Semi-Final Round of Judging for the 54th International Emmy® Awards
For the 20th time, Cologne hosted the Semi-Final Round of Judging for the International Emmy® Awards. At Arff Castle, two high-profile juries, led by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, selected the nominees in the TV Movie/Mini-Series and Sports Documentary categories. The jury session was attended by, among others, Academy Executive Director Camille Bidermann Roizen.
In the evening, host and Academy Ambassador Leopold Hoesch (Broadview) hosted the traditional Cologne Emmy cocktail reception at Arff Castle. 200 guests from the worlds of film, television, media, politics, business, and culture took the opportunity to network internationally.
Among the guests were Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, Patricia Aulitzky, Karin Hanczewski, Pegah Ferydoni, Annika Blendl, Max von der Groeben, Michael Kessler, Julius Weckauf, Walid Nakschbandi (FMS), Katrin Vernau (WDR), Inga Leschek (RTL Deutschland), Nicolas Roden (MMC Film Studios), Matthias Murmann (btf), Tom Spieß (Constantin Film), Laura Karasek, Lionel Souque (REWE Group), Gerald Böse (Koelnmesse), Isabel Kleefeld, Tobi Baumann, and other representatives of the international media and creative industries.
The Cologne Semi-Final Round of Judging for the International Emmy® Awards was supported by the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Film and Media Foundation NRW, the City of Cologne, MMC Film Studios, RTL Deutschland, WDR, ZDF, and the Cologne-based production company Broadview.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honors outstanding television productions outside the United States with the International Emmy® Awards. The 54th International Emmy® Awards ceremony will take place on November 23, 2026, in New York City. North Rhine-Westphalia will showcase its media industry there alongside a delegation of creative professionals and representatives from the film and television sectors. The partnership between the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has now been in place for 18 years and makes NRW an integral part of the international Emmy network.