The 26th Emmy Awards, later known as the 26th Primetime Emmy Awards, were handed out on May 28, 1974.

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

hosted the ceremony. Winners are listed in bold and networks are in parentheses. The top shows of the night were ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richa ...

'' and '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. ''M*A*S*H'' and ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural mountainous Western Virginia of the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains / Blue Ridge Mountains chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemp ...

'' had the most major nominations with nine. ''

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 historical novel by American author Ernest J. Gaines. Framed as the fictional oral history of a 110-year-old African American woman, Jane Pittman, the novel traces her life from enslavement at th ...

'' and ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harv ...

'' led the night with four major wins apiece. For this ceremony, individual awards dubbed "Super Emmys" were given out in addition to the traditional categories. The individual categories were dropped the following year and have yet to return since.

Winners and nominees

Emmys.com list of 1974 Nominees & Winners
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Programs

Acting

Lead performances

Supporting performances

Directing

Writing

Super Emmys

The Primetime Super Emmy Award was a set of 14 awards that were given in conjunction with the traditional Emmy Awards at the 1974 ceremony. Winners of a traditional Emmy would then compete against their genre counterpart from the same category (comedy vs. drama for "Series",

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

vs.

telefilm A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrestr ...

for "Special"). This format would prove to be the Super Emmy's undoing. In order to vote on a Super Emmy winner, the traditional Emmy winners had to be announced well before the ceremony. Several members of the

Television Academy The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. A 501(c)(6) non-profit or ...

were against implementing the new awards. Super Emmy winners

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...

and

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whic ...

were some of the loudest detractors. Both threatened to resign from the academy if they were installed. During their acceptance speeches, Moore said that comparing comedic and dramatic television was "apples to oranges". Alda went one step further in his speech "it's comparing apples to oranges to Volkswagens."O'Neil, Thomas. "1973-74. A Super S*M*A*S*H Night." The Emmys: The Ultimate, Unofficial Guide to the Battle of TV's Best Shows and Greatest Stars. New York: Perigee, 2000. 173-174. The Super Emmy was never awarded again.

Acting

Directing

Writing

Craft categories

Most major nominations

Most major awards

;Notes

References

External links

Emmys.com list of 1974 Nominees & Winners
* {{EmmyAwardsbyYear 026

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

1974 in Los Angeles May 1974 in the United States