Emmys Officially Delayed to 2024 Amid Hollywood Strikes

The 75th Primetime Emmy awards have officially been delayed, amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America and the actors union SAG-AFTRA strikes. The news was officially confirmed by Fox on Thursday, revealing that the annual proceedings will not be held on their previously-planned date of September 18th, 2023. Instead, the Primetime Emmys will now air on Monday, January 15, 2024 (8:00-11:00 PM EST/5:00-8:00 PM PST) on FOX. Additionally, the Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live over two consecutive nights on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7, 2024. An edited presentation will be aired Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 8:00 PM EST/PST on FXX.

"As the Emmy Awards celebrates its 75th Anniversary, the show will broadcast live on FOX coast-to-coast from the Peacock Theater at LA Live and will honor the talented performers, writers, directors and craftspeople whose work has entertained, inspired and connected viewers across the globe throughout the past year," FOX's announcement reads in part.

The possibility of an Emmys delay has been rumored in recent weeks, as the ongoing strikes prevent writers or actors from promoting their nominated works. This is the second-ever postponing in Emmys history, after the 2001 ceremony was delayed into November in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

What Is Nominated at the 2023 Emmys?

The top show amid the 2023 Emmy nominees — which were announced just hours before the SAG-AFTRA strike took effect — was the fourth and final season of HBO's Succession, with a total of 27 nominations. HBO's The Last of Us and The White Lotus, Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso, and FX/Hulu's The Bear were also prolificallly nominated. 

"The strike rules will not allow any form of promotion for television series, streaming series, that have been produced under these contracts. My expectation is that it will bring any actor participation in any campaign to a close." Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, explained.

Why Are SAG-AFTRA on Strike?

In a statement tied to the strike announcement, SAG-AFTRA representatives revealed that the strike is commencing after four weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP, and an existing negotiation extension from June 30th to July 12th. Back in May, SAG-AFTRA's national board unanimously agreed to send an authorization vote to members, with and 97.91 percent of members ultimately voting in favor to authorize.

"I think that [audiences] have an allegiance to all of us because we bring joy to their lives, and during COVID, they turned to us for everything," SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said when the strike was announced. "So I don't think that your assumption that they don't really care about anything but being entertained over the summer is the bottom line, when the people that give so much to them and enrich their lives in so many ways, are saying, 'We are being taken advantage of in a terrible way.' And if we let this happen to us, dollars for doughnuts, it's gonna happen to you and your family, your children, and everybody that you work with too. That's how threatening this moment is in our nation's history."

What do you think of the latest update regarding the 2023 Emmys? How do you feel about the ceremony officially being postponed? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!