Emmys 2019: Sexual abuse documentaries 'Leaving Neverland', 'Surviving R. Kelly' nominated

The 2019 Emmy Award nominations were announced recently and among the nominees were sexual abuse documentaries - HBO's 'Leaving Neverland' and Lifetime's 'Surviving R. Kelly' - both of which explored misconduct claims made against prominent men in the music industry.

HBO's four-hour film, which chronicles testimony from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who claim to have suffered childhood sexual abuse at the hands of the late singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, earned a total of five nominations, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

The documentary, helmed by Dan Reed, was nominated in the following categories: outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program, outstanding documentary or nonfiction special, outstanding picture editing for a nonfiction program, outstanding sound editing for a nonfiction program and outstanding sound mixing for a nonfiction program.

After the film debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival, Jackson's estate criticised the film, previously calling it "tabloid character assassination" and insisted it "isn't a documentary," while his family called Reed and the two accusers "opportunists."

On the other hand, 'Surviving R. Kelly' received one nod. Lifetime's six-episode series, which aired in January and featured more than 50 people speaking about the alleged acts of abuse by the singer-songwriter R. Kelly was nominated for outstanding informational series or special.

News of the film's nomination came just days after Kelly was arrested on charges that he recruited girls and women to have illegal sex with him and then covered up the crimes by paying and threatening the victims.

In a statement to the outlet, 'Surviving R. Kelly' executive producer Dream Hampton expressed her gratitude to the Television Academy for recognising her work. "Our team is so grateful to the Academy for this nomination, and to the brave women who sat with us and shared their stories on camera," said Hampton.

The Primetime Emmy Awards, honouring the best in TV programming, will be handed out on September 22. The show will air live on Fox from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.