Release: Primetime Emmys Merges Miniseries and TV Movie Categories

North Hollywood, CA – The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that it will merge the categories for Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Made for Television Movies. This was approved by the Television Academy’s Board of Governors, which represents the 28 peer groups for the Academy. This change is a result of the longstanding Emmy® Awards rule that any category lacking the requisite number of entries required for a full complement of five nominees for two successive years will be reviewed by the Board of Governors. At its discretion, the board may delete that category, consolidate it with another category or leave it as is. The number of entries in the miniseries category over the past six years has steadily declined and provided less than the requisite number needed for a full complement of five nominees. As a consequence, the Board of Governors has decided to consolidate the miniseries category with made for television movies. Miniseries and made for television movies will appear in a single, consolidated program category on the nominating ballot. This consolidation brings the program awards into conformity with all other miniseries and movies for television Primetime Emmy categories which have been merged for several years (e.g., Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie). Additionally, this change now puts the Primetime Emmys in line with the WGA, DGA and PGA awards, all of whom consolidate miniseries and movies for television into one category. The top six vote-getters from among all entries in the first round of balloting will emerge as the 2011 nominees. As with other Primetime Emmy categories, the winner in this category will be selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of voters from the Academy’s 28 peer groups. Additionally, the Academy voted to allow miniseries to be entered in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category. In the Cinematography competition, Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series and Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series have been reconfigured as Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, founded in 1946 at the birth of the medium, is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunication arts, sciences and creative leadership. Known for recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy also publishes Emmy® Magazine. Its charitable Foundation, meanwhile, operates the Archive of American Television, College Television Awards, acclaimed student internships and other educational outreach programs. More Emmy Awards rules and submission information available here at the Emmys.tv official Primetime Emmy Awards industry website. ###