Some of the best performances of the last year went woefully unrecognized, while some exciting nominations were a long time coming.
Television’s award season kicked off earlier today with the announcement of the nominees for the 76th Emmy Awards, honoring some of TV’s best and brightest stars. Returning favorites include The Bear and Hacks while popular newcomers are Baby Reindeer and Shōgun; True Detective: Night Country saw the series return to form, and The Morning Show somehow remains a regular nominee. There’s lots to unpack, including plenty of snubs and surprises.
Surprise: another Emmys already?
For more casual TV enthusiasts, this new batch of Emmy nominations may bring a sense of deja vu, given that the 75th Emmy Awards were held just six months ago, this past January. That was the result of Hollywood’s lengthy labor dispute last year, when both the WGA and SAG were on strike throughout the summer, disrupting both TV production and the regular awards calendar. This year, things are back to normal with a September ceremony, but the schedule might still be confusing. For instance, remember The Bear’s major sweep? Yeah, that was all for Season 1; the even more critically lauded Season 2 is eligible this time around, so it will likely be served up just as many trophies.
Snub: high-profile actresses in high-profile projects
The Regime and Expats are two series that seemed like made-to-order awards fodder at the start of the year, but neither has the nominations to show for the hype. The Regime stars Kate Winslet as an authoritarian ruler of a fictional middle European nation, and though its satire is shallow, Winslet gives one of the best performances to date this year. Meanwhile, Lulu Wang’s more cerebral Expats boasts a tortured performance from Nicole Kidman as a mother searching for her lost child. Both shows have an impressive pedigree, but both clearly failed to impress voters. Recent Oscar winner Emma Stone was shut out too, with her performance in Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s strange satire The Curse having been a highlight of the past year in television.
Surprise: a category Hijack
Over a year ago, an action-packed thriller starring Idris Elba about a plane hijacking unfolding in real time exploded onto Apple TV+. Now, the evidently quite popular Hijack has some potential silverware to show for it, with Elba nabbing a nomination for best actor in a drama series. Genre series did very well in this nomination cycle (action, sci-fi, and thriller shows are all well represented), but Elba’s inclusion is an exciting twist.
Snub: no one showed up for Everybody’s in LA
John Mulaney’s late-night live experiment Everybody’s in LA evidently didn’t resonate with tinseltown residents. Mulaney is a near-perennial nominee thanks to his work on SNL, stand-up specials, and more odd-ball offerings like Documentary Now! and John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch. He’s normally a safe bet for a writing nomination somewhere amongst the categories, but perhaps the controlled chaos of his live talk show didn’t appeal in the same way.
Surprise: slow-burn success stories
Two of the biggest players in this year’s race for drama series took their time to make it to the Emmys: Slow Horses and The Gilded Age. The former has picked up its first nominations in its third season, and though Slow Horses was a slow burn for the Emmys, the show is red hot right now. Aside from the Best Drama Series nomination, actors Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Jonathan Pryce are also nominated for their work. As for The Gilded Age, HBO’s period drama really caught on in its second season, notching a nomination for Best Drama Series as well as some recognition for actresses Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski. These late bloomers have some shiny new competition like Shōgun and Fallout, but they’ll have more seasons to show off.
Snub: Vanderpump Rules over The Real Housewives
If last season’s major reality TV moment was Vanderpump Rules’ Scandoval, this season’s had to be The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s “Reality Von Tease” reveal. How many reality shows can you name that have been quoted in Congress? RHOSLC brought some juicy content to the table, and its finale episode employed some top notch editing. It was some of the best reality TV on television, but it looks like only Bravo’s Housewives-adjacent shows can break into the pool of nominees.
Surprise: Reservation Dogs gets overdue recognition
FX’s dramedy Reservation Dogs has long been considered an unsung success, lauded by smaller awards bodies but never receiving an Emmy nom. Now though, the show’s third and final season has racked up two major nominations, one for Best Comedy Series and one for lead actor D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. It’s been a long time coming for the beloved series that explores American indigenous issues with heart and humor, and it’s a treat to see it pay off.
Snub: Ricky Martin, the heart of Palm Royale
Palm Royale was destined to steal some of the awards spotlight, from its eye-catching production design and costuming to the presence of the legendary Carol Burnett. And while the series itself was tedious, one of the show’s greatest strengths was Ricky Martin. Yes, supporting actor in a comedy is a tough field to break into thanks to The Bear and Abbott Elementary, among others, but if this middling series can be nominated for Best Comedy, then surely a nomination can be spared for one of its best performers?
The 76th Emmys take place on Sunday, September 15th, airing on ABC.
