Emmy Awards Likely Postponed Until January Due to Actors’ and Writers’ Strikes: Report

Fox, which was set to broadcast the 75th Annual Emmy Awards in September, has decided to postpone the show due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper sources a person familiar with the plans, reporting that Fox is expected to soon announce the show will be rescheduled for January. It was originally set for Sept. 18.

"Like the rest of the industry, we hope there will be an equitable and timely resolution for all parties in the current guild negotiations," the Television Academy, which hosts the Emmys, said in a statement to The Messenger last week. "We continue to monitor the situation closely with our partners at Fox and will advise if and when there is an update available."

Variety is reporting the vendors contracted for the show have already been warned about the postponement.

Executives at Fox had already said that the show would likely be delayed if the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continued through the end of July, realizing it would be difficult to stage the show without talent available to present the awards and perform.

The Emmys were last postponed in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was eventually presented seven weeks late in November.

When SAG members were striking in 1980, the show went forward, although most actors boycotted the event. However, actor Powers Boothe did show to accept his award for his portrayal of Jim Jones, the cult leader profiled in the miniseries, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.