The organization is clarifying a few of its more opaque categories through name-changes or expansions.


Ahead of the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards next September, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is clarifying a few of its more opaque categories through name-changes or expansions.


The Outstanding Variety Special and Special Class categories have been restructured to eliminate the confusion of defining "special class," and instead are now Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).


Additionally, Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Movie is now split into two categories: Outstanding Period Costumes and Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes. Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming is now split into two categories: Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program. And Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series (Drama or Comedy) is now split into two categories: Outstanding Sound Editing for a Half-Hour Series (Comedy, Drama or Animation) and Outstanding Sound Editing for a One-Hour Series.


This will do little to quell complaints that there are too many Emmy categories — the presentation of which are spread over three nights, two under the banner of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and then the third referred to as the Primetime Emmy Awards — but it undoubtedly will make it clearer why certain types of programs do or do not share a category.