It Looks Like the 2023 Emmys Will Be Postponed Due to Hollywood's Current Strikes

You'll likely be waiting a bit longer to find out how 'Succession', 'The Last of Us' and 'The White Lotus' fare at Hollywood's big annual TV awards this year.
Sarah Ward
Published on July 28, 2023

It's Hollywood's night of nights for television, it usually takes place in September and it has already announced its 2023 nominees. This year's Emmys look set to delay anointing a new round of winners, however, with word circling that the awards ceremony will be postponed due to the current film and TV industry strikes.

Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are reporting that the 2023 Emmy Awards will ditch its scheduled date: the night of Monday, September 18 in the US, which is Tuesday, September 19. If the strikes are still ongoing, actors and writers won't be attending the ceremony — not the red carpet, nor the awards themselves — meaning that the bulk of the televised accolades wouldn't be able to be accepted by their recipients. Also, the shindig will look mighty empty.

As per Variety, vendors have been told that the event will be postponed, with a new date yet to be confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter also advises that the rescheduled awards won't take place in September — and, in a best-case scenario, will be held off until the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers comes to an agreement with SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America.

TV lovers will have to wait a little longer, then, to find out which shows have been dubbed the past year's best by the voters in the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences — and how much they love HBO. The answer already: a whole heap. In 2023, the folks who decide which shows will score some Emmys love awarded a massive 74 nominations to three HBO series: Succession, The Last of Us and The White Lotus.

TV's best case of family feud earned 27 nods, including for almost every actor who appeared in its fourth and final season in leading, supporting and guest roles. In the Best Actor category alone, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin are going head to head. The most spectacular game-to-screen adaptation yet nabbed 24, while vacation chaos brought about 23 nominations. The other show that racked up a comparable tally? Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso with 21 nods.

Similarly in the running: everything from Andor, Better Call Saul, House of the Dragon and Yellowjackets (all in the drama fields) to Abbott Elementary, Barry, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and Wednesday (the comedy categories), plus the likes of Beef, Daisy Jones & the Six and Fleishman Is in Trouble (limited series) as well.

Hollywood talents are fighting against diminishing residual payments for performers, and to establish firm rules about the future use of artificial intelligence in the industry, among other improvements to working conditions. When they took action in mid-July, SAG-AFTRA's members joined their counterparts in the Writers Guild of America, who've been striking since May.

The current strikes are affecting film releases, too, with Australian crime-thriller Force of Nature: The Dry 2 already ditching its planned August date with cinemas given that star Eric Bana a member of the striking SAG-AFTRA.

It's also been rumoured that big blockbusters such as Dune: Part Two, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and The Colour Purple might also delay their releases, including until 2024; however, none have officially shifted their dates as yet.

The 75th Emmy Awards are currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 19, Australian time, but may be postponed — we'll update you if/when a new date is confirmed. Check out the list of 2023 nominations, and keep an eye on the Emmys' website for further details in the interim.

Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter.

Published on July 28, 2023 by Sarah Ward
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