Richard Gadd, change your flight plans. The creator and star of HBO Max’s “Half Man” wound up with the series’ only Emmy nomination this year — via his supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or movie nod. But as of last week, that category will no longer be presented during NBC’s Emmy telecast on Sept. 14.
Last Thursday, the TV Academy Board of Governors voted to move five categories to the earlier Emmy ceremonies (no longer dubbed the “Creative Arts Emmys,” now they’re just “Emmys”): writing for a variety series, supporting actor and actress in a limited series or movie, directing for a limited series or movie and writing for a limited series or movie.
That means a lot of nominees who thought they were only attending the Sept. 14 Emmys might now be going to the Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 shows — or perhaps they’ll be attending multiple ceremonies, as many of the limited supporting actor and actress nominees (Jason Bateman, Dakota Fanning, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini and Nick Offerman among them) now have categories in both shows.
Of course, that’s a high-class problem to have — to be nominated for so many Emmys that you’re spending multiple nights at the Peacock Theatre. I’m sure those nominees can find sharp looks for a few Emmy outings. (Think about how many FYC events they attended just to get here!)
The DGA, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA swiftly condemned the move, arguing, “The decision to eliminate these categories from the primetime broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor.” But wait — what about all the hardworking crew who have always been awarded during those earlier ceremonies, including many of your own members? The Creative Arts Emmys honor talented people from various fields — including TV movies, animation and documentaries — as well as guest performers and voice actors, costumers, hairstylists, editors, cinematographers, art directors, musicians and more. Are you suggesting this batch of five is too elevated to be a part of this group?
I do feel for the TV Academy. Granted, it is the very definition of a massive bureaucracy that often struggles to keep pace with the industry. But that’s partly because of the catch-22 it forever faces: Make drastic changes to evolve with the times, and you piss people off. Don’t make changes, and you’re accused of being a dusty, immovable relic that fights to maintain relevancy. Look how hard it’s been to even figure out a solution to the variety series category: No matter the option, someone is unhappy.
You know that old definition of insanity — “doing the same thing and expecting different results”? Put on the same Emmys, and what do you expect you’ll get? More ratings slides and bad reviews. At least the Academy, NBC and Jesse Collins Entertainment are trying something different. The Emmys attracted just 7.4 million viewers in 2025. Will paring the number of awards and filling that time with more entertainment (music performances, comedy routines, more heartfelt acceptance speeches) ultimately make a difference? Even chairman Cris Abrego says it’s a gamble. But this is just one year. If it doesn’t work, switch it back. But at least they’re trying something! And I do trust in ceremony producers Jesse Collins Entertainment to give it their best shot.
Having covered this industry for as long as I have, this is all déjà vu. History repeats itself, and the TV Academy tried to do exactly this in 2005, when it announced plans to move seven categories to the Creative Arts show. The industry, including the WGA and the DGA, balked, and the TV Academy had to backtrack. Even 20 years ago, the Emmys were trying to find a way to evolve — let’s see if this time it sticks.
