The Emmy Awards statuette is getting a 75th anniversary makeover.
The Television Academy confirmed that the Emmy trophy will receive a rare enhancement for the 75th annual ceremony this year. The numbers “75” will be etched in to the base of the award that features a female figure with wings holding up a globe-like sphere. The Academy noted that it drew inspiration for the move from Halley’s Comet, which returns into view every 75 years.
“We were trying to find a way to honor the historic nature of the anniversary. Emmy is all about celebrating excellence, and it has been for three quarters of a century,” said Maury McIntyre, president of the Television Academy. “Those standards really haven’t changed significantly regardless of what era the greatest medium on Earth has been in. In that spirit, we didn’t want to veer too far with Emmy herself.”
Television Academy creative director Scott Buford revealed he was apprehensive about making any changes to TV’s golden prize.
“When I was first asked by the Academy’s leadership to explore altering the statuette, my first reaction was, ‘Are you sure? This is like giving a nip and tuck to the Statue of Liberty or the statue of David.’” But Buford was ready for the undertaking and said how tedious the process was for the team, “It took us seemingly 48 weeks of meetings, illustrations, debates, false starts and ruminating to get to the finish line.”
The Emmy statuette weighs 6 pounds, 12 ounces, stands 15.5 inches tall and is comprised of six pieces. Each piece is plated with copper nickel, silver and 24-carat gold. Per the TV Academy, it takes about five and a half hours to make an Emmy.
The 75th anuual Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air Monday, Sept. 18 as a live broadcast on Fox. There is speculation that the ceremony may be delayed this year if the writers strike runs deep into the summer months. The Writers Guild of America has been on strike against Hollywood’s largest employers since May 2.
