Oprah, Gabrielle Union and more stars to make virtual Emmy appearances

The Emmys may be a virtual event this year, but they’re still calling in the big celebs to help dole out all of those awards. After all, why shouldn’t fans celebrate the medium that has gotten so many of us through quarantine with as much excitement as possible?As such, the Television Academy has announced the first batch of guest stars for the September 20 broadcast, which kicks off virtually at 8 p.m. ET. Among them are experienced presenters Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Union, Anthony Anderson, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, and Lena Waithe. NFL star J.J. Watt will also appear. Notably, the group marks the most diverse first-wave batch of Emmy guest stars announced in recent memory.

 

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Who will you see on #Emmy night? @anthonyanderson, @hermusicofficial, @jjwatt, and @oprah...just to name a few. Who else will show up? See for yourself by watching the #Emmys live on Sept. 20 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on @abcnetwork!

A post shared by Emmys / Television Academy (@televisionacad) on Sep 10, 2020 at 3:43pm PDT

It’s unclear in what capacity these stars and producers will appear: some of them could be presenters, while others may participate in sketches or other potential surprises that the historic show could include. One thing the Academy did reveal for sure though was the booking of Grammy-winning singer H.E.R., who will make her Emmy debut with a special In Memoriam performance.More talent will be unveiled soon as plans are solidified and schedules are locked down. This year, because the show is going virtual, there are a slew of new challenges to consider before making such announcements, including arranging with talent from around the world to appear virtually, and trying to arrange camera setups for everyone involved. Host Jimmy Kimmel will film from the Staples’ Centre in Los Angeles, but all other attendees are filming from their homes or wherever else they happen to be hanging out in the world these days.[video_embed id='2021614']RELATED: The Emmys are still happening during the pandemic[/video_embed]“We’re not trying to make the Zoomies, we’re trying to make the Emmys,” a rep from the show’s production and staging company told Variety in August, revealing there are at least 140 locations to consider. “So one of the things we are trying to do is get the highest-end kit to wherever that person is on whatever level of comfort they have. The best thing for us is to have very high-end cameras, with a person operating them in somebody's house or wherever they are. That's our starting point.”That means no Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or other platforms that viewers have gotten used to lately will be used. Other logistics, like whether the winners will actually receive physical trophies, if the show can still incorporate musical acts, or even if the guests will actually dress up, are still in the air. (The informal dress code is “come as you are, but make an effort.”) Naturally, another major part of the yearly show, the red carpet, will also be eliminated.Meanwhile, the Creative Arts Emmys (which dole out trophies to the smaller categories and more behind-the-scenes stuff), takes place over five nights from September 14-17 and 19, and will be hosted by Nicole Byer. For those awards all nominees are being asked to send in acceptance speeches ahead of time and only the winners’ words will be broadcast.Luckily for production on the main show, Kimmel has plenty of experience hosting virtual events at this point. Aside from conducting his late-night series from home during quarantine, he also helped to host Lady Gaga’s One World: Together At Home charity event with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon last April.Heading into the big ceremony, HBO’s The Watchmen has the most nominations at 26. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has the second-most at 20, while Ozark and Succession tie it up for third place with 18 nominations apiece. The Mandalorian, Saturday Night Live, and Canada’s own Schitt’s Creek also earned a notable 15 nominations each.[video_embed id='2021523']Before you go: Gabrielle Union calls ‘AGT’ drama the ‘hardest’ part of her career[/video_embed]