Fun Facts About The Emmys!

Right after the leaves start changing, actors, writers, directors, and every other hard working person in television heads to sunny Los Angeles for the annual Emmy Awards held by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This year the glitzy awards show will air on Sunday, September 22^nd, broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Downtown LA.

How much do you know about the long-running awards show? Check out our fun facts below!

Fun Facts

• The first ever Emmys award ceremony was on January 25, 1949.
• This year is the 71^st celebration of the Emmys.
• The first Emmys were hosted by radio legend Walter O’Keefe.
• What about the first person to win an Emmy? Well… they weren’t actually a person. Judy Splinters, a puppet, was the first award recipient, along with ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale.

The Statue

• It is 15.5 inches tall and weighs nearly 7 pounds (if you win two, you can get a nice workout in!)
• The wings on the trophy figure stand for the muse of art and the atom she is holding signifies the electron of science so both elements of television (art and science) are represented.
• The statue was designed in 1948 by Louis McManus who used his wife as inspiration.
• McManus’ design was the 48th submission for the trophy design after 47 rejected proposals.
• The statue is made of nickel, copper, silver, and gold

Winners’ Circle

• The person with the most Emmy wins for a performer is actually a tie between two actresses! Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman both have 8 wins. Louis Dreyfus could break that record this year if she wins for her work as Selina Meyer on "Veep."
• Ed Asner is right behind them with 7 Emmy wins as a performer.
• Best known as Sam on Cheers and Michael the architect on "The Good Place," Ted Danson holds the record for most nominations for lead actor in a comedy series with 13. He actually has 17 Emmy nominations total (he has had some dramatic roles over the years).
• "Saturday Night Live," which has been on the air since 1975, holds the record for most Emmy wins with 54 and a whopping 242 nominations. Wow!!
• "Game of Thrones," "Frasier," "The Simpsons," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" round out the top five most Emmy-winning shows.
• Kelsey Grammer has been nominated for playing the same character, Frasier Crane, on three different shows: "Wings," "Cheers," and "Frasier." No one else holds the same honor!

Famous Losers

• Some of the most famous names in comedy are shockingly non-Emmy winners. Are you a fan of "The Office"? Micheal Scott himself, Steve Carell, has never won a personal Emmy, though he won as part of outstanding comedy series.
• He is in good company with "Seinfeld" star Jerry Seinfeld and "House’s" Hugh Laurie.

Talk to Us!

Are you tuning into the Emmys this year? What shows do you think will walk away with a trophy? Let us know in the comments!