The Emmy Awards first started in the late 1940s, with the inaugural ceremony held on January 25, 1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles.

Quick scoop: key facts

  • First Emmy ceremony date: January 25, 1949.
  • Location: Hollywood Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California.
  • Organizer: The Los Angeles–based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (later Television Academy).
  • Scope at the start: Only locally produced and aired Los Angeles TV programs were eligible.
  • First winner: Ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale (Most Outstanding Television Personality).

So, if you’re asking “when did the Emmys start?” in calendar terms, the answer is 1949, with that first ceremony on January 25 kicking off what would grow into today’s national (and now global) TV awards institution.

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