Cheyenne Jackson withdraws from Tony nominating committee: “The actor has had to recuse himself from nominating duties now that he will star in the new Broadway play ‘The Performers’ this fall. Previously announced committee members Boyd Gaines (who will star in ‘An Enemy of the People’) and director Pam MacKinnon (‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’) will also not serve on the board. No replacements have been named at this time.” BROADWAY.COM
BAFTA adds news writing category to its awards: “BAFTA is to introduce separate prizes for comedy and drama writers at its annual craft awards, following pressure from the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. Up until now, BAFTA has only awarded a best writer award at its television craft awards ceremony, meaning drama writers have been pitted against comedy creators. Last year, the guild began discussions with BAFTA to address this issue. Today, the union has announced that BAFTA has agreed to present two writing awards from now on – one for comedy, and one for drama.” THE STAGE
Former “General Hospital” executive producer Jill Farren Phelps joins “Young and the Restless“: “Jill Farren Phelps has been named Executive Producer of ‘The Young and the Restless,’ daytime’s number one drama, and Josh Griffith joins the series as Head Writer, it was announced today by Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, U.S. Programming at Sony Pictures Television … Phelps has been the executive producer of five daytime dramas and two prime time cable dramas: ‘Santa Barbara,’ ‘Guiding Light,’ ‘Another World,’ ‘One Life to Live,’ ‘General Hospital,’ the first season of ‘General Hospital: Night Shift’ and ‘Hollywood Heights.’ As an executive producer, Phelps has been nominated for 14 Daytime Emmy Awards and has won seven times (1988-1990, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2012).” MARKET WATCH
Seven-time Emmy winner Anthony Geary talks about working until the threat of cancellation: “‘We were so shaky about a year ago until Frank [Valentini] came on to shore us all up,’ Geary told reporters at ABC’s Television Critics Association fall TV previews Thursday. ‘We’d been living on Death Row. I think we were all pretty thrilled and excited about being acknowledged for the hard work’ … ‘Being an outsider, it’s sometimes easier to come in and see what maybe you’re not seeing when you’re there,” [Valentini] said. ‘I think the show was in terrific shape, but there needed to be some tweaks.'” TV GUIDE
Fiona Apple, Frank Ocean, and Bonnie Raitt are among possible contenders for Album of the Year Grammy: “When the Emmy nominations were handed down last Thursday, it started me thinking about the Grammy Awards. The year-long eligibility period doesn’t end for another two months—until Sept. 30— but there are a number of fine titles already out that are serious contenders for album of the year. Looking ahead, here are the top 10 albums released so far that could be in the running. I’m not including any sets coming out between now and the cut-off, but September is already stacked with some major names, including Bob Dylan, Pink, Mumford and Sons, Ne-Yo, Green Day, and Dave Matthews Band, who clearly could be contenders.” HITFIX
Tom Sherak steps down as the president of the Motion Picture Academy after three terms: “Now, termed out after three years, Sherak, 67, is stepping down from what he calls the ‘best non-paying job in Hollywood,’ a post that requires diplomacy, glad-handing, chutzpah, early morning wake-up calls and quite a few tuxedo-clad events. A former executive at Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, Sherak helped the academy renegotiate its contract with ABC for its annual Oscar telecast and its deal to keep the show in the Hollywood & Highland Center. He was involved in changing the number of best picture contenders from 10 to a variable number. And he led the organization’s renewed effort to start its own museum, this time in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.” LOS ANGELES TIMES
