The WGA Is Still Fighting for Recognition as the Emmys Drop Writing Award From Telecast
The Writers Guild of America secured a satisfactory new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after its strike earlier this year. However, the fight for recognition isn’t over, especially with the Primetime Emmys dropping a writing category from its main telecast this year.
The WGA was on strike for 148 days before it reached an agreement with the AMPTP on September 27. Members of the labor union withheld their writing services from Hollywood while negotiating for better pay and working conditions. Writers had experienced a slash in residuals due to streaming, pay minimums weren’t keeping up with inflation, and they were fearful of the use of AI for writing services. Despite studios balking at paying writers livable wages, the WGA’s strike and negotiating eventually landed the union a deal that secured its members increased pay, viewership-based streaming bonuses, and safeguards against AI.
However, just because writers secured a new contract doesn’t mean the fight is over yet. AI has remained a persistent threat in the industry, with some fearing studios might still find loopholes in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA agreements or that the safeguards aren’t enough to protect workers. There is also a growing issue with studios canceling projects in post-production or erasing shows and movies from streaming libraries to avoid paying out residuals.
Then, there’s just the routine battle for writers’ contributions to be noticed even though they’re not in front of the camera. The recent decision of the Emmys illustrates just how hard it is for even the most talented and successful writers to be recognized.
The WGA slams the Emmys for dropping writing award from telecast
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast on January 15, 2024, on Fox. The ceremony was delayed due to the strikes but is now quickly approaching to award the highest honors to the best TV programs from June 1, 2022–May 31, 2023. However, this year, the TV Academy revealed it won’t present the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series or Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special during the main broadcast. Instead, both will be presented at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which will air on January 6–January 7, 2024 and typically doesn’t receive the millions of views the main ceremony does.
Usually, at least either the writing award for the variety special or variety series is presented at the main ceremony. The absence of both this year means the number of awards presented to writers has gone from its usual four to only three. The TV Academy didn’t provide a specific reason for the decision, but it’s likely because it wanted to shorten the telecast or keep the number of awards presented at 25. However, the fact that it chose to cut a writing award on the heels of the WGA strike is not sitting well with the union.
The WGA issued a statement slamming the TV Academy for removing the presentations “without any justification or defensible reason.” It emphasized that the decision “devalues” the writing profession and ignores “how writing serves as the foundation for excellence in television.” The WGA also expressed concern that this would set a precedent for more writing categories to be removed. Meanwhile, the statement concluded by urging WGA members to advocate for the awards to be brought back to the main ceremony.
It can’t be denied that removing a writing award from the main presentation is a bad look after how hard the WGA fought to protect its writers this year. If anything, these writing awards should be further emphasized at every upcoming awards show as another reminder of how important their work is and how necessary the strike was. Choosing a writing award to cut gives studios and viewers the impression that writers aren’t important or interesting enough to make the main ceremony. However, none of the shows nominated for Emmys would exist without the hard work of writers, making their awards main ceremony material.
(featured image: Bettmann/Getty)
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