Primetime Emmy Award

Infobox award
name = Primetime Emmy Award
current_awards = 60th Primetime Emmy Awards


imagesize =
caption =
description = Excellence in primetime television
presenter = ATAS
country = United States
year = 1949
website = http://www.emmys.org/The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming. First awarded in 1949, they were originally referred to as just the "Emmy Awards" until the first Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies were held in the 1970s, and the word "primetime" was added to disambiguate between the two.

The Primetime Emmys generally air in mid-September, on the Sunday before the official start of the fall television season. They are currently seen in rotation among the four major networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX). However, the 2006 Primetime Emmys (broadcast on NBC) aired a few weeks early, on Sunday, August 27, 2006, in order to accommodate NBC's coverage of Sunday Night NFL Football beginning in September.

Award categories

Current awards

Primetime Emmys are currently awarded in the following categories:

* Outstanding Comedy Series
* Outstanding Drama Series
* Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
* Outstanding Miniseries
* Directing
** Directing for a Comedy Series
** Directing for a Drama Series
** Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
** Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
* Writing
** Writing in a Comedy Series
** Writing in a Drama Series
** Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
** Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

* Outstanding Reality Program
* Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
* Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
* Outstanding Made For Television Movie
* Outstanding Informational Series
* Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
* Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special

* Lead Role
** Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
** Lead Actor in a Drama Series
** Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
** Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
** Lead Actress in a Drama Series
** Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
* Supporting Role
** Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
** Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
** Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
** Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
** Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
** Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
* Guest Role
** Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
** Guest Actor in a Drama Series
** Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
** Guest Actress in a Drama Series
* Outstanding Special Class Program

Creative Arts Primetime Emmys

Creative Arts Emmys are awarded in the following categories (some of which separately recognize work based on whether a single-camera and multi-camera setup was used):

* Animation
** Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)
** Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More)
** Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (Awarded by committee. No nominations)
** Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (Awarded by committee. No nominations)
* Art Direction
** Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
** Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series
** Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
** Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program
* Casting
** Casting for a Comedy Series
** Casting for a Drama Series
** Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
* Choreography
** Outstanding Choreography
* Cinematography
** Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
** Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
** Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie
** Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming
* Outstanding Commercial
* Costumes
** Outstanding Costumes for a Series
** Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
* Directing for Nonfiction Programming
* Picture Editing
** Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
** Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
** Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
** Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series
** Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
** Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming
* Hairstyling
** Hairstyling for a Series
** Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
* Interactive Television
** Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television, Program-Specific
** Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television, Non-Program-Specific
* Outstanding Lighting Direction
* Outstanding Main Title Design
* Makeup
** Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Prosthetic)
** Makeup for a Series (Non-Prosthetic)
** Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic)

* Music
** Music Composition for a Series
** Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
** Music Direction
** Outstanding Music And Lyrics
** Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
* Outstanding Children's Program
* Nonfiction
** Outstanding Nonfiction Special
** Outstanding Nonfiction Series
* Sound Editing
** Sound Editing for a Series
** Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
** Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming
* Sound Mixing
** Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series
** Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie
** Multi-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series or Special
** Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special
** Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming
* Visual Effects
** Special Visual Effects for a Series
** Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
* Stunt Coordination
* Technical Direction
** Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Series
** Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
* Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
* Writing for Nonfiction Programming

Retired awards

A number of awards have been retired throughout the years, including some that have been replaced by similar award categories in the Daytime Emmys, Sports Emmys, and other areas of recognition.

* Actor of the Year
* Actress of the Year
* Best Kinescope Show
* Best Live Show
* Best New Program
* Most Outstanding Kinescoped Personality
* Most Outstanding Live Personality
* Outstanding Live Sports Special †
* Outstanding Sports Personality †
* Outstanding Program Achievement by Individuals in Daytime Drama ‡
* Outstanding Program Achievement in Daytime Drama ‡
* Best Sports Coverage†
* Best Western Series (1958-1959 only)

:_{† Replaced by a similar category in the Sports Emmy Awards}:^{‡ Replaced by a similar category in the Daytime Emmy Awards}

Leading Nominees

MOST EMMY NOMINATIONS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL:
*Jac Venza: 57
*Hector Ramirez: 52

MOST EMMY NOMINATIONS FOR A PROGRAM:
*ER: 122
*Cheers: 117

MOST EMMYS WON BY INDIVIDUALS:
*James L. Brooks: 20
*Edward J. Greene: 19
*Dwight Hemion: 18

MOST EMMYS WON BY A SERIES:
*Frasier: 37

MOST EMMYS WON BY A MINISERIES:
*John Adams (2008): 13

MOST EMMYS WON BY A MOVIE OF THE WEEK:
*Eleanor and Franklin (1976): 11

MOST EMMYS WON IN A SINGLE YEAR BY A NETWORK:
*CBS (1974): 44

MOST EMMY WINS AS BEST DRAMA SERIES:
*Hill Street Blues: 4
*L.A. Law: 4
*The West Wing: 4

MOST EMMY WINS AS BEST COMEDY SERIES:
*Frasier: 5
*The Dick Van Dyke Show: 5

MOST PROGRAM NOMINATIONS IN A SINGLE AWARDS YEAR

COMEDY SERIES
*30 Rock (2008): 17 nominations

DRAMA SERIES
*NYPD Blue (1994): 27 nominations

MINISERIES
*Roots (1977): 37 nominations

MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
*Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and (1977): 17 nominations

VARIETY PROGRAM
Motown Returns To The Apollo (1985): 11 nominations

Performers with the most Primetime Emmys

*Carl Reiner won a total of nine Primetime Emmy Awards, five of which were for his work on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (Outstanding Comedy Series, Program Achievement, Writing in a Comedy series and Writing in a Comedy/Variety/Music series). He also won the award for Outstanding Guest Actor for his performance on "Mad About You", and two Emmys for his performance on "Caesar's Hour". In 1967, he won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy/Variety/Music series, for "The Sid Ceasar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special".
*Cloris Leachman's eighth Emmy made her the "winningest" female performer in Emmy history. Previously, she had been tied with Mary Tyler Moore and Tracey Ullman (although afterward, in the press room, Leachman correctly pointed that not all of Ullman's Emmys are for performing).
*Don Knotts won five Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1961-1963, 1966-1967).
*Kelsey Grammer has won five Emmy Awards: four for his portrayal of Frasier Crane on "Frasier" (1994-1995, 1998, 2004) and one for his voice-over work as Sideshow Bob on the series "The Simpsons" (2006). He has several other nominations as Frasier on that series as well as on "Cheers" and "Wings" (for a 1992 guest appearance). This makes him the only actor to earn Emmy nominations for portraying the same character on three different programs.
*John Laroquette also won five Emmy Awards; four (in a row) for his portrayal of Dan Fielding on "Night Court" and one for his guest role on "The Practice".

See also

*Emmy Award
*List of Primetime Emmy Award winners
*List of Primetime Emmy Awards ceremonies
*List of African American Acting Nominations

External links

* [http://www.emmys.org Primetime Emmy Awards]
* [http://www.etonline.com/news/2008/09/65654 Emmy Gift Bags]
* [http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php emmys.org - Advanced Primetime Awards Search]
* [http://www.digitalhit.com/emmy/ Emmy Awards coverage] on DigitalHit.com
* [http://www.emmyawardsonline.com/ Emmy Awards Online] with Emmy news, nominees and winners.