A sweeping year of Peak TV dominated the Emmy nominations Thursday morning, with new series like The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, Westworld, and This Is Us entering a drama field now dominated by shows on streaming networks. The comedy field remained more stable, with old favorites like Veep and Modern Family leading the pack, but overall the industry awards reflected the ongoing state of change in the world of television, as established networks like HBO, FX, and AMC contend with an onslaught of high-quality scripted programming from sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
The nominations, announced by the actors Shemar Moore and Anna Chlumsky, also suggest that the limited series is still en vogue, with some of the biggest critical hits of the year (including Feud, Fargo, Big Little Lies, and The Night Of) doing battle in a category that was a relative graveyard of quality only a few years ago. Though some new comedies broke through (particularly FX’s Atlanta), it was the Drama Series nominations that saw a real shake-up, with last year’s winner Game of Thrones taking a year off, the longtime Emmy favorite Downton Abbey finally out of the picture, and last year’s critical darling Mr. Robot contending with a sophomore slump.
The winners will be announced Sunday, September 17, at a ceremony hosted by Stephen Colbert (it will air on his parent network CBS), though most of the smaller technical awards will be given out at the “Creative Arts” ceremonies on September 9 and 10. In a year without Game of Thrones, the Drama Series category will be wide open (five of the seven nominees are in their first season), with Netflix’s The Crown possibly holding a slight edge because of its costume-drama credentials (a longtime favorite for awards voters), though its sci-fi series Stranger Things may coast to victory on pure buzz.
Comedy Series only has one new nominee (Atlanta), and the Emmy veteran Veep, which has won the last two trophies, may be tough to dethrone. Limited Series is a total free-for-all, but HBO’s Big Little Lies, which drew several nominations for its all-star cast (including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Alexander Skarsgard), is probably the front-runner on name recognition alone. A full list of the major nominations is below, with a longer list of all the technical nominations available at the Emmys website.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
House of Cards
Stranger Things
This Is Us
Westworld
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Anthony Hopkins, Westworld
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Claire Foy, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Keri Russell, The Americans
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
John Lithgow, The Crown
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Chrissy Metz, This Is Us
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
BD Wong, Mr. Robot
Hank Azaria, Ray Donovan
Denis O’Hare, This Is Us
Brian Tyree Henry, This Is Us
Gerald McRaney, This Is Us
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Alison Wright, The Americans
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away with Murder
Ann Dowd, The Leftovers
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Shannon Purser, Stranger Things
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Vince Gilligan, Better Call Saul (“Witness”)
Steven Daldry, The Crown (“Hyde Park Corner”)
Reed Morano, The Handmaid’s Tale (“Offred”)
Kate Dennis, The Handmaid’s Tale (“The Bridge”)
Lesli Linka Glatter, Homeland (“America First”)
The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things (“Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”)
Jonathan Nolan, Westworld (“The Bicameral Mind”)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Joel Fields, Joe Weisberg, The Americans (“The Soviet Division”)
Gordon Smith, Better Call Saul (“Chicanery”)
Peter Morgan, The Crown (“Assassins”)
Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale (“Offred”)
The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things (“Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”)
Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, Westworld (“The Bicameral Mind”)
Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta
Black-ish
Master of None
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Zach Galifianakis, Baskets
Donald Glover, Atlanta
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon, Better Things
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Allison Janney, Mom
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep
Matt Walsh, Veep
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Vanessa Bayer, Saturday Night Live
Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Kathryn Hahn, Transparent
Judith Light, Transparent
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Riz Ahmed, Girls
Matthew Rhys, Girls
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Saturday Night Live
Tom Hanks, Saturday Night Live
Hugh Laurie, Veep
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Wanda Sykes, Black-ish
Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe
Becky Ann Baker, Girls
Angela Bassett, Master of None
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Donald Glover, Atlanta (“B.A.N.”)
Jamie Babbit, Silicon Valley (“Intellectual Property”)
Mike Judge, Silicon Valley (“Server Error”)
Morgan Sackett, Veep (“Blurb”)
David Mandel, Veep (“Groundbreaking”)
Dale Stern, Veep (“Justice”)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Donald Glover, Atlanta (“B.A.N.”)
Stephen Glover, Atlanta (“Streets on Lock”)
Aziz Ansari, Lena Waithe, Master of None (“Thanksgiving”)
Alec Berg, Silicon Valley (“Success Failure”)
Billy Kimball, Veep (“Georgia”)
David Mandel, Veep (“Groundbreaking”)
Outstanding Limited Series
Big Little Lies
Fargo
Feud: Bette and Joan
Genius
The Night Of
Outstanding Television Movie
Black Mirror (“San Junipero”)
Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Sherlock (“The Lying Detective”)
The Wizard of Lies
Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries
Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Robert De Niro, The Wizard of Lies
Ewan McGregor, Fargo
Geoffrey Rush, Genius
John Turturro, The Night Of
Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries
Carrie Coon, Fargo
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan
Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette and Joan
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries
Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
David Thewlis, Fargo
Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette and Joan
Stanley Tucci, Feud: Bette and Joan
Bill Camp, The Night Of
Michael Kenneth Williams, The Night Of
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries
Regina King, American Crime
Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies
Judy Davis, Feud: Bette and Joan
Jackie Hoffman, Feud: Bette and Joan
Michelle Pfeiffer, The Wizard of Lies
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries/Movie
Jean-Marc Vallee, Big Little Lies
Noah Hawley, Fargo (“The Law of Vacant Places”)
Ryan Murphy, Feud: Bette and Joan (“And the Winner Is”)
Ron Howard, Genius (“Chapter One”)
James Marsh, The Night Of (“The Art of War”)
Steven Zaillian, The Night Of (“The Beach”)
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries/Movie
David E. Kelley, Big Little Lies
Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror (“San Junipero”)
Noah Hawley, Fargo (“The Law of Vacant Places”)
Ryan Murphy, Feud: Bette and Joan (“And the Winner Is”)
Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam, Ryan Murphy, Feud: Bette and Joan (“Pilot”)
Richard Price, Steven Zaillian, The Night Of (“The Call of the Wild”)
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Project Runway
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Program
Snoop Dogg, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner
Gordon Ramsay, MasterChef Junior
Alec Baldwin, Match Game
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
W. Kamau Bell, United Shades of America
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Real Time with Bill Maher
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
Billy on the Street
Documentary Now!
Drunk History
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
Tracey Ullman’s Show
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