The 35th Annual Awards Gala is live and in-person this year on Saturday, July 16! Tickets may be purchased through Friday, July 1.
Two locations, same ceremony: Hilton Denver City Center and the Oklahoma Historical Society (seating is limited at this venue). The Awards Ceremony and Silver/Gold Circle presentations begin at 6:30/7:30 Mountain/Central, with Red Carpet and cocktail reception during the hour prior. Plated dinner. Black Tie Suggested.
General Admission tickets are $125; nominees may purchase one ticket for themselves at the discounted rate of $100.
This year we are pleased and proud to honor five professionals who have, individually, made a difference in our chapter and to our industry. 2022 Silver Circle inductees include Dominic Dezzutti, Holly Gauntt and David Tamez; Gold Circle inductees include Sam Jones and Ron Hull. These outstanding five will be inducted during the awards ceremony in July.
The 2022 Call For Entries is Closed
Nominations will be announced toward the end of May. Awards galas will be held, in person this year, in Denver and Oklahoma City.
Between now and then, your entries will be busy!
- First all entries are certified, to make sure submission rules were followed and to uphold the category viability guidelines
- Entrants and/or submitters may be notified about changes to your entry as the certification process unfolds. Blatant rule violations will result in disqualification
- During part of March and April, entries will be judged by peer judges at other chapters around the country. As an entrant, you will be asked to volunteer as a judge for those chapters’ entries
- In May, the judging scores will be reviewed during a blind Curve Cut meeting to determine the nominees
- Nominations will be announced toward the end of May, at which time tickets to the galas will go on sale
- Heartland Emmy® awards will be presented – along with the inductees to the Silver and Gold Circles – at the awards galas on Saturday, July 16 in Denver and Oklahoma City
Discussion around Categories without Nominations
There are questions related to categories which did not receive nominations in this year’s Heartland Regional Emmy Awards. In order to foster clear communication and transparency among all members, we want to further explain that process.
- This is neither a precedent-setting nor a unique circumstance. Categories with zero nominees occur annually, and over a wide variety of disciplines. This year there were 3 professional categories which did not receive nominations.
- All entries in all categories are judged by at least 7 peers in a NATAS region outside of the Heartland chapter. Peers are defined as people who have three or more years experience working in the category they are judging. Judges acknowledge their experience via affidavits submitted to NATAS. Entries are judged on their own individual merits; they are not judged in competition with each other, which is why it is possible to have a statistical tie once all scores are added together.
- In order to receive a nomination, an entry must reach a threshold percentage of high scores. Entries with scores below that threshold do not receive a nomination. The Awards Committee determines the cut-off percentage in a “blind” meeting where the entrants and categories are undisclosed.
- In order to receive an Emmy award, entries much reach an even higher threshold.
Every year, we research the categories without nominations. We determined that all of the judges were peers and their credentials are in order. We also verified that different chapters judged different categories, meaning they weren’t all judged by the same chapter which might imply a bias toward, or dislike of, the Heartland region. Further, the judges’ scores did not reflect a bias toward or against a particular company, group, or entrant.
We encourage questions about the judging process and work diligently to ensure its credibility and authenticity. If you ever have concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to submit a written letter to the NATAS Heartland Chapter office, to be taken up by the Awards Committee. This is the best way to ensure clear, transparent communication.
Sincerely,
The NATAS Heartland Chapter Awards Committee