Just one day after he exited the governor’s office, Andrew Cuomo has lost something else: his Emmy.
Variety reports that the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will revoke the honorary award that the organization awarded him for his daily COVID-19 briefings during the height of the pandemic. Past winners of the Founders Award include Oprah Winfrey, Norman Lear, and Al Gore.
In a statement, the organization said the decision to rescind the award was made “in light of the New York Attorney General’s report,” which alleged 11 incidents of sexual harassment of women and his subsequent resignation from office. “His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy materials going forward,” it said.
Several iconic New Yorkers, including Rosie Perez, Spike Lee, and Robert De Niro, praised the governor in a video aired prior to Cuomo accepting the award virtually during the ceremony.
In his pretaped remarks, Cuomo thanked the members of the Academy for their work, which he said brought “smiles, hope, and relief” to people during hard times.
“I wish I could say that my daily COVID presentations were well-choreographed, scripted, rehearsed or reflected any of the talents that you advance. They didn’t. They offered only one thing: authentic truth and stability. But sometimes that’s enough,” he said.
