Athens, Greece, Hosts Emmy Awards Semi-Finals for the First Time

Photo source: Develop Athens.

For the first time in history, the city of Athens hosted a semi-final judging round for the International Emmy Awards, an event organized by the municipality’s Athens Film Office and Nova, a telecommunications company.

Held on September 15, the judging round saw a jury of Greek and foreign professionals from the television, film, and creative industries decide on the Best TV Performance by an Actor and Actress nominees after participating in a closed screening supervised by members of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Photo source: Develop Athens.

The judging round was followed by a gala taking place at Zappeion Hall, the historic Athenian exhibition and conference center, bringing together some of the most important Greek names in entertainment and the arts, as well as representatives of the sector’s institutions and companies.

Commenting on the Greek capital hosting the semi-final round of judging for the International Emmy Awards, Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis highlighted the successful course of the Athens Film Office that was launched by the municipality in April 2020.

“Athens has developed a huge potential in hosting major film and television productions… The decision of the Emmys International Academy  to hold the semifinals  in our city is also proof of our strengthened position on the global film industry,” the mayor said.

Photo source: Develop Athens.

Every summer between June 15 – September 15, the Academy travels to over 25 judging sites for semi-final judging rounds which determine the International Emmy Award nominees for the year.

The judges’ decisions will remain secret until the nominees for the International Emmy Awards are announced later this month, while the awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in New York City, on November 20.

The International Emmy Awards are considered the world’s most prestigious television awards.