Emmy Awards 2020: How and when to watch the virtual show; how stars are preparing

The Emmy Awards 2020 will be a lot different from the previous years. The small screen's biggest award show will be telecast live from the Staples Center, Los Angeles on Sunday night. ABC and the Television Academy didn't cancel or postpone the Emmys, they rather stuck to their Sept. 20 schedule that was previously announced.

The 2020 Emmy Awards will be hosted by late night show host Jimmy Kimmel. There will be more than 100 cameras to broadcast the show live with nominees stationed across the world. It will then be instantly beamed into viewers homes.

"It's not going to work properly all the time," a candid Ian Stewart, executive producer alongside Kimmel and Reggie Hudlin, told reporters on Wednesday. "It's just not. And we've got to embrace that," the duo said about the all-virtual show.

Here's what we know about the Emmy Awards 2020 so far.

How to watch

ABC News will air an 90-minute Emmy special. Viewers can log in to Instagram, TikTok and Twitter to see what nominees show off before and during the show. They can even watch the E!'s preshow. Check out all the information here.

Emmys sans the glittery red carpet

There won't be a red carpet. Haute couture has taken a backseat as the presenterswill be wearing full hazmat suits to hand out awards. The nominees will be logged in from their homes and have been encouraged to "come as you are" ditch their red carpet gowns for a more realistic look and feel in formalwear or pajamas.

Emmys 2020 will be live

The Emmys will be airing live, which is the most ambitious TV endeavour since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on almost every kind of production. The BET Awards and the MTV VMAs, have all been pretaped.

"[When] the whole thing is being driven by the reveal of who the winners are, it needs to be live," Hudlin toldThe Hollywood Reporter. "Jimmy loves live, so we were all in agreement that we needed to fight to preserve that."

COVID-19 precautions

Crew have been deployed keeping social distancing guidelines in mind. Sterilised equipment have been given to nominees. Kimmel and producers have done extensive outreach to make talent comfortable with the process. Those on-site have been tested. There will also be temperature checks, masks off camera, distancing, etc at the Staples Center.

Presenters will wear full hazmat suits to hand out awards, according to New York Post. Producers said the presenters wearing specially branded Emmy gear might be "visiting some of the winners live during Sunday night's telecast."

"Not only is this a fun and irreverent visual, but it also ensures the health and safety of all of our winners and the presenter by following all of the health and safety protocols — with a twist," producers said.

The Emmy version of the designer duds is like a "formal" tuxedo. It was designed by costume designer Katja Cahill, and executive producer Guy Carrington, who worked alongside a hazmat manufacturer to customise them for the show.

Have a look at the nomination list here.

The 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards air live this Sunday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on ABC.