Emmy Awards - History & Facts

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards that took place on Monday, was a star- studded event, held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The Emmys are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry.?

It was a historic moment for the South Korean Entertainment Industry as the popular drama Squid Games bagged awards. Sheryl Lee Ralph and Brett Goldstein earned accolades, while Mike White went home with two trophies for writing and directing The White Lotus, which also was named best limited or anthology series. HBO observed much victory with numerous wins as Succession was named best drama series, while Apple TV’s Ted Lasso won best comedy series.?

Today, after more than 70 years on, The Emmys remain dedicated to felicitate outstanding performances on the TV and broadband screen entertainment industry.?

But, how did this journey begin??

●?????The Emmy Awards were conceived in 1948 by The Los Angeles–based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), as part of an image-building and public relations opportunity.?

●?????The name Emmy derives from Immy, a nickname for image orthicon, a camera tube used in television. The name was eventually feminized to "Emmy" to match the winged statuette, the muse of art holding up the electron of science.?

●?????You may find it surprising that the iconic Emmy statuette's design was inspired by a TV engineer's wife. Louis McManus first designed a winged woman, representing the arts holding up an atom, which symbolized the sciences. Over the years, the celebrated award underwent a few transformations, including depicting a golden man.?

●?????The inaugural Emmy Awards ceremony was held on Jan. 25, 1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club. The very first Emmy, given in the category of Most Outstanding Television Personality, went to ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale (and her puppet sidekick, Judy Splinters) for her work on "The Judy Splinters Show."?

●?????Over time, separate ceremonies evolved for news and documentaries in 1973, for daytime programming in 1974, for prime-time programming in 1977, and for sports in 1979.?

SOME INTRIGUING FACTS :?

●?????Meanwhile, with such an extensive growth of the television industry, Emmys have now been divided into three separate events, all honoring different aspects of the industry.?

1. The Emmy Awards, both primetime and daytime, honor the best series, actors, writers, directors, costumes, and so on. These awards are the flagship event and the one that the Academy is best known for.
2. The Creative Emmy Awards, which traditionally air a week before the Primetime Emmys, recognize excellence in technical, creative, and craft categories.
3. ?While the Engineering Emmy Awards acknowledge accomplishments in the technology used to make television.?

●?????Only members of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences may vote for the awards, and members vote only within their own discipline—actors voting for actors, writers for writers, and so on.

●?????Categories in which awards are granted include dramatic series, comedy series, special drama, limited series, and variety, music, or comedy.?

●?????Within each of these categories a best program is chosen; and in most categories the best actor and actress, supporting actor and actress, director, and writer are chosen.?

●?????Awards are also given for special achievement, creative arts, and technical categories.