The Emmys Actually Changed Their Award Rules Because Of ‘Black Mirror’ And ‘An Emmy For Megan’

One of the funniest subplots of last year’s Emmy season was a very overt play to, well, win an Emmy. An Emmy For Megan was a trolly parody of the award nomination process that was, in the end, very funny. Created by Megan Amram — who has written for Parks and Recreation and The Good Place — the short film series was an overt play at actually winning the award, a nod to actors and actresses that may take on projects in order to hunt for awards.

Amram makes it clear at the start of the first episode: she wants to win the Emmy for outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama series.

And I thought, ‘wow, I can win that.'” Amram says, giving the camera a knowing smile. The next six episodes were an overt attempt to win that Emmy, showing off her musical talents and her acting abilities and just generally how much she wants to win an Emmy. Which she actually got nominated for after making a billboard and doing some serious internet lobbying!

An Emmy for Megan was not only nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, but also got a nod in Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

The joke was continued when the entire short form piece was run on IFC at the same time the Emmys aired. Amram didn’t win, unfortunately, but as it turns out she almost certainly impacted how things will be considered for the award in the future.

The Academy announced on Thursday that it is changing the way nominations work in certain categories, and that includes the awards Amram wanted to win.

As Indie Wire notes, the Emmys are making some changes as a result of some Black Mirror categorization as well.

After Netflix’s Charlie Brooker anthology series won the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie the past two years in a row, the org has given a little more clarity to what a “TV movie” is: Notably, that it has to be at least 75 minutes long.

That means that this year’s winner, the “Black Mirror” installment “USS Callister,” would have been eligible, as it ran for 76 minutes. But the category’s 2017 winner, the “Black Mirror” episode “San Junipero,” was only 61 minutes long, and would not have been eligible to compete under the new guidelines.

But it’s not too far of a stretch to say that Amram’s short form comedy (or drama) had an impact on these decisions, but if Amram has anything new planned next year, it might be a bit harder for her to get nominated.