Overview

• ESPN has been found to have used fake names to secure over 30 Emmy awards for ineligible on-air talent since 2010, according to a report by The Athletic.
• The scheme involved submitting counterfeit names in Emmy entries, winning awards for these non-existent personnel, and then re-engraving the statuettes to bestow upon actual on-air personalities.
• The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), which oversees the Emmys, discovered the fraudulent practice, prompting an investigation by both NATAS and ESPN.
• ESPN has admitted to the scheme, describing it as a 'misguided attempt' at acknowledging on-air personnel, and has revamped their submission process to prevent any such future incidents.
• Several ESPN employees have been disqualified from future Emmy participation and at least 37 returned trophies as a result of the investigation.