The International Emmy Award for Best Telenovela is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) and recognizes excellence in telenovelas produced and originally aired outside the United States. The first International Emmy for Telenovela was presented at the 36th International Emmy Awards Gala in 2008, in New York City.
The category was created in 2008 by the board of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to honor telenovelas produced and originally broadcast outside the United States. Until 2007, telenovelas were nominated in the Best Drama Series category of the international competition, such as Sinhá Moça (2006), which was the first telenovela ever nominated for an Emmy.
Brazil's Globo is the television network with the highest number of nominations â 12 in total â winning in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020. It also co-produced Laços de Sangue (2011) with Portuguese network SIC, which won that year.
Considered the most prominent event in the international television industry, the International Emmy Awards recognize excellence in television produced outside the United States, as well as U.S. primetime programs produced in languages other than English.
The International Emmy for Best Telenovela is awarded to a melodramatic production with a continuous storyline, typically running for at least half an hour per episode, and consisting of between 50 and 220 episodes in total. Telenovelas are usually broadcast two to six times per week and generally feature romance as the central theme.