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Emmy

[ em-ee ]

noun

, plural Em·mys.
  1. (sometimes lowercase) any of several statuettes awarded annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for excellence in television programming, production, or performance.
  2. Also Emmie. a female given name, form of Emma.


Emmy

/ ˈɛmɪ /

noun

  1. (in the US) one of the gold-plated statuettes awarded annually for outstanding television performances and productions
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Emmy1

C20: alteration of Immy, short for image orthicon tube
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Example Sentences

Reiser, the 11-time Emmy Award nominee known for such TV shows and movies as “Diner,” “Aliens,” “My Two Dads” and “Stranger Things,” told Womack he “always wanted to perform. I wanted to get the laughs.”

From Salon

“Well, I won my first Emmy at 60,” she says, referring to the statuette she earned in 2011 for her supporting work on “Justified.”

She has also won an Emmy for her work on "Abbott" and was key to the show winning a Peabody Award.

From Salon

On The Envelope video podcast, we bring you in-depth conversations with Oscar and Emmy seasons’ top contenders.

Davis became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series in 2015 for her work in “How to Get Away with Murder.”

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More About Emmy

What are the Emmys?

The Emmys is another name for the Emmy Awards, an annual award ceremony to honor excellence in television programming and production.

The name Emmys most commonly refers to the Primetime Emmy Awards, which honor primetime programming, but there are also other events devoted to specific forms of programming, including the Daytime Emmys, the Sports Emmys, and the News and Documentary Emmys.

The statuette awarded to winners is officially called an Emmy Award but is often referred to as an Emmy for short. The plural form Emmys is commonly used. Primetime Emmys are awarded to actors, writers, and to those in technical and production roles, as well as for specific series, including for drama, comedy, variety, and limited series.

The Emmy Awards are held by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, an organization for television industry professionals that’s often simply called the Television Academy.

When are the Emmys?

The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on January 15. They are usually held in September.

The Daytime Emmys are typically held in April, May, or June. The Sports Emmys are typically held in May. The News and Documentary Emmys are usually held in late September or early October.

More information and context on the Emmys

The organization that became known as the Television Academy was established in Los Angeles in 1946, joining with a New York-based organization in 1955 and becoming the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The first Emmy Awards ceremony was held in 1949. The name of the award derives from the term immy, short for image-orthicon, a camera tube used in early television production. It was changed to the name Emmy since the statuette is in the form of a winged female figure meant to depict one of the Greek Muses of art. The ball she’s holding is meant to represent an atom, symbolizing the scientific aspect of the medium.

The first Emmys were focused specifically on Los Angeles county local programming. The first ever Emmy Award was an Outstanding Personality award presented to ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing the Emmys?

How are the Emmys discussed in real life?

The Emmys are considered the one of the top awards for television. The name Emmys is commonly used for both the ceremony and the awards.

Try using Emmy!

True or False?

Emmys are awarded only for scripted series.

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EmmettEmmylou