Emmy Awards 2020: Dates, Full Schedule, How to Watch, and Host Details

Certainly each edition of the Emmy Awards is special to those involved, but the 2020 Emmys promise to be particularly unique. 

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is unable to host the Award show in-person per usual. Instead they are holding a socially-distanced version of the event with all participants partaking in the festivities remotely. 

And just to make things even more unprecedented, ATAS is expanding its coverage of the typically understated Creative Arts Emmys portion of the proceedings. Here is everything you need to know about the highly unusual 2020 Emmy Awards.

2020 Emmy Awards Schedule and Dates

The Creative Arts 2020 Emmy Awards began on Monday, Sept. 15 and are set to continue on through Thursday. The Creative Arts Emmys will then culminate with a night of diverse categories on Saturday, Sept. 19 airing on FXX. Here is the full schedule of the upcoming awards, courtesy of Deadline:

Monday, September 14

Reality and Nonfiction

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES

OUTSTANDING STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY SERIES OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)

OUTSTANDING NARRATOR

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM

Tuesday, September 15

Variety

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM VARIETY SERIES

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION, OR REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (NONPROSTHETIC)

OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION, OR REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY, REALITY OR COMPETITION SERIES

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A SERIES

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES

Wednesday, September 16

Scripted Night One

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES (HALF-HOUR)

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING

OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES

OUTSTANDING MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING PERIOD COSTUMES

OUTSTANDING PERIOD MAKEUP AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)

OUTSTANDING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP FOR A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Thursday, September 17

Scripted Night Two

OUTSTANDING DERIVATIVE INTERACTIVE PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL INTERACTIVE PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM ANIMATED PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN INTERACTIVE PROGRAMMING

OUTSTANDING MOTION DESIGN

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS

OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR A COMEDY OR VARIETY PROGRAM

Saturday, September 19

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE

OUTSTANDING UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES MOVIE OR SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXTENSION OF A LINEAR PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SERIES

OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE DESIGN

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)

OUTSTANDING PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PERIOD OR FANTASY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR A DRAMA SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL

How to Watch the 2020 Emmy Awards

The first four nights of the Creative Arts portion of the 2020 Emmy Awards will be available to stream online via Emmys.com, the TV Academy’s Facebook page, and Deadline.com. The “big” night of the Creative Arts version will air live on FXX at 8 p.m. ET.

Then the traditional 2020 Emmy Awards show that features all the categories you know and love (Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy, etc.) will air on Sunday night, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. 

Those without cable subscriptions can stream ABC via Hulu with Live TV, fuboTV, YouTube TV, SlingTV, and more.

2020 Emmy Awards Hosts 

The Emmys attempted to go hostless with their 71st iteration last year to some success. This year, however, Jimmy Kimmel will be serving as the master of ceremonies. Kimmel will also be producing the show alongside Guy Carrington, Reginald Hudlin, David Jammy, and Ian Stewart.

Nailed It! host and all-around delight Nicole Byer will be hosting all five installments of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. 

Presenters for those five nights include: Monica Aldama (Cheer), Jeff Bridges (The Old Man), Rose Byrne (Mrs. America), Bobby Cannavale (Homecoming), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), Desus Nice & The Kid Mero (Desus & Mero), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Brandee Evans (P-Valley), Chris Hardwick (The Talking Dead), Jerry Harris (Cheer), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911), Daryl Mitchell (NCIS: New Orleans), Hilarie Burton Morgan (Friday Night In With The Morgans), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Erin Moriarty (The Boys), Lamorne Morris (Woke), Leslie Odom Jr. (Central Park), Jeremy Pope (Hollywood), Issa Rae (Insecure), Monica Raymund (Hightown), Drew Scott (Property Brothers) and Wanda Sykes (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).

2020 Emmy Awards Format

This year’s Emmy Awards ceremony will be socially-distanced, which means that presenters and nominees will be recording their participation remotely from their homes or other locations. This will involve a staggering amount of logistical work as producers revealed that they will be sending 130 high quality cameras across the world to various participants. 

Host Jimmy Kimmel will be on site at the Staples Center to do all of the traditionally host-y things. Producers also revealed that there will be a live musical performance for the In Memoriam segment. 

2020 Emmy Awards Nominees 

The full list of 2020 Emmy Award nominees can be found here. Here are some of the major categories: 

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul

The Crown

The Handmaid’s Tale

Killing Eve

The Mandalorian

Ozark

Stranger Things

Succession

Outstanding Comedy Series 

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Dead to Me

Insecure

Schitt’s Creek

The Good Place

The Kominsky Method

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Limited Series

Little Fires Everywhere

Mrs. America

Unbelievable

Unorthodox

Watchmen

Outstanding Television Movie

American Son

Bad Education

Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend