The BBC had a team at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, which was shutdown to traffic and onlookers as celebrities in black cars took over.
Droves of celebrity handlers dressed in black – from their security details to publicists – were posted throughout the area – which also sits across from Crypto.com Arena (home to the LA Lakers). While the ceremony and red carpet is mostly confined to the Peacock Theater, the set-up around it is vast.
Next door at the JW Marriott hotel, ballrooms are converted into press workspaces where celebrities and their teams milled about throughout the ceremony, reuniting cast-mates who haven’t seen each other since they wrapped filming.
The road to this area is long, windy and done on foot. Once a winner accepts their prize on TV, they are taken across the street to get their awards engraved, take photos and chat with reporters.
They are escorted through a series of covered spaces, where they pop into one ballroom specifically for photos, another to speak with print and digital media and then another section cordoned off just for TV interviews.
This area also is home to where winners get their awards engraved. Dozens of golden Emmy statues were set up on tables here, which passerbys (including yours truly) can readily gawk at and take photos of.
So, in every way, “backstage” isn’t really “backstage” at the Emmys. It’s more like “next door”.
