Courtesy of Katie Yu/FX
Also listen to the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast roundtable as the hosts share their first impressions of this year’s nominations.
Peak TV may be over, but the television landscape is far from dead. In fact, this Emmy season has delivered the most eclectic slate of nominations from the widest variety of platforms in television history. The list of contenders ranges from the spectacle of “Shōgun” to the slow-burning “Slow Horses” to the sleepy stalker story of the year, “Baby Reindeer.”
By any definition, the nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, unveiled July 17, were well outside the box.
And while 2024 marks the first time in Emmy history that two ceremonies will be held in the same calendar year, the Sept. 15 ceremony won’t be the same. For the first time in 50 years, the best drama series category includes only one title that was up for nomination last year: Netflix’s “The Crown.” (The Emmys for the 2022-23 awards cycle were handed out on Jan. 15, delayed from the usual September schedule due to last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes.)
Just hours after the 2024 Emmy nominations were announced, VarietyThe Awards Circuit podcast panel delved into the news and gave their thoughts on how the competition is going. Listen below!
Netflix led the pack this time around with 107 nominations, thanks in part to its long-running hit “The Crown,” which got 18 nominations, and its late-release “Baby Reindeer,” which got 11. FX came in first
second with 93 nominations, a massive total made up largely of 25 nominations for “Shōgun” and 23 for “The Bear.”
Special effects
The network’s other flagship shows are “Reservation Dogs” and “What We Do in the Shadows” — two
which many had predicted would not make the cut, as well as the star-studded “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.” (Interestingly, Netflix’s 107 nominations featured 35 shows that won, while FX’s 93 nominations featured only nine shows.)
For the past 20 years, HBO/Max has held the top two spots (17 of them in first place). This year, it fell to third place, with 91 nominations. HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” is the fourth most nominated series and the most nominated miniseries, with 19 nominations.
Apple TV+ had its best year ever, though “Severance” was out of contention, with 72 nominations, up from 54 last year. Freshman comedy “Palm Royale,” dramas “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses” and miniseries “Lessons in Chemistry” were all responsible for the platform’s No. 4 position.
Networks returned to the top five for the first time in years, with ABC and CBS tied with 38 nominations each, thanks mainly to “Abbott Elementary” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s Emmy nominations.
Increase the drama
The drama category may be the weirdest in years. “The Crown” was the only truly predictable nominee. Despite the negative reviews for the 2021 winner’s final episodes, the Television Academy loves it, so it was a natural fit for one last nomination.
“Shōgun,” originally announced as a limited series, shifted categories after FX announced its renewal and immediately became a frontrunner. Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” which was also originally considered a limited/anthology series, was later renewed for a second season. While many wondered whether “Fallout” would go the anthology route and stray from the video game storyline in future seasons, its suspenseful finale propelled it into the drama race.
Another spot went to Netflix’s “3 Body Problem,” which was recently renewed for two more seasons, solidifying its place as a drama and not a limited series. Meanwhile, “The Gilded Age” and “The Morning
Show” each earned their first nominations in the drama series category, for their second and third seasons, respectively. The third season of Apple TV+ drama series “Slow Horses” also landed a coveted spot in the category (and eight other nominations).
Has the chain vote changed?
Television Academy voters are usually consistent in their votes. If they like a show, it can be recognized in every category. But this year, while “The Bear” garnered 10 best actor nominations and “Shōgun” five, those numbers aren’t as high as expected.
That said, the downstream voting isn’t over yet. Case in point: In the guest acting categories, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” got five nominations for Michaela Coel, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey,
Paul Dano and John Turturro.
Double trouble
Maya Rudolph may well be this year’s MVP, not only landing a Best Actress in a Comedy nomination for “Loot,” but also three additional nominations: Original Music and Lyrics (“Saturday Night Live”), Guest Actress (“Saturday Night Live”) and Voice-Over Performance (“Big Mouth”).
As usual, this year saw several double nominations, including for the same shows. Richard Gadd, Quinta Brunson and Donald Glover were nominated for their performances and writing in “Baby Reindeer,” “Abbott Elementary” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” respectively. Jodie Foster, Brie Larson and Andrew Scott were nominated for their performances and production in “True Detective,” “Lessons in Chemistry” and “Ripley.”
Courtesy of HBO
Others were nominated for different series and even different genres. Jon Hamm was nominated for best lead actor for his role in “Fargo” and for best supporting actor in a drama for his appearance on “Morning Show”; Paul Rudd is nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building” and for best narrator for “Secrets of the Octopus”; Jonathan Pryce is nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy for “The Crown” and for best guest actor in a comedy for “Slow Horses” and Kristen Wiig is nominated for best lead actor in a comedy for “Palm Royale” and for best guest actor in a comedy for “Saturday Night Live.”
The 76th Emmy Awards will air live from the LA Live Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15, from 8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT on ABC. The broadcast will then be available to stream the following day on Hulu. A host has not yet been named.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top talent and creators in film and television, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you download podcasts.