Emmys Rule Changes Eliminate Double Dipping For Nominated Series Regulars As Guest Stars, Expand Directing Eligibility & More

Claire Foy and Ron Cephas Jones won Emmys for their lead role in The Crown and supporting role in This Is Us, respectively. They went on to win another Emmy each for reprising their roles as guest stars on the same shows. That won’t be allowed moving forward.

The Television Academy today announced rules changes for the 77th Emmy Awards in 2025, which redefines eligibility for Guest Performers to exclude those who already have been nominated for the role in the lead or supporting categories.

There is also an expanded eligibility in the Directing category, allowing helmers to submit their work on multiple series, as well as tweaks in eligibility for Casting and Main Title Theme Music submissions.

Here are the rules changes:

Directing:

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.

Guest Performer Eligibility:

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. They may, however, continue to enter in a Lead or Supporting category.

Additional rules changes that will be implemented for the 78th Emmy competition (2026):

Casting:

To streamline the number of reality casting titles that are eligible for Emmy consideration, the following titles will be eligible starting with the 2026 Emmy competition:

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

Music – Main Title Theme:

A Main Title Theme must appear in 50% or more of eligible episodes submitted for the 2026 Emmy competition. The Main Title Theme 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.