Emmys To Cut Five Categories From Main NBC Ceremony — Hollywood Guilds Say It 'Devalues' Nominees' Work

We'll see five fewer Emmys handed out when TV's biggest night returns to NBC this fall.

The Television Academy's Board of Governors has voted to cut five awards categories from this year's main Emmy ceremony on NBC, TVLine has learned. (Variety first reported the news). The five categories being cut are: supporting actor and supporting actress in a limited series or movie; writing for a limited series or movie; directing for a limited series or movie; and writing for a variety series.

Those five awards will still be handed out by the Television Academy, but they'll be moved to the earlier Emmy ceremonies set for September 5 and 6. (Those earlier awards, known as the Creative Arts Emmys, have aired separately on FXX in recent years.) 

(Update: The Hollywood guilds the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have issued a joint statement protesting the decision: "The Emmys exist to celebrate the best of television and the artists who are central to bringing these stories to life. The decision to eliminate these categories from the primetime broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning.")

The main Emmy ceremony — airing Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live and hosted by Mariska Hargitay — will now include a total of 19 categories, with the reduced number allowing for more musical performances and comedy sketches and longer speeches. (See the full list of this year's nominees here.) 

The Television Academy explained the reasoning behind the category cuts in a statement: "The Television Academy is committed to delivering a fresh new take on the Emmys broadcast, with a focus on entertainment that celebrates television shows, artists and moments audiences love while honoring excellent work from the past year. Given the extraordinary breadth of work recognized each year and the limited time available within a three-hour broadcast, a select number of categories will be moving to the Emmy ceremonies taking place the week prior to the telecast."

The statement added that "this thoughtful evolution ensures this year's NBC ceremony and future broadcasts remain deeply engaging and tailored to the television audience."

Television Academy chairman Cris Abrego tells Variety that the cuts will allow for more made-for-TV moments: "We're really excited to flex more creativity into the show. This is not new, but the Academy's always been committed to delivering an Emmy telecast that celebrates television, and also creating the best possible viewing experience. But it needs time, and that's where we really want to find time to create an incredible night of entertainment that celebrates all of the Emmy winners."

How do you feel about the category cuts at the Emmys? Did they cut the right ones? Are there more you would cut? Hit the comments to share your thoughts!