Peak TV may be over, but the television landscape is hardly at a standstill. In fact, this Emmy season has delivered the most eclectic list of nominees from the widest variety of platforms in TV history. The lineup of contenders runs the gamut from the spectacle of “Shōgun” to the slow burn of “Slow Horses” to the out-of-nowhere sleeper stalker story of the year, “Baby Reindeer.”
By any definition, nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, unveiled July 17, were well outside the box.
And while 2024 marks the first time in the history of the Emmys that two ceremonies have been held in the same calendar year, the Sept. 15 show won’t be the same old song and dance. For the first time in 50 years, the top drama series category only includes one title that was a contender last year: Netflix’s “The Crown.” (Emmy Awards for the 2022-23 awards cycle were handed out on Jan. 15, delayed from the usual September timing by last year’s writers and actors strikes.)
Just hours after the 2024 Emmy nominations were announced, Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast roundtable dissected the news and gave their snap thoughts on how the competition is shaping up. Listen below!
Leading the pack this time around is Netflix with 107 nominations, thanks in part to its longtime hit “The Crown,” which landed 18 nods, and the late-debuting “Baby Reindeer,” which earned 11. FX came in
second with 93 nominations, a massive haul largely made up of 25 nods to “Shōgun” and 23 to “The Bear.”
FX
Other top shows for the network are “Reservation Dogs” and “What We Do in the Shadows” — two
that many predicted wouldn’t make the cut — and the star-studded “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.” (Interestingly, Netflix’s 107 nominations featured 35 programs landing recognition, while FX’s 93 highlighted just nine programs.)
For the past 20 years, HBO/Max has taken the top two spots (17 of them in first place). This year, it slipped to third, garnering 91 nods. HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” was the fourth-most nominated series and the most nominated limited series, earning 19 nods.
Apple TV+ had its best year ever, despite “Severance” not being in the race, scoring 72 nominations, up from last year’s 54. Freshman comedy “Palm Royale,” dramas “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses,” and limited series “Lessons in Chemistry” were all responsible for the platform’s No. 4 position.
Broadcast networks broke their way back into the top five for the first time in years, with ABC and CBS tying with 38 nods each, thanks mostly to “Abbott Elementary” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s Emmy nominations.
Upping the Drama
The drama category may be the most bizarre in years. “The Crown” was the only truly predictable nominee. Despite the 2021 category winner’s final episodes being poorly reviewed, the TV Academy adores it, so it was a shoo-in to get one last nod.
“Shōgun,” originally billed as a limited series, switched categories after FX announced it would be renewed, and became an immediate front-runner. Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” which was also originally viewed as a limited/anthology series, was later renewed for a second season. Although many wondered whether “Fallout” would take the anthology route and depart from the storyline of the video game in future seasons, its cliffhanger finale landed it in the drama race.
Another slot went to Netflix’s “3 Body Problem,” which was recently renewed for two additional seasons, cementing its spot as a drama and not a limited series. Meanwhile, “The Gilded Age” and “The Morning
Show” each landed their first-ever drama series nominations, for their second and third seasons, respectively. The third season of Apple TV+’s drama “Slow Horses” also landed a coveted spot in the category (and eight other nods).
Has Down-the-Line Voting Changed?
Television Academy voters are usually consistent about voting down the line. If they love a show, it may just land recognition in every category. But this year, though “The Bear” raked in 10 acting noms and “Shōgun” landed five, those numbers are not nearly as high as they were predicted to be.
That said, down-the-line voting isn’t done. A prime example: In the guest actor categories, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” earned a whopping five nominations for Michaela Coel, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey,
Paul Dano and John Turturro.
Double Trouble
Maya Rudolph may be this year’s MVP, not only landing a lead comedy actress nomination for “Loot” but earning three more nods: original music and lyrics (“Saturday Night Live”), guest actor (“Saturday Night Live”) and voice-over performance (“Big Mouth”).
As always, this year featured multiple double nominees, especially from the same shows. Richard Gadd, Quinta Brunson and Donald Glover were each nominated for performance and writing on “Baby Reindeer,” “Abbott Elementary” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” respectively. Meanwhile, Jodie Foster, Brie Larson and Andrew Scott landed acting and producing noms for “True Detective,” “Lessons in Chemistry” and “Ripley.”
Courtesy of HBO
Others were nominated across different shows and even different genres. Jon Hamm landed a lead limited actor nod for his role in “Fargo” and a supporting drama actor nod for his “Morning Show” appearance; Paul Rudd is up for supporting comedy actor for “Only Murders in the Building” and best narrator for “Secrets of the Octopus”; Jonathan Pryce is nominated for supporting drama actor in “The Crown” and guest drama actor in “Slow Horses” and Kristen Wiig landed a lead comedy actress nod for “Palm Royale” and a nom for comedy guest star for “Saturday Night Live.”
The 76th Emmy Awards will be broadcast live from downtown Los Angeles’ LA Live Peacock Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT on ABC. The broadcast will then be available to be streamed the next 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 film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.