Cuomo stripped of 2020 Emmy Award

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to the media at a news conference in Manhattan on May 5, 2021 in New York City. – Cuomo has announced that Broadway will reopen on September 14, with some tickets going on sale beginning tomorrow. Theaters, a popular draw for tourists, will be open at 100 percent capacity, the governor says. Cuomo has also announced that visitors to both Yankee and Mets baseball games will soon be able to receive a vaccination at the ball field and in return will get a free ticket to another game. (Photo by Spencer Platt / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SPENCER PLATT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Matt Driffill

Posted: Aug 24, 2021 / 01:04 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 24, 2021 / 05:50 PM EDT

NEW YORK CITY (WROC) — A former governor is now a former Emmy Award winner.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was stripped of his International Emmy Award Tuesday. A statement from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said:

“The International Academy announced today that in light of the New York Attorney General’s report, and Andrew Cuomo’s subsequent resignation as Governor, it is rescinding his special 2020 International Emmy® Award. His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy materials going forward.“

Cuomo was honored last year with the Founders Award at the 48th International Emmy Awards. According to Emmy’s officials, the governor was awarded “in recognition of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world.”

The Founder’s Award is presented to an individual or organization who “crosses cultural boundaries to touch our common humanity.”

Prior recipients include Vice President Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg.

Cuomo’s last day in office was Monday after he announced his resignation two weeks ago in the wake of a bombshell report from the attorney general’s office that concluded he sexually harassed current and former state employees.

Although the governor’s lawyers challenged the credibility of the report, and Cuomo himself maintains he never touched anyone inappropriately, he announced he would step down to not serve as a further distraction for New Yorkers.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as governor at midnight during a private ceremony, making her the first female governor in New York state history.