The Oscars did it, and now the Emmys will too. There will be no host at the ceremony honouring TV's best next month.

Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said Wednesday that going hostless allows more time to salute departing shows, including Game of Thrones. It is the first time the award has not been hosted since 2003.

"If you have a host and an opening, that's 15 or 20 minutes you can't have to salute the shows," Collier said.

The HBO fantasy saga, which ended its run this past season, is the top nominee with a record-setting 32 nominations.

Collier said producers would have considered possible hosts and checked on their availability for the Sept. 22 ceremony. The Fox executive didn't directly address whether anyone had declined.

The Emmy show rotates among the top broadcast networks. Last year the ceremony was hosted by SNL comics Michael Che and Colin Jost.

The Oscars ran into trouble when last year's planned host, Kevin Hart, stepped down following a backlash over his past homophobic tweets. The search for a replacement proved fruitless.