Emmys To Be Held Outdoors With Fewer Nominees In Attendance

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Emmys will now be held in a primarily outdoor venue with fewer attendees than originally planned, due to the increase of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles. The 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, set for September 19, will now be held at the Event Deck at L.A. Live, adjacent to the Microsoft Theater where it was originally planned.

"The health and safety of our nominees is of paramount importance," according to the Television Academy. "Conversations are ongoing, and we will provide further information as it is available. The Television Academy appreciates everyone's understanding as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 Delta variant."

Coronavirus concerns in the wake of the rise of the Delta variant, along with the change in venue, will also mean fewer nominees will be able to attend. Nominated teams of three or more will now be able to send a maximum of four nominees, the Academy said.

"Although invitations have just been mailed out, nominated teams of three or more will now be limited to no more than four tickets per nomination," according to the academy. "Unfortunately, this means not all nominees will be able to attend this year's awards. We recommend those on nominated teams coordinate between themselves and identify how they will allot their four tickets prior to filling out the RSVP form. The Television Academy will reach out to any nominated teams who have already responded requesting more than four tickets."

Last year's ceremony was entirely virtual, and was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel at a mostly empty Staples Center. Cedric the Entertainer is slated to host this year's ceremony, as was announced in July.

"Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year's Emmy Awards, Cedric the Entertainer said at the time. "Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before. It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people. I can't wait to take the stage to celebrate all of the great shows and performances that made us laugh, cry, dance and sing over the past year."

The show will be broadcast on CBS, and can be streamed live and on demand on Paramount+.

City News Service contributed to this report.