Emmys Rule Changes Include Ability for Directors to Submit for Multiple Shows

The Emmys have a few new house rules.

On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Television Academy announced rule changes for four different categories of competition: directing, guest-acting, casting, and theme music. The first two will be implemented in time for this year’s Emmy Awards, the final two will wait for the 2026 awards.

Prolific TV directors will want to take note of the first change. Beginning with the 77th Emmy Awards in 2025, a director or directing team can now subject multiple episodes for nomination — so long as they stick with one per show. You couldn’t do that before.

In the official language: “An eligible individual or the identical team may now enter multiple achievements per category if the achievements are for different programs. Previously, directors were allowed to submit only one entry per category. This change will allow the director to submit an episode from each of the programs they directed.”

So, diversify that calendar.

And as for you guest performers, we’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that any previous nominees from the lead or supporting-actor categories cannot dip from a show, return for a guest spot, and get a cheap Emmy nomination for the same role. It opens up the race for true guests but perhaps disincentivizes old fan-faves from a pop in.

“If a performer has been nominated or has won in a Lead or Supporting Performer category, the performer will not be eligible to submit in a Guest Performer category in a subsequent Emmy year for playing the same character role in the same series,” the Television Academy’s rules-change sheet reads. “They may, however, continue to enter in a Lead or Supporting category.”

We’re sure the leads and recurring performers that stuck around love that last option.

For 2026, the Academy is streamlining the laundry list of eligible titles one can submit with in reality-TV casting. If you don’t have one of these credits, you no longer qualify:

• Casting By 
• Executive in Charge of Casting 
• Supervising Casting Director
• Supervising Casting Producer
• Senior Casting Director 
• Casting Director 
• Senior Casting Producer 
• Casting Producer
• Celebrity Casting By

OK, so that’s still nine potential titles that will work.

Last but certainly not least, let’s hear it for theme music! Beginning with 2026’s 78th Emmy Awards, a show’s Main Title Theme must appear in half or more eligible episodes to be submitted for an Emmy. It also “has been further defined as a musical fingerprint and calling card that is identifiable and unique to a show, thereby drawing an audience in by setting the show’s tone and what is to come,” the Academy says.

IndieWire asked the TV Academy if the full theme song needs to be played before 50 percent or more eligible episodes to qualify or if an abbreviated version of an established theme song would work. We did not immediately receive a response, but will update this story if and when we do.

For now, we’re just gonna leave this here for inspiration:

The full 2025 Rules & Procedures book will be posted the week of January 20.