The 2020 Emmys are super strange this year — please tell me you saw Jimmy Kimmel and Jennifer Aniston literally set an envelope on fire — but it's not all hand sanitizer and the Schitt's Creek cast in masks. This year, the biggest night in television is giving back to the community in the biggest way.
Usually, this award show is about the best in the business coming together to celebrate their wins, but the rich and famous toasting during a literal pandemic just seems tone deaf. So, instead of the elite rubbing shoulders at the Microsoft Theater, they're kicking it from the safety of their homes. And to keep things even more grounded, their major wins will also be wins for the greater good.
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At the beginning of the night, host Kimmel revealed that all nominated broadcast and streaming partners will donate $100,000 per Emmy win to to No Kid Hungry. The nonprofit organization, which was first founded in 2010, has been of extreme importance amidst the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic; it's been responsible for providing food for children all over the country every single day.
On top of the millions that will inevitably be raised tonight — there are a lot of people and shows nominated — Deadline reported that the Television Academy has also pledged to donate $500,000 to No Kid Hungry. So we're looking at $2.3 million raised for this crucial cause.
The Emmys are paying attention to the current conversation, and actually doing something to help while giving voice to the struggles that the world is facing right now. As it recognizes the efforts of television's biggest stars, the awards show is also highlighting everything from mail-in voting in the upcoming 2020 election to the sacrifices of essential workers everywhere, to the very real issue of hunger among America's most vulnerable citizens.
It's different, but in a good way. It feels... real. And that's a huge deal for Hollywood.