The Television Academy is resolving its Emmys variety talk and variety sketch category problem, according to Variety. The Television Academy has announced on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, that it would get rid of those two contentious categories and present two new categories. These two categories will focus on “programs that are primarily scripted or feature loosely scripted improv and consist of discrete scenes, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups, sketches, etc.,” and also focus on “unscripted interviews or panel discussions between a host/hosts and guest celebrities or personalities,”  respectively, according to Variety. Outstanding scripted variety series and outstanding talk series will replace the variety talk and sketch categories.

According to Popculture, this new change-up could potentially pit Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Saturday Night Live, who were continuous winner in their respective categories, against one another.

“The Television Academy’s Awards committee and Board of Governors carefully review Emmy rules annually and adjust and refine competition requirements, often with input from television leaders, to reflect and support the current industry environment,” said Frank Scherma, Television Academy Chairman and CEO, in a Television Academy Press Release.

In producing these new categories, the Television Academy hopes to decipher two debates at once: What to do with the decline in sketch shows, which have shrunk to a point where they can no longer sustain a separate Emmy category; and how to separate topical and news-focused talk shows from more variety-centric talkers, according to Variety.

Via the Television Academy Press Release, the changes to the rules and/or procedures for the Emmys are as followed:

“Cap on Nominations-Round Voting

The number of selections each voting member is allowed to make per category in first-round voting will now be capped at the number of nominations specified for that category. Members will no longer be allowed to vote for an unlimited number of selections in any category.

Changes to Tracked Categories

The Single Camera and Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series categories have been combined into the tracked category Picture Editing for a Comedy Series. The Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (half-hour) and Multi-Camera Series categories have been combined into the tracked category Cinematography for a Series (half-hour).

In addition, a trigger has been added to all tracked categories such that during any year in which the number of submissions for each track is 20 or more, the category will automatically be split into separate categories for that year. In 2023 there will be 16 categories with tracks, which could potentially be split.

Finally, the minimum number of submissions required to include a nomination track in a tracked category has been changed to 5% of the total number of submissions but no less than three submissions.

Line Producers to Receive Eligible Credit for Variety Categories

“Line Producer” has been added as an Emmy-eligible credit in the following categories:

• Outstanding Talk Series
• Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
• Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
• Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Migration and Creation of New Game Show Categories (previously announced Aug. 10, 2022)

In addition, the previously announced migration of Game Show categories to the Television Academy-administered Emmy competition will go into effect for 2023 as the result of the joint decision by the Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to award game show programming categories by genre instead of daypart.

The new category of Outstanding Game Show will recognize programs with game elements taking place primarily in-studio and involving mental challenges. They must be self-contained or carry-over (winner continues to next episode) and cannot be arced. The new category of Outstanding Host for a Game Show will be awarded to the “master of ceremony” host(s) for a continuing performance in a game show.

To avoid confusion between Outstanding Game Show and Outstanding Competition Program (which awards programs with reality-style, skill-based competitions), the latter category has been revised to Outstanding Reality Competition Program. Additionally, game shows and reality competition programs with children as the sole contestants must enter in the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.”

More information on the list of award changes for the 75th Emmy Awards can be found at Emmys.com/rules/changes, and the 2023 Emmy Rules and Procedures Book will be available at Emmys.com in January 2023. The date has not been disclosed.