The brutal reasons the Emmys excluded so many major celebs from the in memoriam section

The Emmys were on Monday night at the Peacock Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California, but so many notable celebrities were seemingly omitted from the in memoriam section. 

It’s been a sad year for celebrity deaths, from the iconic Catherine O’Hara to former child star Daveigh Chase. Even this week, we lost the legendary talent that was fashion designer Bob Mackie.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr Bob Mackie passed away today,” a statement on his Instagram account said. “He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do,” it added. “His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”

Though Bob Mackie and many others were included in the Emmys, other names were excluded. Here’s why. 

Really weird that the Emmy’s invited Sarah and David to celebrate 30 years of Buffy and then not include Nicholas Brendon in the in memoriam #emmys

— Marc Thee Stallion (@MarcGreene1) September 15, 2026

These celebs weren’t in the Emmys’ memorium section 

During the Emmys on Monday, Noah Kahan performed Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as names appeared on the screen. Other celebs, like Dolly Parton, Rob Reiner, and Catherine O’Hara, got dedicated segments about their careers. 

Sadly, these major names were left out of the section: Nicholas Brendon, Chuck Norris, Patrick Muldoon, Jaye P. Morgan, Daveigh Chase, and Grizz Chapman. There were others as well. 

According to Variety, there are a number of reasons that celebrities are left out of the in memoriam section at the Emmys. 

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The first, and perhaps the most obvious reason, is time constraints. The show only has a set amount of time to celebrate the deceased, and so not everybody can be included, especially since the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences includes people who were behind the scenes, like director James Burrows and CNN founder Ted Turner.

“Unfortunately, due to inevitable time limitations, the producers of the telecast are not able to include all of the worthy television professionals who have passed away from year to year,” the Emmys website reads.

The other reason is the context of the celeb’s work. People live Daveigh Chase, who were best known for working in film, were not included for this reason. 

On Twitter and Reddit, people also questioned whether controversy played a part in decision-making. So many celebs, including the likes of Chuck Norris and Nicholas Brendon, had a long history of controversial moments, arrests, and legal issues. But that’s pure speculation, because the names were included in the memorium website. 

The final reason is that a committee decides on the celebs, and it’s up to them to decide whether the person in question has enough recognizability to be included in the show. A former producer said it ultimately comes down to personal opinions and choices, rather than some underlying factor. 

The full list can be viewed here. 

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Featured image credit: YouTube.