Emmy Awards postponed due to Hollywood's double strike

The Emmy Awards will not be held on September 18. It was always a possibility and everyone was aware of it since the nominees were announced, precisely on the same day that the actors joined the screenwriters and called the first double strike in 63 years.

If the situation wasn´t already complicated enough at the time, the performers' stoppage then brought the industry to a complete standstill and the resulting consequences were not long in coming. The first to notice were the films, which suspended all their promotional events that same day. One of the most striking images, in fact, was that of "Oppenheimer's" cast leaving the London premiere. Right after that came the series, which suspended practically all their production activities, with the exception of a few that managed to get out of the stoppage. And now it's time for the awards.

The event that kicks off the awards season each year, the Annual Emmy Awards, has been suspended until further notice. The news was announced in a recent edition of the popular magazine Variety, who assured that "the producers and other people involved in the event" already knew about the decision, although there is still no official statement. This year the ceremony was to be broadcast on the Fox network which, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, has proposed the idea to those in charge of the event, to hold it in January 2024.

The two unions on strike, essential to celebrate the Emmys

Their intention is to allow time for things to settle in the entertainment mecca and for both writers and actors to get back to work as they do not want to hold this event without their presence. Both groups receive the most awards at the ceremony. For example, The Hollywood Reporter recounted that last year, 16 of the 22 awards went to screenwriters or performers, and the possibility of not having them on stage is a problem.

Not to mention that the auditorium is practically filled by these two groups. And not only that, the Screenwriters Guild (WGA) is in charge of writing the scripts for the presenter and hosts, who also usually belong to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA).

The Television Academy, the event's organizer, has agreed with Fox to postpone the ceremony. However, they would not like to have to postpone it until January 2024 because, they say, it would coincide with the major film awards season, which traditionally begins in January and ends in March with the Oscars gala.

The last time the Emmy Awards were postponed was in 2001 due to the 9/11 attacks. On that occasion, the awards were postponed and presented in November of that year, seven weeks later than planned. Now, the deadline will be much longer as both Fox and the Television Academy are expected to wait until the double strike is over before announcing a new date.