WGA Members Demand Emmys Broadcast Comedy/Variety Writing Awards

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES (December 19, 2023) – Members of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) sent a letter signed by hosts of Variety Series/Specials and a petition signed by more than 1,400 members to the Television Academy demanding they immediately reinstate the “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special” categories in the primetime Emmy Awards telecast.

The letter and petition were sent along with a message from WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and WGAW President Meredith Stiehm calling on Television Academy Chairman Cris Abrego to meet and discuss reinstating the “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special” categories being presented as part of the Emmys main telecast this year, and in all future years.

The letter is signed by hosts of Variety Series and Specials Michael Che, Stephen Colbert, Adam Conover, Jimmy Fallon, Sam Jay, Bomani Jones, Colin Jost, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Amber Ruffin, Jon Stewart, and Robin Thede, and states, “As hosts of series eligible for the Emmy Awards’ ‘Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special’ categories, we are profoundly disappointed by the Television Academy’s decision to not present this award during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards’ televised ceremony on January 15, 2024. Our programs could not exist without the tremendous work of our writers — as proven by the writers’ strike that shut down late night television for 148 days.”

The petition is signed by more than 1,400 WGA members, including John August, Rachel Bloom, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Dallas Goldtooth, Jenny Hagel, Leslie Jones, Lisa Kron,  Glen Mazzara, Bill Nye, Joe Pera, Jim Rash, Ray Romano, Shawn Ryan, David Slack, Jonathan Tropper, John Waters, and Roy Wood Jr., among others.

The petition reads, “The Academy’s decision to erase the variety writing award from the Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast dismisses writing as the foundation for excellence in television, and devalues our profession as a whole. We implore the Television Academy to do the right thing.”

The award for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special” is the only time an entire television writers room is honored during the primetime Emmy Awards broadcast.

The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) are labor unions representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media, and broadcast news. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit www.wgaeast.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America West, visit www.wga.org.

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