The "73rd Emmy Awards" to Return With Live Audience and Cedric the Entertainer As Host for Broadcast on CBS, Sunday, Sept. 19

CBS and the Television Academy announced today a return to a live show for the "73rd EMMY AWARDS" hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, star and executive producer of CBS' hit comedy THE NEIGHBORHOOD, marking his first time as Master of Ceremonies for the event. CBS Presents the "73rd EMMY AWARDS" on Sunday, Sept. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Watch Cedric as he gets the news.

Emmy Award-nominated producers Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart will executive produce and Hamish Hamilton will direct the telecast for production companies Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment. In addition, this year's telecast will return to a live, in-person Emmy Awards Ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre with a limited audience of nominees and their guests.

"Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year's Emmy Awards," said Cedric the Entertainer. "Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before. It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people. I can't wait to take the stage to celebrate all of the great shows and performances that made us laugh, cry, dance and sing over the past year."

"Over the past year, television has united us as a community more than ever, bringing vital information and inspiring entertainment to viewers at a critical time in our lives," said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming for CBS. "Now, who better to bring television audiences together to celebrate the industry's top achievements than our very own King of Comedy, Cedric the Entertainer."
 
"Cedric the Entertainer has been a wonderful friend to the Television Academy and our Foundation, and we are thrilled that he will bring his unique comedic perspective to the Emmy ceremony and telecast that marks our return to celebrating nominees and presenters live and in-person," said Frank Scherma, Chairman and CEO of the Academy.

"We are honored that CBS and the Television Academy have given us the opportunity to produce our fourth Emmys running and, once again, celebrate television's biggest night with a live audience," said Ian Stewart, Executive Producer and President, Done+Dusted. "We are equally excited to 'get the band back together,' for the second time, with the mega-talented Reginald and his crew at Hudlin Entertainment."

"I'm very excited to be returning to the Emmys," said executive producer Reginald Hudlin. "Last year, the restrictions of Covid freed me and the awesome talents at Done+ Dusted to do a show that was different than any other award show. We don't plan on repeating ourselves, but we certainly want to try some new ideas that could only be done on the Emmys."

Over the course of a career spanning 30 years, actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer has solidified his status as one of the world's premier performers on stage, in film and on television. Currently, he stars in and executive produces the hit comedy The Neighborhood, which was just renewed for a fourth season, and The Greatest #At Home Videos, executive produced through his production company, A Bird And A Bear Entertainment, both on the Network. Also, Cedric co-stars in the hit comedy The Last O.G. Recently, he was seen in a dramatic role portraying legendary civil rights activist and leader Ralph Abernathy in the feature film Son of the South, and appeared in The Opening Act, about a group of comedians trying to breakthrough in the stand-up comedy world. He will star in and produce the upcoming sequel to his hit film Johnson Family Vacation. Other noteworthy television credits include the comedy series The Soul Man, which he co-created and executive produced, The Steve Harvey Show, for which he won four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy and the sketch comedy series Cedric the Entertainer Presents in which he starred, executive produced and was honored with the AFTRA Award of Excellence. Also, he served as host of season 12 of the hit game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and was featured as the voice of Bobby Proud in the Disney animated series The Proud Family, for which he also received an NAACP Image Award.

Nominations for the 73rd EMMY AWARDS will be announced in a virtual event, streaming live on Tuesday, July 13, at 8:30 AM PT on Emmys.com.

Additional details regarding the 73rd EMMY AWARDS will be announced at a later date. For more information and updates on the show, go to TelevisionAcademy.com/Emmys and follow @TelevisionAcad on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Done and Dusted Group
Done+Dusted are a global entertainment group with offices in Los Angeles, London, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong, and the preeminent producer of live television events in the world, creating and capturing the moments that make headlines and shape culture. Whether it is producing the Emmy Awards, The London Olympic Opening Ceremony, Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special, the Network roadblock: XQ's Graduate Together 2020, YouTube's Dear Class of 2020 (the most-watched YouTube Originals live event ever), or any of the other 40 productions D+D made during the pandemic, everything they produce bears the distinct badge of quality that makes it, unequivocally... Done+Dusted.

About Hudlin Entertainment
Hudlin Entertainment produces film, television and live events, including award shows such as the Oscars, the Emmys, the NAACP Image Awards and the weekly talk show Friday Night Vibes with Tiffany Haddish. Hudlin was a producer on Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and F. Gary Gray's upcoming Muscle with Vin Diesel. As a director, Reginald Hudlin's latest film is Safety on Disney+. Also, he made the original House Party and Boomerang with Eddie Murphy, Marshall with Chadwick Boseman, and the documentary The Black Godfather.

About the Television Academy
The Television Academy seeks to expand the horizons of television excellence. Through the programs, publications and events of the Academy and its Foundation, it strives to empower storytellers who shape the evolving television space. And it celebrates those who have excelled by recognizing their achievements through accolades and awards, including television's most coveted prize, the Emmy Award. For more information, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com.

CHEAT TWEET: This Just in! @CedEntertainer will host the 73rd #Emmys LIVE Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 PM, ET/5 PM, PT on @CBS @ParamountPlus

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CBS Contacts:
Andrea Ballas    
Andrea.ballas@cbs.com

Kate Fisher
khfisher@cbs.com

CBS Photo Contacts:
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Kathleen Holloway
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breakwhitelight PR Contact (for the Television Academy):
Jim Yeager   
jim@breakwhitelight.com
818.264.6812

Stephanie Goodell    
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150

Download the press release here.