How The SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strike Will Affect The Emmys This Year

It is officially Emmy season, and this year’s event comes with changes to its history amid WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

2023 marks the 75th annual Emmy awards, an event created to honor television programs started in 1949. Since its humble beginnings, the Emmy Awards have grown to become one of the most famous awards shows Hollywood has to offer.

The very first Emmys were held at the Hollywood Athletic Club, and tickets were $5, equivalent to around $60 today. Now, you can’t even buy Emmys tickets, as they aren’t available to the general public and only offered to Television Academy members and nominees.

The first Emmy Award winners. (Credit: Television Academy)

The first Emmy awards only offered awards for six categories, while in 2023, there are now sixteen. Of those sixteen categories, these are some of the top television shows to earn the most nominations this year.

Top 2023 Emmys Nominations

The show to hold the most nominations for the 2023 Emmys is HBO Max’s Succession with a whopping 27 nominations. Most notably, the drama earned nominations for best drama, lead actress and a three lead actor noms.

Two other shows with the most nominations are also Max shows, with Pedro Pascal’s The Last of Us earning 24 nominations, and the second season of White Lotus landing 23.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Actor Pedro Pascal attends the Los Angeles FYC Event for HBO Original Series "The Last Of Us" at Directors Guild Of America on April 28, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: Actor Pedro Pascal attends the Los Angeles FYC Event for HBO Original Series “The Last Of Us” at Directors Guild Of America on April 28, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kayla Oaddams/FilmMagic)

Notably, Apple TV’s Ted Lasso was the biggest comedy of the year, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race is the top unscripted series.

Cast and crew of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' accept the Outstanding Competition Program award onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. — Cast and crew of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ accept the Outstanding Competition Program award onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Not to mention, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega received her first ever Emmy nomination for best lead actress in a comedy series.

Jenna Orgega, Met Gala, Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel, Vogue, Fendi — NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Jenna Ortega attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

2023 Emmys and WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike

The Emmy Awards normally happen in September, but this year the event will be pushed to a later date due to the ongoing Writer’s Guild of America Strike and Screen Actors Guild Strike.

An anonymous studio executive recently told Deadline, “The endgame is to allow things [the strike] to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”

Many took to social media to share their thoughts on the jarring statement amidst Emmy nominations.

it feels really weird to be celebrating emmy noms when studios are announcing that they are waiting for writers to start *losing their homes* before they agree to pay them fairly. None of these shows we are celebrating happen without writers #WGAstrong

— Sadie Laflamme-Snow (@sadielsnow) July 12, 2023

People online are using the opportunity to start discourse on why it is so important to honor entertainment workers with more than just awards and pay fair wages.