New Report: Women Make No Improvement in Non-Acting Primetime Emmy Nominations

Men Overwhelmingly Dominate Four Top Fields

Full report: Click Here.

Infographics: Click Here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Women made no progress in non-acting Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 2023, and in the typically male-dominated categories, things are getting worse for women, according to the latest Women’s Media Center analysis.

This year, women were 33% (828) of the total 2,497 non-acting nominees and men 67% (1,665), the same percentage as 2022. Less than 1% (4) are nonbinary people.

Male nominees also continue to dominate the majority of Emmy-nominated shows in the four top non-acting Emmy fields: producing, directing, writing, and editing. In 2023, of the 1,433 nominees in these four fields, 33% (477) are women, 67% (953) are men, and less than 1% (3) are nonbinary. Those percentages mirror those in 2022.

“These numbers show that the pendulum is swinging in the wrong direction,” said Julie Burton, president and CEO of the Women’s Media Center. “Women continue to demonstrate excellence in behind-the-scenes roles without the same access as men to the rewards and benefits that often come with these high-profile, career-shaping awards.”

Three out of the four major non-acting fields saw noticeable decreases in female representation.

The number of women director nominees dropped to 13% (25) from 15% (27) in 2022. Men were 87% (170) this year and 85% (155) in 2022. Nominated writers took an even bigger percentage plummet, with women comprising 24% (37) of writer nominees in 2023, compared to 34% (48) in 2022. Men were 76% (115) and 66% (93).



“The decrease in the number of women nominated as writers and directors is deeply troubling,” said WMC co-founder Jane Fonda. “We all know that writers and directors are essential to the success of any show. The television industry and academy must do a better job giving women not only opportunities but also recognition.”



In 2023, women of color are particularly underrepresented in two of the biggest non-acting categories: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. All of the nominees are white, and all but two of the nominees are white men. The LGBTQ shows that get the most nominations continue to be those led by and starring men.

“The status quo is insufficient and inequitable,” said Janet Dewart Bell, WMC board chair. “The Women’s Media Center calls on Hollywood and industry voters to provide a more level playing field for everyone.”

The report found that in the editing categories, 31% (41) of nominees are women, compared to 68% (91) men, and one is a nonbinary person, comprising 1%. In 2022, 35% (42) were women and 64% (76) were men, and one person (1%) was nonbinary.

Only one field — producing — saw a very modest increase of 3 percentage points to 39% (374) from the previous year’s total of 36% (344). Men were 61% (577) and 64% (600), respectively.

The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards and the Creative Arts Emmy Awards (for technical categories) had originally been scheduled to take place in September but were rescheduled due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will now take place on January 15, 2024, and will be televised on Fox. The companion Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented on January 6 and January 7, 2024.

The Women’s Media Center, co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, is an inclusive feminist organization that works to raise the visibility, viability, and decision-making power of women and girls in media to ensure that their stories get told and their voices are heard. We do this by researching media through the WMC Media Lab; creating and modeling original online and on-air journalism; training women and girls to be effective in media; and promoting women experts in all fields through WMC SheSource.

WMC online and on-air journalism channels include the award-winning podcast and radio show Women’s Media Center Live with Robin Morgan, WMC Features, WMC Women Under Siege, WMC FBomb, WMC IDAR/E, WMC Climate, and WMC Speech Project.

Full report: Click Here.
Infographics: Click Here.

For more information, contact Cristal Williams Chancellor, WMC director of communications, at cristal@womensmediacenter.com or 202-270-8539.