Apple wins technical Emmy award for Siri’s integration w/ Apple TV

Chance Miller | Aug 29 2017 - 3:35 pm PT

Apple is among a handful of companies who have just been honored with Emmy awards. Yes, you read that right. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the awards in a press release today, highlighting the “Sciences” aspect of its name. TechCrunch was first to note the inclusion of companies like Apple, DJI, Microsoft, and others.

Apple specifically was awarded with an Emmy for “Contextual Voice Navigation for Discovering and Interacting with TV Content.” This, of course, comes thanks to Siri’s support for quickly finding TV shows and content on the Apple TV. Comcast, Microsoft, and Nuance are among the other companies given the same award.

Meanwhile, Drone maker DJI was awarded an Emmy for its “Low Latency Remote Controlled Airborne Video Platforms (non-military) for Television.”

On the other hand, YouTube was honored for its “Video Identification Technology to Protect Content Value and Copyright.”

This isn’t Apple’s first Emmy, though. The company won the much more notable “Outstanding Commercial” award back in 2014 for its annual holiday ad and has won several others before that.

Apple certainly won’t get any stage time at next month’s Primetime Emmy Awards for its Siri award, but it’s a neat gesture that highlights the “Sciences” aspect of the Emmys, an area that often goes overlooked.

“The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards has always recognized the talented and innovative leaders and companies that have made the incredible world of television possible,” said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS.

Siri came to the Apple TV with the launch of tvOS back in 2015, allowing users to quickly navigate throughout the operating system using their voice. For instance, Siri can be used in conjunction with the TV app to quickly find a specific show, while it can also be used to rewind by simply asking, “What did he say?”

The full press release is below:

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE 69TH ANNUAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING EMMY® AWARDS

Robert Ross, SVP, CBS Engineering and Richard Friedel, EVP, FOX Engineering To Receive Technology & Engineering Lifetime Achievement Awards

New York, NY – August 29, 2017 — The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the recipients of the 69^thAnnual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards that will take place in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) at their annual NAB Show on Sunday, April 8^th, 2018 in Las Vegas, NV. Two broadcast technology icons, Robert Ross, Senior Vice President, CBS Broadcasting and Richard Friedel, Executive Vice President and GM, FOX Networks Engineering and Operations will receive the Academy’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for their distinguished careers.

“The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards has always recognized the talented and innovative leaders and companies that have made the incredible world of television possible,” said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. “We are especially excited this year to be presenting our program at NAB Show for the first time where many of these leaders assemble. Two of these leaders, Robert Ross of CBS and Richard Friedel of FOX have been instrumental in our world of television anytime, anywhere and The National Academy is happy to be honoring them both with our Lifetime Achievement Award in Technology.”

Robert Seidel, Chairman of Technology & Engineering Achievement Committee said, “These awards honor the technology companies and individuals whose innovation and vision have materially affected the way the audience views television and have set the standard for technological excellence in the industry.”

“We are thrilled that NATAS has chosen to recognize the industry’s most innovative companies and leading technology minds at NAB Show,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “As the world’s largest event focused on the intersection of media and technology, NAB Show is a natural fit for this prestigious awards program. We congratulate the award winners and look forward to celebrating their achievements in April.”

The individuals and companies that will be honored at the event follow.