For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Television Academy is adding a major new Emmy: the Legacy Award, which, the organization announced on Thursday, will be presented to TV programs that have made “a profound and lasting impact” on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry.
Candidates for the Legacy Award — which may only be bestowed on a program once — must have (a) accumulated a minimum of 60 episodes across a minimum of five seasons and (b) demonstrated continued or sustained relevance, influence or inspiration to a genre of television, an existing or new audience or society and culture. Franchise properties must be considered as a whole and awarded as such.
Shows that are no longer running, but made a major impact, such as All in the Family (1971-1979, nine seasons) and Will & Grace (1998-2006, 2017-2020, 11 seasons), clearly are eligible for the honor. So, too, are ongoing programs, such as Grey’s Anatomy (2005-, 22 seasons) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-, 17 seasons), and soon-to-depart shows like The Late Show (1993-2026, 27 seasons).
Programs may be nominated for the Legacy Award by members of the TV Academy‘s board of governors or its special awards committee, or, via letters to the TV Academy, members of the industry or even the general public. Recipients will be selected annually by what is currently known as the Governors Award Committee, but is being renamed the Special Awards Committee.
The award, which will come in the form of an engraved Emmy statuette, may be presented during the Primetime Emmys telecast, the Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies, at the TV Academy’s Televerse festival or during its Hall of Fame ceremony. That will be determined each year by the TV Academy.
