Emmys: New Report Seemingly Confirms Delay Amid Writers and Actors Strikes

The 2023 Emmys are seemingly not happening this September, amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. On Thursday, a report from Variety revealed that vendors for this year's 75th Primetime Emmys have been informed that the ceremony will not be taking place on its previously-planned date of September 18th. If that's the case, this will be the second postponing in Emmys history, after the 2001 ceremony was delayed into November in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Although a new date for the 75th Primetime Emmys has not been set, previous reports indicated that the National Television Academy of Arts & Sciences was considering pushing into November, or even into January of 2024.

"Like the rest of the industry, we hope there will be an equitable and timely resolution for all parties in the current guild negotiations. We continue to monitor the situation closely with our partners at Fox and will advise if and when there is an update available," the TV Academy said last week in a statement.

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 Going 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.

"Yesterday our union celebrated the 90th anniversary of the incorporation of Screen Actors Guild," Crabtree-Ireland said during a press conference. "During our nearly century long existence we've fought for and achieved countless gains for working actors. Today, we embark on a new important chapter in our unions history. Earlier this morning, the SAG-AFTRA national board convened following four weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers in a meeting, because AMPTP remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on key issues essential to protecting the livelihoods of working actors and performers. SAG AFTRA as national board unanimously voted to issue a strike order against the studios and streamers."

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