The 2021 Emmy Awards are heading into your home at the end of September, but we know there are lots of questions! Last year's event was unprecedented, requiring a host in an empty auditorium and winners and nominees scattered all around the country and the world, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 quarantine.
So what will be different about this year's 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards? Read on!
When are the Primetime Emmy Awards?
The 73rd annual Emmy Awards will air live on CBS Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET; the show can also be found on Paramount+ for those who prefer streaming. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards (which has some interesting categories like guest stars) will air on FXX on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
How will this year's ceremony be different from last year's?
Last year, an abundance of caution over COVD-19 transmission, as well as city regulations about group gatherings indoors, led organizers to keep presenters separate from nominees, many of whom held their own small gatherings, which they streamed to the ceremony. This year will resemble previous Emmy ceremonies, but only by a bit: The ceremony for 2021 will include a small in-person audience made up of nominees and guests, gathering at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Who's hosting the Emmys?
"The Neighborhood" star Cedric the Entertainer will host for the three-hour ceremony. He's had lots of practice, hosting the American Music Awards, the Critics Choice Television Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, the Soul Train Awards and the TV Land Awards.
He's the first Black individual to host the Emmys since "Saturday Night Live" stars Michael Che and Colin Jost shared the stage in 2018, and the first solo Black host since 1997, when Bryant Gumbel held the mic.
Who's nominated?
That's a very long list, which you can view here, but some of the big races we're keeping an eye on include "Ted Lasso" (Apple TV+), which earned 20 nominations in its first season; "Lovecraft Country" (HBO) received 18. "The Crown" (Netflix) is buzzed to capture the top drama which would be the streaming service's first best series Emmy. It received 24 nominations, as Disney+'s "The Mandalorian" did.
Shows must have aired between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 to be eligible this year. That means that some shows which won big from last year (like "Succession," "The Morning Show" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") weren't eligible for awards this time around because of production delays related to COVID.
One interesting change: Any person nominated as an actor or actress can request that their nomination certificate and Emmy statuette (if they win) should read "performer" and not "actor" or "actress."
What about the red carpet?
So far as we know, there will be a red carpet, but since the audience will be just nominees and guests, don't expect a packed affair like in pre-2020 years. Still, this may give us more of a chance to examine the outfits of those who do walk down the carpet.
Watch this space for more updates as we learn them about this year's Primetime Emmy Awards!