New Categories, Rules for the 2019 Emmys

One new competitive category, juried awards and a handful of rule changes are headed to this year’s potential Emmy nominees.

A new music composition category has been added specifically for documentaries in addition to the current category for narrative series’. The choreography category is being restructured to separate choreography for reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance? and Dancing with the Stars from choreographed sequences in a narrative series, limited series and television movie.

Another big change is the redefining of the length of a television movie. The new minimum length will be 75 minutes. The last two winners in this category, both segments from the Black Mirror anthology, clocked in at 61 minutes for San Junipero (2017) and 76 minutes for USS Callister (2018). The Academy had previously made time definitions for comedy and drama series, which impacted hour-long dramedies like Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, which could be appealed on an individual basis.

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on FOX September 22, 2019 with the two-night Creative Arts Emmys revealed on September 14th and 15th. Nominations will be announced July 16th.

Here is the complete list of new categories and rules for the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.

New Category: Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Underscore)

The Academy has approved the addition of a new category, Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special, recognizing the unique creative process and evaluation criteria for documentary scoring, versus scoring for scripted series or specials.

Restructured Choreography Categories

There will be two separate juried awards:

● Outstanding Choreography for Variety and Reality Programming (Variety Series, Variety Special, Structured Reality, Unstructured Reality and Competition Program)

● Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming (Comedy Series, Drama Series, Limited Series and Television Movie)

Defined Minimum Run Time for Television Movie

The Academy has set a minimum running time of 75 minutes for a Television Movie.

Nomination Tracks for the following Sound Mixing Categories

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: Entries in this category will be recognized in two genres, variety series and variety specials. The number of nominees will be proportional to the number of submissions in each genre, with at least one nomination for each.

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program: Entries in this category will be recognized in two genres, documentary/nonfiction programs and reality programs. The number of nominees will be proportional to the number of submissions in each genre, with at least one nomination for each.

Short Form Vetting Procedure

The Academy will adopt a new vetting procedure to identify Emmy-competitive entries in the Short Form categories on nomination-round ballots.

Panelists, randomly selected from a member pool, will evaluate these entries.

Panel vetting for placement on the nomination-round ballot will apply to Short Form categories including:

● Outstanding Short Form Drama or Comedy Series

● Outstanding Short Form Variety Program

● Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series

● Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Drama or Comedy Series

● Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Drama or Comedy Series

New Voting Eligibility for Music Supervisors

Music Supervisors will now vote in all music categories (previously Music Supervisors only voted for Outstanding Music Supervision).

Stunt Coordination

Voting in both categories shall be determined in a three-step process:

● All entries will be viewed in their entirety by the Stunt Coordination Peer Group Executive Committee (PGEC).

● Based on a weighted score of all the entries by the PGEC, up to the top 10 scoring entries in Comedy Series or Variety Program and up to the top 15 Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie will be presented to the Stunt Coordination peer group via “at home” online viewing to determine the nominations.

● Winners will be determined by the members of the Stunt Coordination, Performer and Director Peer Groups via “at home” online viewing of the nominated entries.

Hanging Episode Eligibility

Eligibility changed from “airing prior to the nomination-round voting deadline” to “airing prior to the start of nomination-round voting.”

Addendum to Hanging Episode Rule:

Programmed networks may post episodes on a distribution platform in advance of the episodes’ airdates in cases where they otherwise would be “hanging” or ineligible because they are scheduled outside the eligibility period. Posting must meet the following criteria:

● Episodes must be posted within the current eligibility year (i.e., by May 31).

● Episodes may be posted on a private distribution platform accessible only to Television Academy membership.

● Episodes must be the same in form and content as they will later appear in their regular time slots.

● The subsequent airing of the episodes must take place within the month of June.