Emmy Awards won't air next week as they're postponed for first time in 22 years

17 September 2023 , 11:00

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The Primetime Emmy Awards have been postponed for the first time since 2001 (Image: Getty Images)

The Emmy Awards are a big deal for many actors, as they celebrate the best in American prime time TV, but this year's highly-anticipated ceremony has been postponed until 2024.

The 75th annual award show was due to take place on Monday, September 18 and fans were gearing up for the ceremony, with the nominees already announced. However, the 2023 Emmy Awards have been pushed back four months to January 15 amid the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood.

It's the first time in 22 years that the ceremony has been postponed. The Emmy Awards were last pushed back in 2001 when the 9/11 terror attacks in New York forced the ceremony back from September to November.

Succession was honoured at last year's Emmy Awards (NBC via Getty Images)

Nominations for the 75th annual Emmy Awards were announced back in July. Succession, The Last of Us and The White Lotus led the nominations. However, among the excitement, Hollywood actors went on strike just 48 hours after the announcement was made.

The Hollywood film industry was thrown into chaos earlier this year as SAG-AFTRA members voted to join the Writers Guild of America in striking after a unanimous decision was reached. It's the first time in 60 years both unions are striking together.

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The actors' strike came about in July after almost a month of deliberations between the union and producers. Back in May, the Writers Guild of America was also unable to reach a deal, which led to their strike.

This is the first time in 22 years the Emmy Awards have been postponed (Getty Images)

Members of the Writers Guild of America voted to strike as a protest at lower incomes and the threat of AI. They were joined by large numbers from the acting community, who have similar concerns.

The striking workers maintain that they want residual payments to become viewership-based, in the hopes this will change the tiny payments some have received after working on huge hits for streaming services. They're also calling for higher minimum staffing levels and shows.

The strikes have been supported by some huge names in the film industry, including Leonardo Dicaprio, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Dwayne Johnson. Together, these celebrities have donated a combined $15million (£12million) to SAG-AFTRA's emergency hardship fund.

This fund was set up to support actors who were struggling without work. SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney Vance said they have been dealing with "more than 30 times our usual number of applications for emergency aid".

Scarlett O'Toole