Emmy Awards Add New Legacy Award Celebrating Television’s Most Influential Series

The Emmys are finally admitting what TV fans have known for decades: some shows don’t just win awards, they stick. Long after finales fade to black, certain series keep living in the culture, quoted endlessly, debated passionately and binged repeatedly like comfort food with better writing. Enter the Emmy Legacy Award, the Television Academy’s newest honor, created to celebrate shows that have made a “profound and lasting impact” on television and the world watching it.

This marks the first major new Emmy category in nearly 20 years, and it’s one that feels tailor-made for the shows that were ahead of their time, criminally under-rewarded, or simply too influential to be confined to a single eligibility year. The Legacy Award isn’t about who peaked last season, it’s about who changed the game permanently.

According to the Television Academy, the Legacy Award is designed to honor “groundbreaking programming” that continues to resonate across generations. Academy Chair Cris Abrego described the honor as celebrating series that “have stood the test of time delivering stories that continue to engage audiences and featuring iconic and timeless characters with multigenerational appeal.” Translation: if people are still arguing about the finale years later, you’re doing something right.

Eligibility comes with some serious benchmarks. A series must have at least 60 episodes across five or more seasons, ensuring the award goes to shows with sustained storytelling power. Influence matters just as much as longevity whether a series reshaped a genre, pushed boundaries, inspired future creators, or became a cultural shorthand. Franchise shows will be considered as a single body of work and once a series wins the Legacy Award, it’s officially retired from the conversation. One crown. One reign.

What makes this announcement especially intriguing is what it quietly acknowledges: the Emmys don’t always get it right in the moment. This award opens the door to recognizing shows whose reputations grew louder with time, the series that critics defended early, fans discovered late and history ultimately crowned as classics.

The Television Academy hasn’t confirmed where the Legacy Award will be presented, leaving room for speculation; Creative Arts Emmys, the main telecast, or a special ceremony all remain on the table. Wherever it lands, expect the debate to be fierce and deeply personal. Everyone has a “how did this never win?” show locked and loaded.

The Legacy Award feels like a long-overdue love letter to television’s greatest hits, the shows that didn’t just entertain but shaped how stories are told on the small screen. For viewers who treat TV history like sacred text, this one’s for you. And yes, the arguments are about to be glorious.