DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and the WGA Release Joint Statement After Some Emmy Categories Are Being Moved From the Televised Ceremony

Here is the joint statement:

The DGA, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA issued the following joint statement in response to a decision by the Emmys to remove award categories from the live broadcast:

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.

According to Variety, this is how the categories will now be broken up:

78th Emmy Awards Categories — Saturday, September 5, 2026

1. Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program
2. Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming
3. Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program
4. Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program
5. Outstanding Commercial
6. Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming
7. Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program
8. Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program
9. Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
10. Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special
11. Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series
12. Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
13. Outstanding Emerging Media Program
14. Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
15. Outstanding Game Show
16. Outstanding Hairstyling For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program
17. Outstanding Host For A Game Show
18. Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program
19. Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series Or Special
20. Outstanding Innovation In Emerging Media Programming
21. Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Series
22. Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Special
23. Outstanding Makeup For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program
24. Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary/Nonfiction Or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
25. Outstanding Music Direction
26. Outstanding Narrator
27. Outstanding Performer In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
28. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program
29. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program
30. Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program
31. Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming
32. Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming (Segment)
33. Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Special
34. Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Or Reality Series
35. Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series
36. Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series
37. Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program
38. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program
39. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Reality Program
40. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
41. Outstanding Structured Reality Program
42. Outstanding Technical Direction And Camerawork For A Series
43. Outstanding Technical Direction And Camerawork For A Special
44. Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
45. Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
46. Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded)
47. Outstanding Writing For A Nonfiction Program
48. Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
49. Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

78th Emmy Awards Categories — Sunday, September 6, 2026

1. Outstanding Animated Program
2. Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series

3. Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
4. Outstanding Casting For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
5. Outstanding Character Voice-over Performance
6. Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming
7. Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
8. Outstanding Cinematography For A Series (Half-hour)
9. Outstanding Cinematography For A Series (One Hour)
10. Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Series
11. Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

12. Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling
13. Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-prosthetic)
14. Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
15. Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-fi Costumes
16. Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
17. Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
18. Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

19. Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
20. Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation
21. Outstanding Motion Design
22. Outstanding Movie

23. Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
24. Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

25. Outstanding Music Supervision
26. Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
27. Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
28. Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-fi Hairstyling

29. Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-fi Makeup (Non-prosthetic)

30. Outstanding Period Costumes
31. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Drama Series
32. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Multi-camera Comedy Series
33. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Single-camera Comedy Series


34. Outstanding Picture Editing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
35. Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour Or More)
36. Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or More)

37. Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-hour)

38. Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup

39. Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-hour) And Animation
40. Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
41. Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special

42. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-hour) And Animation
43. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

44. Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie 

45. Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie
46. Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode

47. Outstanding Stunt Coordination For Comedy Programming
48. Outstanding Stunt Coordination For Drama Programming
49. Outstanding Stunt Performance
50. Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
51. Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
52. Outstanding Title Design
53. Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

78th Emmy Awards NBC Telecast Categories — Monday, September 14, 2026

1. Outstanding Comedy Series
2. Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
3. Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
4. Outstanding Drama Series
5. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
6. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
7. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
8. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
9. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
10. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
11. Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series
12. Outstanding Reality Competition Program
13. Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
14. Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
15. Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
16. Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
17. Outstanding Variety Series
18. Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
19. Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

Source: Variety