Daytime Emmys Announce Kids, Animation, Lifestyle Awards: ‘Sesame Street’ Among Big Winners

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe most unusual of years for the Emmy Awards will include the most unusual of tasks: This year, everyone nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy has been asked to pre-tape an acceptance speech.In a letter to nominees, the Television Academy has asked all of the contenders to record an acceptance speech as if they have just won for the categories in which they are nominated.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe lead drama actress category may wind up being one of the most exciting competitions in this year’s Emmy race. Part of that comes from the unexpected surprise of Zendaya’s nomination for “Euphoria.” Although it was a possibility, the fact that Television Academy voters — who often seem late to the party (and still are with certain overlooked stars) — know enough about the young star to recognize her in the HBO drama’s freshman year is heartening.

Moses Boyd, FKA Twigs, Arlo Parks and Flying Lotus were among the big winners at the AIM Independent Music Awards.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeIt seems like it was a lifetime ago, but it was only last year that the busiest Emmy campaign season ever kept us out virtually every night of the week. That included seeing Bruce Springsteen and David Letterman onstage at the Netflix “FYSee” space, interacting with “The Marvelous Mrs.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeIt seems like it was a lifetime ago, but it was only last year that the busiest Emmy campaign season ever kept us out virtually every night of the week. That included seeing Bruce Springsteen and David Letterman onstage at the Netflix “FYSee” space, interacting with “The Marvelous Mrs.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeHow vicious is the Roy family from HBO’s “Succession”? Brian Cox, who plays powerful patriarch Logan Roy, and Jeremy Strong (as his son Kendall Roy) managed to help push out two mainstays in the Emmys’ lead drama actor category this year: Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) and Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Television Academy has finally revealed its plans for the Creative Arts Emmys. Normally a two-night event the weekend before the Primetime Emmy ceremony, this year the awards will be handed out virtually over four days, and live on FXX on a fifth day.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeLast year, my most-read Emmy column centered on the idea that perhaps it’s time to drop the notion of separate “actor” and “actress” categories — not only at the Emmys, but at all entertainment awards shows. After all, it does seem antiquated to pit women against women, men against men, and then leave others out altogether.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Television Academy’s decision to change the formula for the number of nominations in each category may have benefited the artisans and below-the-line talent on programs the most.While the number of comedy and drama nominees expanded to eight, all other categories had to rely on a submission count to determine how many slots they got. For most of the supporting performer categories, that also meant an expansion to eight.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Emmy smackdown between Netflix and HBO has taken another dramatic turn. As the Television Academy announced the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations on Tuesday morning, Netflix came out on top swinging with a whopping 160 nominations, followed by rival HBO in second at 107 nods.HBO still had reason to celebrate, however, as limited series “Watchmen” scored 26 nods, the most of any program.

Digital Dramas with Amazon’s The Bay, After Forever and Studio City walking away as big winners.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterThe second round of winners for the 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were unveiled Sunday night as the ceremony handed out trophies honoring Children’s, Lifestyle, and Animation programming.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeSome years, it’s easy to predict Emmy nominations and winners. And then there’s 2020.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeProducer/director Reginald Hudlin, whose credits include the 2016 Oscars, will become the first-ever Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys, Variety has learned exclusively.

Carrie Underwood is named entertainer of the year at the ACM Awards on Sept. 16—and she very well may be—a contributing reason could be that the voting period was so long ago—March 3-11.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterOn Sunday, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) unveiled the winners in the Digital Dramas category for the 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards via a virtual livestream ceremony hosted by Jai Rodriguez from the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.As the first virtual ceremony for the Daytime Emmys, Rodriguez hosted from a studio in Burbank adhering social distancing production protocols while the nominees waited to hear the winners

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeLocal public broadcaster KCET was once again the major winner at this year’s Los Angeles Area Emmys, and then, when combined with its sister station KOCE (“PBS SoCal”), the two outlets further dominated the awards. KCET won eight Emmys this year, the most of any station, followed by Univision’s KMEX-TV, which won five.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“The Amazing Race” was perhaps the first major U.S. production to halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when filming on the show’s Season 33 was paused at the end of February.