Emmy Awards postponed due to Hollywood strikes

The 75th Emmy Awards have been officially postponed for four months, now set to air on January 15, 2024, amid an ongoing Hollywood strike among actors and writers.

The award, television's equivalent of the Oscars, historically takes place every year in or around September, celebrating the biggest shows and their casts and crews.

This year, with movies and shows' actors and writers on strike, they are unavailable to campaign for their shows or conduct promotional interviews ahead of the award.

The Television Academy and broadcaster Fox announced the new date on Thursday, confirming earlier reports regarding the postponement.

"We are pleased to announce that the 75th Emmy Awards will now air on Monday, January 15, 2024," said a Fox spokesman.

The postponement will bring the award ceremony to the same season as other ceremonies, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics Choice Awards. No host has been announced yet for the ceremony.

Why are Hollywood actors, writers striking?

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents around 11,500 writers in Los Angeles, New York, and other locations, started in early May — the first work stoppage for them in 15 years.

Now surpassing 100 days, the strike came after negotiations with companies, such as streaming giants Netflix and Disney, ended without a deal.

On July 14, they were joined by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

Both actors and writers are demanding better pay to correspond to inflation rates, and assurances against the use of AI in the industry. 

Actors want assurances that their digital images will not be used without their permission. The writers meanwhile demand safeguards against the use of AI in generating new scripts based on their past work.

Both are also asking for streaming services to introduce the traditional payment method of residuals for shows hosted on their platforms. Currently, writers and actors receive a fixed annual payout for streaming shows, regardless of how successful the show becomes.