Emmy Awards postponed for the first time since 9/11

Delay comes after actors’ and writers’ strikes prompted Hollywood shutdown

The 2023 Emmy Awards are reportedly being postponed, marking the first time the ceremony has been pushed back since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.

Strikes by actors and writers that have effectively shut down Hollywood have prompted the move, with tens of thousands in the industry unable to promote their work due to the action.

US insider site Variety reported on Thursday (27 July) that vendors for the 75th Primetime Emmys have officially been told that the ceremony will not air on 18 September as planned.

Fox is expected to announce that the Emmys will be rescheduled to January next year.

The awards will only still go ahead in January 2024 if a resolution is made between the studios and guilds before then.

This is the first time the Emmys have been pushed back since 2001, when the attacks on the Twin Towers and retaliatory military action delayed the ceremony until November.

This month marked a historic shutdown for Hollywood as the actors’ guild members joined writers striking for a fairer deal. SAG-AFTRA’s strike comprising 150,000 television and movie actors began at midnight on 13 July.

Meanwhile, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been on strike since May.

This is the first time since 1960 that both actors and writers have picketed film and television production companies.

The unions are concerned about contracts keeping up with inflation, residual payments in the streaming era and being protected against the threat of AI being used to create their likenesses and replace them.

Numerous high profile Hollywood stars have spoken out in support of the strikes or been seen on picket lines, from Mark Ruffalo to Susan Sarandon.

‘Succession’ cast and crew at 2022 Emmys (Getty Images)

Dwayne Johnson reportedly donated a “seven-figure” amount to The Screen Actors Guild, money that will likely help members through the union’s Emergency Financial Assistance Programme.

Nominees for the 2023 Emmys were announced earlier this month, just before actors joined writers in their strike. HBO shows Succession,The Last of Us andThe White Lotus led the pack with the most nods.

Succession made history at the nominations, after it was revealed that its stars Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong will compete against each other for the Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series category. This marks the most actors to ever be nominated from the same show in this category.

The full list of Emmy nominees for 2023 can be found here.