New Category for International Emmys

NEW YORK: The 2014 International Emmy Awards competition will feature a new category, celebrating the best non-English-language programs created for U.S. prime-time television.

"Recent demographic trends and electoral events have made clear that the United States is becoming a multilingual country, and these developments are increasingly reflected in the country's television programs," said Bruce L. Paisner, the president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "The International Academy is looking forward to expanding its jurisdiction in a way that enables U.S. primetime programs primarily not in English to compete for Emmys against each other."

The category is open to any prime-time show produced by an American company or first broadcast in the U.S. that is 50-percent or more in a language other than English. The entries can come from the drama, comedy, novela, reality, variety and game show genres.

The 2013 International Emmy Awards will take place November 25 in New York, presenting statuettes in the arts, best actor, best actress, comedy, documentary, drama, non-scripted, telenovela and TV movie/mini-series categories. On February 10, 2014, the Academy will celebrate kids programming with the International Emmy Kids Awards.