The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are prestigious awards that recognize artistic and technical excellence in the television industry. They cover a wide range of television programming, including primetime and daytime shows, children's programming, sports, news and documentaries, and technical achievements. The Emmys are presented by three organizations: the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS). The award itself is a statuette of a winged woman holding an atom, symbolizing art and science in television. The Emmys are considered one of the four major American entertainment awards alongside the Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.
The most well-known Emmy ceremonies are the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Daytime Emmy Awards, focusing on primetime and daytime television respectively. Other categories include the Children's & Family Emmy Awards, Sports Emmy Awards, News & Documentary Emmy Awards, and various engineering and regional Emmy awards.
The Emmys have been awarded since 1949 and have expanded over time to cover diverse areas of television programming. Members of the academy vote on awards in their respective disciplines such as acting, writing, directing, and technical fields.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, held recently in 2025, celebrated the best in television with notable winners including "The Pitt" for best drama series and "The Studio" for best comedy series.
In summary, the Emmy Awards are annual honors given to outstanding television programs and professionals in various categories, recognizing excellence across the television industry.