Here’s a reunion that’s nearly 50 years in the making. On Monday, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the TV Academy announced that the two organizations were exploring a potential reunification after they went their separate ways in 1977. The announcement precedes the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, scheduled for Sept. 14.
“Television remains the most powerful medium we have to shape culture and prompt conversations that define us — no matter the size of the screen,” representatives for NATAS and the TV Academy said in a statement provided to Gold Derby. “With the business of television undergoing such a monumental transformation, this is the right moment to explore a reunification of our Academies, providing our members and our industry with a bolder voice advocating for them and a stronger partner to navigate the future with them.”
The NATAS and TV Academy boards both overwhelmingly voted to explore routes to once again creating a unified Academy, navigating the combined institution and the various awards ceremonies it would oversee into the future. At press time, no formal timetable or deadline was provided for when talks might conclude. The TV Academy board voted to extend all sitting Governors’ terms by one year to facilitate continuity in the discussions.
NATAS was originally created in 1955 from a union between Los Angeles and New York-based chapters. The L.A. branch split off to form the TV Academy in 1977 and remained in charge of the Primetime Emmy ceremony while NATAS continued to oversee the respective ceremonies for the Daytime, Sports, News, Documentary, and Children’s and Family Emmys.
The reunification discussions are not expected to impact this year’s Primetime Emmys, which will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Sept. 14. Mariska Hargitay will host the event, and producers recently announced that five categories will move from the Primetime ceremony to the Creative Arts Emmys, including Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actor and Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actress.
