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.
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,[12] while the Los Angeles-based ATAS acts as the regional chapter serving the Los Angeles area.[5][13]
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 |
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,[14] 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.
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."
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