Home / Arts and Entertainment / Emmys Unite Variety Categories: Late Night Races Heat Up
Emmys Unite Variety Categories: Late Night Races Heat Up
8 Jul
Summary
- Emmys combined variety series categories for the first time.
- Last Week Tonight, SNL, and The Daily Show earned nominations.
- Late night shows faced political and financial challenges.
The Television Academy has revamped the Emmy Awards by merging its variety series categories into a single, unified award. This significant change, announced in January, aims to streamline the process following a decline in submissions for separate talk and scripted variety series. The new structure brings back a format that predates a 2015 rule change, consolidating the competition.
This year's nominees reflect the consolidation, with nods for The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and Saturday Night Live. Notably, the viral web series Hot Ones, a potential first-time nominee from YouTube, did not secure a nomination in this reshaped category.
The unified category is now considered an "area award," allowing for multiple winners if nominees meet a 90 percent "yes" threshold from voters. This differs from traditional categories where only one winner is chosen. Future category splits are possible if submission numbers for both formats reach 20.
The nominated late-night shows have faced unique hurdles. The Late Show concluded its traditional format in May after CBS canceled it, while Jimmy Kimmel Live! navigated a suspension for the host. These recent challenges add a compelling narrative to the race against established favorites like Last Week Tonight and SNL.
