Emmys Rule Changes for Guest Performer Category Explained
The Emmy Awards are known for celebrating the best in television, but since nothing is set in stone, especially in the entertainment industry, changes to the rules are inevitable. This…
The Emmy Awards are known for celebrating the best in television, but since nothing is set in stone, especially in the entertainment industry, changes to the rules are inevitable. This year, the Television Academy made some adjustments in the Guest Performer category, bringing some significant changes to who will be eligible.
Emmys Rule Changes: Guest Performer Category
As reported by Variety, the Academy unveiled a change in the ruling for Guest Performer Eligibility. The additional rule was already reflected in the 77th Emmy Awards Rules & Procedures 2024-2025 Handbook on page 48.
The new rule states: “If a performer has been nominated or has won in a Lead or Supporting Performer category, the performer will not be eligible to submit in a Guest Performer category in a subsequent Emmy year for playing the same role in the same series. They may, however, continue to enter in a Lead or Supporting category.”
What does this mean? It means that if an actor has been nominated for or already won an award for a role in the lead or supporting category, they are no longer eligible to compete as a guest performer for the same role. This has become more common recently, with actors who play a role for multiple seasons or years leaving to pursue other projects (or try their luck with movies), then returning for a guest appearance in that same role, sometimes earning nominations or even winning an Emmy.
Emmys Rule Changes: Directing Awards
Another major change that the Television Academy rolled out is for Directing Awards. The new rule was published in the 77th Emmy Awards Rules & Procedures 2024-2025 Handbook on page 25.
The new rule states: “An eligible individual or the identical team may enter multiple achievements per category if the achievements are for different programs,” meaning that directors are now allowed to submit an episode from each of the programs they have directed, which was not the case before, since directors can only submit one entry per category.
Submissions for the 77th Emmy Awards are now open and will remain open until May 8, 2025. The awards show will air on September 14, 2025 on CBS.
