Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is losing his International Emmy award following his resignation and a sexual harassment investigation.
“The International Academy announced today that in light of the New York Attorney General’s report, and Andrew Cuomo’s subsequent resignation as Governor, it is rescinding his special 2020 International Emmy Award. His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy materials going forward,” the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement.
It was announced back in November 2020 that the governor would receive the International Emmy Founders Award for his daily briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the International Academy said during the Nov. 23 ceremony that they had bestowed the award on Cuomo for “his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world.”
As part of the awarding process, the ceremony featured a series of tribute videos including New York talent like Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Rosie Perez, Billy Crystal and Billy Joel.
“The governor’s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure,” Bruce Paisner, president and CEO of the International Academy, said in a statement announcing the Academy’s decision. “People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back.”
The news comes less than a day after Kathy Hochul was officially sworn in as New York’s 57th governor, following six years in the position of lieutenant governor. On Aug. 10, Cuomo agreed to resign following a months-long investigation into sexual harassment allegations involving the governor. The report, which was released by the state attorney general’s office, found he allegedly sexually harassed 11 women and attempted to retaliate against one accuser.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter