The 70th Annual Emmy Awards are nearly here, and the nomination list is out. Seven pieces of VR content have made the cut, including big names such as Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017), Coco VR (2017), Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab (2017), and Spider-Man Homecoming VR Experience (2017) to name a few.

VR games, experiences and 360 video have found their way into two categories in particular—’Outstanding Original Interactive Program’ and ‘Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program’.

The list below highlights VR content represented in both categories. Check out the full list here, which includes all other nominees.

The Emmy Awards will air live on NBC Monday, September 17th at 8PM ET (local time here). Without further ado, here’s all the VR content in the running.

Outstanding Original Interactive Program

Back To The Moon (YouTube 360, Rift, Vive)

Created by: Google Spotlight Stories, Karen Dufilho (Executive Producer), Jan Pinkava (Executive Producer), Fx Goby (Director), Google, Nexus Studios

Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab (Rift, Go, Gear VR) 

Created by: Magnopus, Alcon Interactive, LLC, Oculus

Coco VR (Rift)

Created by: Magnopus, Disney, Pixar, Oculus

NASA JPL: Cassini’s Grand Finale (YouTube 360)

Created by: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Spider-Man Homecoming VR Experience (PSVR)

Created by: Create VR, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality

Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program

Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (Rift, Vive, PSVR)

Created by: Adult Swim Games, Owlchemy Labs, Other Ocean Interactive. Rick and Morty Creative Team

Silicon Valley: Interactive World: Inside The Hacker Hostel (Rift, Vive), Not Hotdog, & Twitter-Powered Pizza Drones

Created by: HBO, Brown Hill Productions

SEE ALSO
'Racket Club' Update Brings More Flexibility with New Rules and Fan Favorite Modes

Silicon Valley: Inside the Hacker Hostel was created by HBO and REWIND

– – — – –

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • JJ

    After seeing these choices is it as obvious to everyone else as it is to me that the Emmy’s are just one big circle jerk? For any reason any one of these are nominated, I’m convinced there’s a better choice for the category. Maybe not coco cause its a film, but every other one is either a demo, or not award worthy. I mean come on spider man… Silicon valley… neither of these were that innovative, cool maybe yes, but nothing to write home or give an award over.

    Where Echo? Wheres Arizona, Wheres Raw Data, Bam/Pavlovl/Onward, DeadEffect, Orbus, Sairento, Superhot, Moss, budget cuts, Beats saber, Fallout , Skyrim.. the list goes on of better games

    Notice the companies behind these too HBO, Google, AdultSwim/Owl/Squanch, Sony, Disney, Pixar, Oculus… All companies with heavy influence. I didn’t believe people when i heard the Emmy’s are pretty much just bought but this seams to support that theory pretty evidently.

    • Luke

      I’m not sure but all the works seems to have a connection with a movie/tv show

    • sfmike

      All these industry awards are just marketing tools. They were never really created to award excellence. Just look how they award the same lame sitcoms and police procedurals prizes year after year. It’s a joke.

    • Mateusz Pawluczuk

      It’s true this selection seems pretty random. Spiderman homecoming is a movie promo. Silicon Valley never played it but it seems lacking any real narrative or plot. Same for Blade Runner – while very cool and polished it’s not really ‘artsy’ and just follows the movie’s narrative.

      When I think of Emmys for VR I picture ambitious projects that left a lasting impression and are worth signifying with this highly ranked (in search engines :p ) award but that’s obviously just a conventional image.

    • Lucidfeuer

      Welcome to the real-world, corporate and also literally consanguineous circle-jerks…did you expect any of these awards “ceremonies” to have anything to do with a quality judgement panel?

    • TK421

      Promotional content should receive an ADDY Award (American Advertising Award), not an Emmy.

      And having worked for an awards show organization, JJ, yes, in essence these are massive circle jerks, the TV industry broadcasting themselves patting each other on the back. Though entertainment isn’t the only industry to do it, they’re just the only ones who broadcast it.

      But think on this for a sec: Voters are expected to “acknowledge” that they’ve experienced all the content to have their vote counted, but the Emmys ain’t providing voters with the tech and gear to enjoy the VR nominees. Plus these voters are not in any way qualified to review software or games, so they might do one task, give up, and make their judgement. It’s not like a movie or tv show where everyone experiences the same thing, beginning to end.

      When producers send their content to voters for consideration, they send a free gift bag or box with a bunch of awesome stuff that fans would kill for and a disc of the content. I’m gonna go ahead and assume this award is 100% determined by the quality of swag.

    • Sandy Wich

      I’ve noticed real art doesn’t often get noticed unless someone can make money off it. Many attics in the world hold treasures and wonders nobody will ever knew existed. :'(

      That’s what I love about Youtube, “Outside of the huge trashy parts of it”, it helps little stories and great artists get their work out there for the world to enjoy.

      Fuck these award shows imo.

    • The Silicon Valley one doesn’t deserve being in this list at all

    • WyrdestGeek

      And now they (not strictly the same companies, but same corporate interests) get to mess with us with no net neutrality in the way either.