The Television Academy’s Board of Governors voted late Thursday to separate the movie and miniseries program categories, which were consolidated three years ago (
The academy said the move was down to acknowledge "the increased programming of both movie and miniseries over the past three years." The acting, writing and directing awards for movie and miniseries will remain consolidated, but will now feature six nominees instead of five for each.
The academy also voted to split Outstanding Reality Program into two categories -- unstructured and structured. The Reality-Competition category remains unchanged.
Other changes the academy voted to approve include Outstanding Voice-Over Performance also being split into separate categories: Outstanding Narrator and Outstanding Character Voice-Over.
Another new rule also opens the door for more comedies and dramas to be nominated for outstanding series this year. If any show's first-round votes come within 2% of the sixth-place series, that series would also become nominated.
