Emmy awards are moving closer to reflecting the reality of the rapidly changing TV industry, with the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and Los Angeles-based Television Academy realigning the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards. Going forward, both competitions will be organized by genre as opposed to daypart. In a television-viewing environment in which viewers watch programs largely on demand and on their own schedules, awarding shows by daypart no longer makes sense. 

According to both organizations, the realignment “represents a transition that allows the competitions to reflect consumers’ evolving viewing habits, reduce category overlap and provide clarity on eligibility requirements.”

The Daytime Emmys are the first competition that will receive nominations under the new guidelines. Changes to the Daytime Emmy Awards competition include moving all programs targeting kids 15 and under to NATAS’s recently restructured Children’s & Family competition. 

All scripted programming will compete in the Primetime Emmys, with the exception of daytime dramas, also known as soap operas, which will remain in the Daytime Emmy competition. Those are being redefined to include “any multi-camera, weekday daily serial, spinoff or reboot.” Programming previously awarded in the limited-drama categories of the Daytime competition are being moved to the Primetime Emmys.

Talk shows will remain in both competitions, largely as they are now, with talkers intended for daytime, such as Disney's Live with Kelly and Ryan, competing in the Daytime Emmys and late-night talkers, such as HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, competing in Primetime. 

Some English- and Spanish-language morning shows, however, will move out of the Daytime competition and into NATAS’ News & Documentary Emmys depending on their format. More talk-oriented morning shows will remain in the Daytime Emmys’ talk categories. 

The academies are still considering where to place game shows and instructional and do-it-yourself programming categories and these types of shows are being considered for realignment for next year. All other categories will be clarified such that content creators will submit to a single competition on the basis of submission genre, irrespective of airtime. 

The academies are committing to spreading out the judging periods for the Daytime, Primetime and Children’s & Family competitions to non-conflicting timelines to allow adequate time for submissions and judging. 

In addition, the Television Academy and NATAS are forming a joint panel that will be charged with making eligibility determinations between competitions and categories. Show producers who are unsure of the competition for which they are eligible or who are petitioning to switch contests will be encouraged to submit to the eligibility review panel prior to submission.

“NATAS and the Television Academy each pride ourselves on celebrating and honoring the best television has to offer, and with the evolution of our industry, it was critical to update our competitions to meet current trends in both content and viewing habits,” said Adam Sharp, president and CEO, NATAS, in a statement. “These changes will allow each Academy to honor an undivided scope of achievement in our respective fields of television excellence.”

“The realignment of these Emmy competitions represents the most significant collaboration between the Television Academy and NATAS since the two became separate entities in 1977,” said Maury McIntyre, president and COO, Television Academy, also in a statement. “We’re proud to be responsive to the needs of the creative community and the evolution of our industry, ensuring the Emmy Award remains the preeminent mark of excellence across all genres of television.” 

The Daytime Emmys will release its call for submissions in January. ■

Fox Sports 1 tackled eight Sports Emmy Awards to lead all content distributors, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Tuesday night.

NBC finished second with seven awards, followed by Foxsport.com’s six wins and ESPN and HBO with five awards each. FS1’s Fox Sports Live and CBS’ Super Bowl 50 coverage tied for the most individual wins with three, according to NATAS.

“This has been another amazing year for Sports television,” said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS in a statement. “The diverse, inclusive, and innovative programming of Sports television continues to raise the bar of what is possible in allowing the fans to view the game in new and exciting ways. In addition to the outstanding work by this evening’s nominees, we are also honored to salute the iconic broadcaster, Verne Lundquist, for his unique and insightful perspective on golf, basketball, football, swimming, track & field and almost every sport known to man!”

The 37th annual Sports Emmy Awards winners include:

Outstanding Live Sports Special

 Super Bowl 50 -- CBS

Outstanding Live Sports Series

Sunday Night Football -- NBC

Outstanding Playoff Coverage

 NFC Divisional Playoff NBC Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals  -- NBC

Outstanding Edited Sports Coverage

All Access: Mayweather vs. Berto: Epilogue -- Showtime

Outstanding Short Sports Documentary

SC Featured: No Excuses -- ESPN

Outstanding Long Sports Documentary

30 for 30: Of Miracles and Men -- ESPN

Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary

 Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Houston Texans – HBO

Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly

College GameDay Football – ESPN

Outstanding Studio Show - Daily

MLB Tonight -- MLB Network

Outstanding Sports News Anthology

E: 60 -- ESPN2

Outstanding Sports Journalism

Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel – HBO

Outstanding Short Feature

FOX Sports Live: Changing Lanes: The Siphiwe Baleka Story – FoxSports.com

Outstanding Long Feature

E:60 – Ernie Johnson – ESPN2

Outstanding Open/Tease

The 141st Kentucky Derby -- NBC

Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage

College Football Playoff National Championship -- ESPN/ESPN3/ESPNU/ESPN Goal Line Megacast

Outstanding Digital Innovation

 A Royal Reality -- Foxsports.com

Outstanding Social Tv Experience

Garbage Time With Katie Nolan -- FS1/FOXSports.com

Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Host

Bob Costas -- NBC/MLB Network

Outstanding Sports Personality - Play-By-Play

Mike Emrick -- NBC/NBCSN

Outstanding Sports Personality - Studio Analyst

 Bill Ripken --MLB Network

 Outstanding Sports Personality - Sports Event Analyst

 Bill Raftery -- tbs/CBS/TNT/truTV/FS1

Outstanding Sports Personality - Sports Reporter

Ken Rosenthal -- FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com/MLB Network

Outstanding Technical Team Remote

 Super Bowl 50 -- CBS

Outstanding Technical Team Studio

 FIFA Women's World Cup 2015-- FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com

Outstanding Camera Work

The Triple Crown -- NBC

Outstanding Editing - Short Form

 FOX Sports Live: Between the Lines – FS1

Outstanding Editing - Long Form

 FOX Sports Live Mr. 900: The Bill Fong Story – FS1

The Dick Schaap Outstanding Writing Award

Mayweather/Pacquiao: At Last -- HBO

Outstanding Music Interpretation

Kareem: Minority of One -- HBO

Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound

 NASCAR on FOX -- FOX/FS1

 Outstanding Post-Produced Audio/Sound

 Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Houston Texans -- HBO

Outstanding Live Graphic Design

2015 NBA All-Star Weekend -- TNT

Outstanding Post-Produced Graphic Design

ESPN Monday Night Football -- ESPN

Outstanding Studio Design/Art Direction

Inside the NBA on TNT – TNT

Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction

FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 -- FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com

The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award

Super Bowl 50 – CBS

Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement

 NASCAR on NBC – NBC

Outstanding Live Sports Coverage In Spanish

 CONCACAF Cup Final -- Univision/Univision Deportes

Outstanding Studio Show In Spanish

SportsCenter Deportes -- ESPN Deportes

Outstanding On-Air Talent In Spanish

David Faitelson  -- ESPN Deportes