It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you party before the game even begins.
The Television Academy will be handing out Emmy Awards in 119 categories on Sept. 17, and the invitations to tons of celebrations leading up to the big day are out.
The on and off-camera nominees range from Donald Glover (nominated in the acting, writing, directing and producing categories for “Atlanta”), to the team that created the rumbling electronic main titles on “Stranger Things,” to the casting director who discovered RuPaul’s drag queens.
Sadly, over 80 percent of the thousands of nominees will lose.
However, all of them will get at least two things out of their Emmy nod: a certificate of nomination and an invite to a party with their peers.
Beginning last Saturday with an expo of Costume Design nominees at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles and continuing up to Emmy weekend, each group of TV professionals will host a job-specific “Peer Group” celebration at places like the Montage in Beverly Hills, the Directors Guild and the TV Academy in North Hollywood.
Here are the inside details on how those names that fly by in the credits will celebrate on the road to Emmy night. These are the Television Academy’s official nominee events.
August
Aug. 22
Executives Emmy Celebration
6:30-9 p.m. at the Montage Beverly Hills
Wednesday, Aug. 23
Daytime Programming Peer Group Celebration
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Thursday, Aug. 24
Picture Editors’ Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Friday, Aug. 25
Animation/Children’s Programming Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Saturday, Aug. 26
Stunt Nominees Reception
8-11 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Sunday, Aug. 27
Choreography Nominees Reception
5-7 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Monday, Aug. 28
Special Visual Effects Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Monday, Aug. 28 10 p.m. PT
Final Emmy Voting Ends
Tuesday, Aug. 29
Cinematographers/Lighting, Camera & Technical Arts Nominees Reception
7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Wednesday, Aug. 30
Music Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Thursday, Aug. 31
Art Directors/Set Decorators’ Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
September
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Makeup Artists/Hairstylists Nominees Reception
8-10 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Wednesday, Sept. 6
Interactive Media Nominee’ Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Thursday, Sept. 7
Sound and Sound Editors Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Thursday, Sept. 7
Casting Directors Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Montage Beverly Hills
Friday, September 8
Motion & Title Design Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Montage Beverly Hills
Friday, Sept. 8
Reality and Documentary Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10
Creative Arts Emmys Governors Balls
L.A. Convention Center
After the show – late
Monday, Sept. 11
Writers Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Tuesday, Sept. 12
Dynamic and Diverse Nominees Reception
7-10 p.m. at the Television Academy Wolf Theatre
Wednesday, Sept. 13
Directors Nominees Reception
7-9 p.m. at the DGA on Sunset
Thursday, Sept. 14
Producers Nominees Reception
7-10 p.m. at the Montage Beverly Hills
Friday, Sept. 15
Performers Nominee Reception
7-10 p.m. Wallis Annenberg Center, Beverly Hills
Sunday, Sept. 17
Emmys Governors Ball
LA Convention Center
After the show – late
A full report on the high-wattage Emmy parties hosted by HBO, FX/Fox, Entertainment Weekly and others is still to come.