Emmys delayed for the first time since September 11 attacks
The 2023 Emmys have been postponed until January 15, 2024, as a result of the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood.
The 27th annual Emmy Awards were due to take place on September 18, but the Television Academy and ceremony broadcaster Fox confirmed the delay in a joint announcement on Thursday. This is the first time the Emmys have been postponed since 2001, when the ceremony was pushed from September to November following the 9/11 attacks.
Jason Sudeikis won Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and outstanding comedy series for Ted Lasso in 2022. The Emmy Awards for 2023 have been delayed until January 2024 as a result of the Hollywood strikes. Credit: Invision
The Emmy nominations were announced on July 12 with Succession, The Bear, The White Lotus and The Last of Us leading the way.
However, the excitement was shortlived when, just two days later, the Screen Actors Guild confirmed it was joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket lines after failing to negotiate a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The writers and actors are striking over a number of issues, including the use of artificial intelligence in productions and success-based residual payments for shows on streaming platforms.
Part of the strike criteria includes a ban on any publicity, including awards shows, meaning the Emmys was always at risk of being pushed back.
It is the latest high-profile consequence of the Hollywood shutdown, with TV and film production grinding to a halt.
Instead of working on sets, the industry’s biggest stars have been mainstays on the picket lines, with Susan Sarandon, John Hamm, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Allen White, Kevin Bacon and Olivia Wilde all joining the efforts in New York City and Los Angeles.
Susan Sarandon joins the picket line.
Earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told The Sydney Morning Herald he wouldn’t be surprised if the strike bled into next year.
“I wouldn’t rule out January or February,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “Everyone should be working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but the only way that doesn’t happen is by finding a path to a fair deal.
“And we’re not going to compromise on the core principles of fairness that our employees fight for.”
Despite the stand-off, there are signs things may be improving with the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to resume bargaining today in an effort to find a deal for the Writers Guild.
The Writers Guild has been on strike for 101 days, walking off the job on May 2.
The guild sent members a message on Thursday confirming Carol Lombardini, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, “has asked the WGA Negotiating Committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators on Friday. We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to WGA proposals.”
“Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies,” the guild said.
However, should the Writers Guild strike a deal with the AMPTP, Hollywood would remain at a standstill until the actors and AMPTP come to an agreement.
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