Emmys Nominations Now Disqualify Films for Competing for Oscars

Official Emmys Statement Ceases Dual Nominations For Certain Films

The Emmys announced in an official statement May 7th that films that premiered both in theaters and on television will no longer be considered for Emmy nominations. The official statement reads: “The Television Academy supports the recent decision from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to allow feature films, originally intended for theatrical distribution but made available via streaming or video on demand during the current pandemic crisis, to compete at the 2021 Oscars. Further, the Television Academy ruled in March that effective in 2021, programs that have been nominated for an Oscar will no longer be eligible for the Emmys competition.”

In recent years, documentaries such as OJ: Made in America and Free Solo have been the only programs prestigious enough to be lauded for both nominations, though now the cutoff between films that debuted both in theaters and on television will be marginalized to remain primarily eligible for Oscar noms. As this cutoff is to begin in 2021, it begs the question of whether films made for television such as OJ: Made in America will continue being made.

Additionally, in midst of the success of VOD films in the coronavirus pandemic, curiosity is raised over whether VOD films not premiering in theaters will be nominated for Emmys or Oscars. Regardless, due to the pandemic, both awards seasons will be put on hold, leading to the question of how the newest films set in production in 2020 will measure up once it is time for their official rankings once the virus lifts. Needless to say, the pressure is on now more than ever with this new standard set by the Emmys, establishing a boundary that makes both VOD and made-for-TV films fall into a new category altogether. 

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