NYWIFT Blog

By Shayna Cartledge 

Welcome to NYWIFT, Rachel Schwartz! 

Rachel Schwartz has been a staff member at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) since January 2019, in rising roles as the Manager, then Director, and now Head of Daytime and Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.

Prior to that, she worked at the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, for eight years. Therefore, she is halfway to an “administrative EGOT.” 

Rachel graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern University with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Women’s Studies in 2005. The crowning achievement of her education was her undergraduate thesis on a proposed new voting system for the Primetime Emmys. She has been obsessed with awards shows since sixth grade, when she passed out Oscar ballots to the rest of her class.

She is proud to be a native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens.

Photo Credit – Joe Sinnott

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself? 

My name is Rachel Schwartz. I am a proud new member of NYWIFT and currently the Head of the Daytime Emmys and the Children’s & Family Emmys. Prior to beginning at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in January 2019, I worked at the American Theatre Wing, the founder of the Tony Awards, for eight years. As a career arts administrator with an emphasis on contest administration, I tell people that I am “halfway to an administrative EGOT” between the Tonys and now the Emmys. I am also a born and raised New Yorker.

What brought you to NYWIFT? 

I was recently invited to attend the annual luncheon and was drawn to the group and their mission.

As Head of the Daytime and Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, what does your day-to-day look like? 

It depends on the time of year and where I am in the contest cycle, but my position is primarily focused on running the competitions themselves, from reviewing categories and eligibility standards to vetting the entries and assigning the judges.

A lot of my role is community outreach and relationship-building, making sure that everyone is aware of the opportunity to submit for our contests, ushering them through the process while answering questions they may have.

Rachel Schwartz at 1-2-3 Sesame Street

How did your upbringing shape your love for awards? What elements of award shows fascinate you the most? 

I have been obsessed with awards competitions since elementary school, when I gave out Oscar ballots to my sixth-grade class. My interest predates even the internet, which made things like predicting and red-carpet fashion less niche.

I am fascinated with how much statistical analysis can play into whether you predict outcomes correctly or not. As awards bodies change their memberships over time, statistical patterns are bound to change and eventually collapse, but I’ve always been interested in removing personal bias from awards viewing and predicting based on past trends.

For your undergraduate thesis, you proposed a new voting system for the Primetime Emmys. Are there any other systems or aspects of award shows you believe should be adjusted? 

To be clear, my paper was written in 2003 so a lot of the suggestions and even the language used are antiquated by today’s standards. Like everything else, awards change with the times! 

One major adjustment I believe in is that all awards shows belong on streaming and their governing bodies should be embracing the easy access and relatively fewer constraints that can be offered by the streamers.

The number one complaint about ceremonies broadcast on linear television, especially with the Oscars is, “Why is it so long?” In this day and age, when every second of every day offers thousands of media options at our fingertips, the people who are prioritizing tuning into an awards show are people who love awards shows. It doesn’t matter what or who the nominees are, and it doesn’t matter who the presenters or even the hosts are. The people who are watching are invested in the pomp and circumstance and the tradition of it all. I think awards shows should be as long as they need to be. Nobody asks the teams in the Super Bowl to play faster!

Rachel Schwartz and her dad at the 2015 Tony Awards at Radio City

How has the entertainment industry changed from when you first started your career to now?

It’s been a very rapid change, to be honest. Just since I started at NATAS in 2019, the industry has had the shutdown, pandemic recovery, two simultaneous strikes, the wildfires, and now mass layoffs and the existential threat of AI.

Believe it or not, all of those are reflected in how an awards contest is administered. For instance, networks offering less content or having less money to invest in the awards process means fewer entries which can mean things like consolidating or eliminating categories.

I realize that awards are a luxury item at a time when most people are fighting for their livelihoods, but I like to think that the impact of being nominated for or winning an Emmy can be the recognition artists need, leading to future opportunities that help them achieve stability within their careers. Even if the night at the ceremony just provides some happiness and laughter, it’s done a little bit of good for the entertainment industry.

Rachel Schwartz and Dick Van Dyke at the 2024 Daytime Emmys

What is your greatest accomplishment in your career so far? What do you hope to accomplish in the future? 

I am honored to be the first-ever solo female Head of the Daytime Emmys, which I find particularly amazing because daytime television was originally designed for women in the era when housewives were home during the day. I hope to continue with the Emmys for a long time, and then perhaps, since I am “only” halfway there, one day work for the Oscars… if they’d hire someone in New York, since I plan on never leaving this city!

Connect with Rachel Schwartz on Instagram or Twitter @RedCarpetRachel or on her website TheEmmys.tv.

(All images courtesy of Rachel Schwartz)