Why are the 2023 Emmys being held in January 2024?

The Emmys are almost here, with the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards set to take place on Jan. 15. But confusingly, it’s the 2023 Emmys that are coming up this month, not the 2024 ceremony. 

Why are last year’s Emmys taking place this year? In short, it’s because of the writers and actors strikes.

The original 2023 Primetime Emmys were planned for Sept. 18, but they were postponed in July amid the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have now ended.

During the SAG-AFTRA strike, actors were not allowed to “appear on an award show to promote a struck project (whether nominated or not) or accept an award for performance in a struck production,” according to strike rules, so accepting an Emmy or even appearing at the ceremony in support of a movie would have been a no-no.

This was the first time the Emmys had been postponed since 2001, when the ceremony was pushed to November in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Read on for more details about the 2023 Emmys — and the actual 2024 Emmys coming up later this year.

When are the 2023 Emmys?

The 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Anthony Anderson, are set to air on Fox on Jan. 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. 

The 2023 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which honor technical and artistic achievements, already took place on Jan. 6 and 7.

Why are they being held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is held on the third Monday of each January, which happens to be the same day as the January Emmys.

What about the 2024 Emmys? When will they take place?

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys, will take place sometime in September 2024, with the exact dates still to be confirmed, according to the Television Academy.

While the 2023 Emmys may have been pushed into 2024, the voting process and eligibility window for last year’s Emmys remained the same, according to Vanity Fair. Voting for the 2023 awards ended on Aug. 28, so projects submitted for the upcoming Emmys did not benefit from any extra voting or consideration time, despite the postponement.

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