The National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences is entering the digital age, announcing plans to begin awarding Emmys to programming created for phones, computers, iPods and other devices.
The new category, outstanding achievement in content for nontraditional delivery platforms, was introduced by NATAS' national awards committee at its semiannual meeting last month. The first Emmy in the new category will be awarded at the 27th annual Sports Emmy Awards in May.
Nontraditional delivery platform Emmys also will be presented next year at NATAS' other awards shows, including the Daytime Emmys, News & Documentary Emmys and Business & Financial Reporting Emmys.
NATAS prexy-CEO Peter Price said local Emmy chapters also will be given the option of introducing the new category in their awards dockets. (NATAS administers local Emmys in all regions except Los Angeles.)
According to NATAS, platforms that would be eligible include "video blogs; Web site programs, including journalistic reporting, event coverage or analysis; mobisodes; video-on-demand and other video delivered over an IP network or platform such as wireless, broadband or VOD."
Price said it made sense to introduce the new category with the Sports Emmys. "Sports tends to be the place where new technologies first take hold," he said.
For the new award, NATAS will accept submissions on DVD under 20 minutes in length.
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com