YouTubers Like PewDiePie Can Now Dream Of Emmy Gold

Ever felt like PewDiePie, Tobuscus or Seananners really deserved an Emmy for one of their forays on YouTube? With new categories being added to the annual awards from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, that could actually happen this July.

To recognize the quality of video content that don’t get viewed on traditional televisions, the Academy has announced that it is creating new categories to give social media creators the chance to compete for Emmy gold. This expansion means an opportunity to award quality work from both YouTubers as well as programming that appears on streaming offerings that blur the line between television and online video. These additional categories won’t just reward influencers on social media considering the Hollywood studio involvement in ventures like Hulu, Crackle and other online venues for short-form recorded content. Much like the eventual inclusion of cable shows, premium cable offerings and now streaming shows from Netflix, all of which have performed quite well, short-form video will now have a place in Emmy history. Since other awards like the Streamy and Shorty awards have been honoring online videos for years, this does help modernize the Emmys to award excellence in a space where much of home viewing happens these days.

New Emmy categories include best short-form original series comedy or drama, best short-form original series reality or non-fiction and even best acting performance (male and female) in a short-form original series. Not every Vine or random recording on Snapchat will be eligible, of course. Per the Academy website, a short-form original series is considered to feature shows that are 15 minutes or less in length and will need to include at least six episodes. Any series that appeared online during the 2015 calendar year and meets that criteria is eligible for the new categories.

The short-form video awards will be featured on their own show separate from the traditional Emmys, much like those given in technical and scientific categories, with highlights broadcast during the main show.

The Emmy Awards will be televised on July 23rd, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting the show.

Photo image: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences