Jesse Collins Entertainment to Take Over as Producers of This Year’s Emmys on Fox (EXCLUSIVE)
Last year, Jesse Collins won an Emmy. This year, he’s producing the Emmys. Fox and the Television Academy are set to announce on Thursday that Jesse Collins Entertainment has been tapped to serve as producers of this year’s landmark 75th edition of the Primetime Emmy awards.
No host has been named as of yet, and there are still a lot of questions to be answered as to how the writers strike may impact this year’s Emmy Awards, or if the calendar might shift. But for now, the main event is still scheduled to air on Monday, Sept 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Fox.
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Jesse Collins Entertainment takes over from Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment, which had jointly produced the Emmys in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the first two of which were COVID-impacted events. D+D had actually produced the Emmys for five consecutive years, having already been producing the Emmys telecast for two years when it was paired with Hudlin in 2020 to handle the unconventional, no-audience COVID-impacted Emmys. At the time, Hudlin made history as the first Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys.
For this year’s edition, Fox opted to shake things up with a new team. Collins will produce with Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
“As proud long-term partners of the Television Academy, we are excited to be the home network for the Emmy Awards’ 75th Anniversary,” said Allison Wallach, Fox Entertainment’s president of unscripted programming. “This year’s ceremony, steered by Jesse, Dionne and Jeannae, promises a special evening honoring the incredible work of our peers and celebrating the wonderful past, present and future of our medium.”
Now that a producer is in place, the next step will be for Collins, Harmon and Rouzan-Clay, along with Fox and the Television Academy, to zero in on a host. If Fox were to look internally, logical candidates might include Joel McHale, who hosts “Crime Scene Kitchen” and stars in “Animal Control” for the network. It might make sense to pair him with his “Community” co-star Ken Jeong, who is also a Fox staple thanks to “The Masked Singer” and “I Can See Your Voice.” The network, of course, has also bet big on personalities like Gordon Ramsay should it want to go that direction; other options could be “Lego Masters” host Will Arnett, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” host Niecy Nash-Betts, or “The Masked Singer” host Nick Cannon. The last time Fox held the Emmys, in 2019 — as part of the wheel system in which all Big 4 broadcast networks take turns — the show didn’t have a host. (Kenan Thompson hosted last year’s show on NBC, while comedian and writer Sam Jay served as the Emmys announcer.)
“This is a landmark year — the 75th Anniversary of the Emmy Awards — and we are thrilled Jesse Collins Entertainment is at the helm to celebrate one of the best years of television with the industry’s biggest night,” said Television Academy chairman Frank Scherma. “In this extraordinary age of television creativity, we can’t wait to recognize the innovators, artists, artisans, crafts people and storytellers responsible for the remarkable programing keeping the world entertained and connected.”
Collins and Harmon were among the exec producers who won an Emmy last year for “The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent,” which was named outstanding variety special (live).
Their credits also include the Oscars, Grammys, American Music Awards and BET Awards.
Collins, the founder/CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, produced the 2021 Oscars, and is also an executive producer for the Grammy Awards and Golden Globes. Harmon, also executive producer of all Jesse Collins Entertainment programming and the Golden Globes, is president of the shingle, while Rouzan-Clay is senior vice president of specials and serves as executive producer.
The company is also behind scripted projects such as “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “American Soul” and miniseries like “The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story.” Jesse Collins Entertainment has also produced unscripted fare including “Cardi Tries,” “My Killer Body with K. Michelle,” “Becoming A Popstar” and “Rhythm + Flow.”
Other specials have included the American Music Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars and ABFF Honors. There’s also CNN’s “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom,” “A Grammy Salute to the Sounds of Change,” “Stand Up for Heroes,” “Dear Mama,” “Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin’,” “Def Comedy Jam 25”; “Leslie Jones: Time Machine,” “The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular” and “Rip the Runway.”
Last December, Collins was also selected as Variety’s Hitmakers executive of the year.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to produce the 75th Emmy Awards and look forward to working with Frank, Allison and everyone at the Television Academy and Fox to continue the legacy of amazing and unforgettable Emmy broadcasts that shine a light on some of the most amazing people in our industry,” said Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, in a joint statement.
Nominations for the 75th Emmy Awards will be announced on Wednesday, July 12.
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