Television Academy expands Emmy categories to include digital content
LOS ANGELES -- The Television Academy said it will expand its Primetime Emmy Awards short form category to include content from digital creators and distributors.
"Our industry is aggressively, quickly and creatively evolving the various ways episodic stories are told," Bruce Rosenblum, Television Academy Chairman and CEO , said in a statement. "Our Board of Governors felt that this expansion of short form categories begins the process of ensuring that Emmy-worthy creativity will be rewarded, irrespective of format or platform.
"These category changes reflect the broader opportunities that emerging networks and distribution platforms, such as Maker Studios, Fullscreen ... AwesomenessTV, YouTube Red, Adult Swim and others, are seizing in choosing innovative formats that enable our television community to share stories in novel and entertaining ways."
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The news, announced Wednesday, marks the Academy's gradually shifting attitude toward the growing digital space.
While television networks have utilized digital influencers by casting them on traditional TV series and, in some cases, giving them their own shows, giving them their own category is a significant new form of recognition.
The expanded short form categories will be presented as part of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies, which take place over two consecutive nights the weekend before the Emmy telecast.
The Academy, which has more than 18,000 voting members, said in its release that this expansion mirrors its decision in 2001 to include reality programming in the Emmy competition.
Other newly announced changes to Emmy categories include an increase in the number of nominations (from five to six) for directing and writing in both comedy and drama.
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Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
