WMC Investigation: 10-year Review of Gender and EMMY Nominations
The nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, announced July 16, reflect the same imbalance of male to female nominees that they have for the past decade. The Women’s Media Center analysis of the 2015 Primetime Emmy nominations concluded that nominations of women make up 25 percent of the total number of nominations in the writing, directing, editing, and producing categories.
Out of all the nominees nominated in 44 writing, directing, editing, and producing categories over the past decade, 2,074 of them were women, representing only 22 percent of the total. There were 7,485 men nominated, 78 percent of the total.
Although the Emmys cover many different jobs related to creating television programs, the Women’s Media Center focused on the categories of writing (6), directing (8), editing (10),and producing (20). In its analysis of the nominations made for the years 2006 through 2015, WMC sought to take a detailed look at the gender ratios of jobs that have the most influence on what is depicted on the small screen.
Julie Burton, President of the Women’s Media Center, noted, “The Women’s Media Center reviewed the Emmy categories of producing, writing, directing, and editing over a 10-year period. Clearly there is a connection between the broadcast, network, cable, and Netflix programs that hire exclusively male creators and the industry-wide gender divide. When there are few jobs for women, it is easy to see why so few women in non-acting categories are recognized for their excellence. Research by the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film shows that in 2014-2015, women were 26 percent of executive producers, 38 percent of producers, 26 percent of writers, 14 percent of directors, and 21 percent of editors. The bottom line: if more women were hired as writers, directors, editors, producers, and especially as creators and executive producers, the talent pool for nominations would be more reflective of the overall population and audience — more than half of which are women.”
Pat Mitchell, Chair, Women’s Media Center Board of Directors, added: “Clearly, the number of nominees for Emmys is not representative of the impact or the accomplishments of women writers, directors, producers, editors — whose overall representation in all those categories is still far from equal to their talents or the opportunities, facts that the Women’s Media Center’s research so clearly indicates.”
10-Year Review of Gender & Emmy Nominations Infographic
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