The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Awards Show Event Sep 23, 2012 4:00 pm

The Primetime Emmy Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoring excellence in television in a variety of categories since 1949.

Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Seacrest, and Jimmy Kimmel are among past hosts of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Each award, a gold statuette of a winged woman, is presented by one of the countless celebrities in attendance. The big-name attendees include anyone from Jon Hamm to Tina Fey to Julianne Moore.

In addition to the Emmy awards, the Academy presents the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in recognition of those with great influence in the entertainment industry. Past recipients include George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Cosby.

In the absence of live performances, the Emmy’s are typically embedded with comedic skits featuring entertainers from nominated television series. Anywhere between twelve to fifteen million viewers tune in to watch the awards show each year, held at Nokia Theater in Los Angeles since 2008.

The week leading up to the Emmy's and the night after the show are typically packed with celebrity filled galas and parties all throughout Los Angeles. Notable Emmy parties often include red carpet events hosted by all the major broadcast networks in addition to HBO and other cable outlets.