An Exhaustive Look at an Exhausting Emmys Campaign Weekend

"In spite of (or maybe even because of) the tough times Hollywood is battling right now (everything from the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires to large, expensive mergers that cause massive layoffs), networks seem to be campaigning harder than ever for their Emmys. In the period before official voting kicked off, each night brought a different show presenting to Television Academy members at locations that included everywhere from the Los Angeles Lakers training facility to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour stop at SoFi Stadium"

"The TV Academy's inaugural Televerse festival, and all the events surrounding it, offered a more centralized proving ground, all of it unfolding the weekend before official voting kicked off. Televerse, in its first year, gave attendees a better idea of what shows will win and, more broadly, where the TV industry itself stands. Below, IndieWire takes a temperature on the 2025 Emmys race going into voting, and shares the highlights and lowlights of what we saw at the big event."

Hollywood is facing multiple crises, including the Palisades and Eaton wildfires and costly mergers that triggered widespread layoffs, while networks increased Emmy campaigning. Pre-voting promotional events occurred at diverse venues ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers training facility to Beyonce9's Cowboy Carter Tour stop at SoFi Stadium and repeated showings at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. After nominations, campaigning became more chaotic. The Television Academy launched the inaugural Televerse festival as a centralized proving ground the weekend before voting, offering workshops, panels and showcases that clarified likely winners and signaled where the television industry currently stands.

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