Emmys changes tradition by moving awards to Monday - here's why
If you sat down with a glass of wine, ready to watch the Emmys last night, only to realise it wasn’t actually on, you wouldn’t be the only one.
This year, the annual television awards have been pushed from their usual Sunday night slot to air on Monday (14 September).
TV, film, and music buffs will know that traditionally, throughout awards season, the ceremonies are almost always on a Sunday night, because people are at home and more likely to be watching the telly.
But this year, something got in the way of the usual process, meaning it had to be pushed back by a whole 24 hours. And by something, we’re talking about the NFL - specifically, the Dallas Cowboys taking on the New York Giants.
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To explain, since 1995, major US channels ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC have rotated airing the show under a ‘wheel deal’.
As reported by Forbes, each of the networks reportedly fork out a whopping $10 million annually in license fees and production costs when it’s their turn to air. In exchange, they get ‘promotional leverage and industry goodwill’.
After next year’s Emmys, the contract will end, and the Television Academy will begin talks on whether to continue the ‘wheel deal’ or go for something different.
This year’s ceremony is hosted by NBC and Peacock; however, these two channels also happen to be home to the NFL’s Sunday Night Football - do you see where we’re going with this?
Since the sports calendar says the Cowboys were scheduled to play the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 13, the Emmys had to be pushed to Monday so the network and the streaming platform could air both.
One X user joked: “Want to know how much the NFL runs America… the Primetime Emmys are tomorrow night instead of tonight lol.”
While a second questioned: “Why are the Emmys on a Monday night? Did they not want to go up against the NFL opening or something? Bizarre.”
If you are tuning into the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, it will kick off at 5pm PT / 8pm ET live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, which is 1am on Tuesday in the UK.
The ceremony will be hosted by American actress Mariska Hargitay, who’s best known for playing Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999 - the longest-running character of all time in an American primetime drama.
Among the stars up for awards are Sir Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Zendaya while the HBO Max drama The Pitt is tipped for victory with 25 nods.
Oscar-winner Sir Gary is up for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his starring role as veteran MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in hit Apple TV series Slow Horses, which has secured nine nominations overall.
He will compete against Paradise actor Sterling K Brown, Task star Mark Ruffalo, The Diplomat’s Rufus Sewell and The Pitt actor Noah Wyle.
Meanwhile, Zendaya has been recognised in the category for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, for her role as teenage drug addict Rue Bennett in Euphoria, which concluded earlier this year with an explosive and emotional finale.
The actress is up against Chase Infiniti, Rhea Seehorn, Keri Russell and Carrie Coon for the prize.
2026 Emmy Awards winners and nominations
Here are the Emmy Awards nominations and winners of the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys:
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tal Anderson, The Pitt
WINNER: Shailene Woodley, Paradise
Tina Ivlev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Colman Domingo, Euphoria
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
WINNER: Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
WINNER: Betty Gilpin, Widow's Bay
Lauren Weedman, Hacks
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
WINNER: Rob Reiner, The Bear
Hamish Linklater, Widow's Bay
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Love Is Blind
WINNER: Antiques Roadshow
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
Outstanding Host for a Reality/Competition Program
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
WINNER: Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Outstanding Game Show
WINNER: Jeopardy!
Celebrity Family Feud
The Price Is Right
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Outstanding Game Show Host
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Martin Short, Match Game
Outstanding Television Movie
Heads of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet on Vacation
WINNER: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Jack Ryan: Ghost War
Outstanding Animated Program
Bob’s Burgers
Rick and Morty
The Simpsons
WINNER: South Park
Smiling Friends
Star Wars: Visions
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
WINNER: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF: St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, BEEF
Constance Zimmer, Love Story
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
WINNER: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, BEEF
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Outstanding Drama
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors
Lead Actress in a Drama
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Lead Actor in a Drama
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Supporting Actor in a Drama
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Outstanding Comedy
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O'Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
BEEF
DTF St. Louis
Love Story
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, BEEF
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, BEEF
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Topics: Emmy Awards, Celebrity, Entertainment, TV And Film, US News
Madison Burgess