The two organisations behind the Emmy Awards have begun discussions about reuniting nearly 50 years after splitting into separate bodies, writes Variety.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and the Television Academy announced on Monday that they have started exploratory talks on a possible merger.
The organisations said their boards had overwhelmingly agreed to examine how a unified academy could better serve members and the television industry.
In a joint statement, the two bodies said a merger could provide a stronger vision for the future, improve industry leadership, expand support for members across the United States and create new opportunities across all national Emmy competitions.
The organisations have not set a deadline for completing the discussions.
To ensure continuity during the process, the Television Academy has extended the terms of its current board governors by one year.
The split dates back to 1977, when disagreements between the academy’s Los Angeles and New York branches led to the formation of two separate organisations.
The Hollywood-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, now known as the Television Academy, took responsibility for the Primetime Emmy Awards, while NATAS assumed control of the Daytime, News, Sports and Public Service Emmy Awards, along with regional chapters outside Los Angeles.
The two organisations spent decades disputing the use and jurisdiction of the Emmy Awards, including several legal battles.
Efforts to reunite gained momentum after 2001 and came close to succeeding in 2005, but disagreements over digital awards ended those discussions.
Relations gradually improved in the late 2010s under Television Academy president and chief operating officer Maury McIntyre and NATAS president and chief executive Adam Sharp.
In recent years, the organisations have worked together to reorganise several Emmy categories.
Children’s awards moved from the Primetime Emmys to the Children’s & Family Emmys under NATAS, while game show categories shifted from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys.
The partnership expanded further in 2024, when many Television Academy members automatically became members of NATAS through aligned membership qualifications in several peer groups.
In their joint statement, both organisations said the television industry is undergoing major change and described the current moment as the right time to explore reunification.
They said a single academy could provide a stronger voice for members and better support the industry as it adapts to the future.
