The nominations for the 75th Emmy Awards were announced on Wednesday morning, and while it was business as usual, the same can’t be said for everything surrounding it. For one, the entertainment industry is in a state of disarray: The Writers Guild of America remains on strike, and the Screen Actors Guild is likely to join them by the end of the day. (The deadline for SAG to reach an agreement with Hollywood studios is tonight at 2:59 a.m. ET.) As a result, the Emmys ceremony might not even happen in September as originally planned, especially if studios go ahead with an ill-advised plan to avoid bargaining with the WGA until the fall. But even if the Emmys are pushed back to January—the month the show’s broadcast partner, Fox, has eyed as a potential fallback—there’s still plenty to chew on from Wednesday’s nominations. Below, we break down the biggest winners and losers.
Winner: HBO (Again)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: HBO is dominating the Emmy nominations. But even by HBO’s standards, this was an especially impressive year. The top headline is the fourth and final season of Succession scoring 27 nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, which leads all shows. (Going into the ceremony, the biggest problem for Succession will be that the series is competing against itself, particularly in the acting categories.) But HBO’s Emmys takeover goes far beyond Succession: The network has four (!) series up for Outstanding Drama Series, with The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, and The Last of Us also getting in on the action. Considering the tumultuous state of HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, these nominations are a helpful reminder that the prestige network better be spared from David Zaslav’s ghoulish cost-cutting spree.
Loser: The Crown
It’s incredible how much can change in the span of two years. The last time The Crown was Emmys eligible, the show pulled off a clean sweep of all seven Primetime Emmys categories in 2021, including, of course, Outstanding Drama Series. (For context: This was when Succession took a year off.) Unfortunately for Netflix, The Crown barely made a ripple in its return. While the show is once again up for Outstanding Drama Series, it mustered a lone nomination beyond that, for Elizabeth Debicki, whose turn as Princess Diana earned her a nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. With Netflix often billed as HBO’s greatest rival for Emmys supremacy in the streaming era, this is a year the company will soon want to forget.
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Winner: Small-Screen Star Wars
It’s safe to assume that, of all the streaming services, Disney+ is probably the least concerned about Emmys prestige: I’m sure Disney will settle for the small consolation prize of its movies and shows dominating the cultural conversation. (For better or for worse.) But the streamer’s small-screen Star Wars universe had an undeniably strong showing on Wednesday morning. Not only did Andor deservedly score nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Directing for a Drama Series, and Writing for a Drama Series (among several other technical categories), but Obi-Wan Kenobi found itself up for Outstanding Limited Series. If we’re being honest, the middling Obi-Wan Kenobi has no right to be up for a Limited Series Emmy, especially when its spot could’ve gone to something like Black Bird or The Patient. (Given that both of those shows feature serial killers, perhaps the Television Academy had its fill with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which was nominated in the category.) In any case, don’t expect Andor or Obi-Wan Kenobi to play spoiler at the Emmy Awards: I’m sure Disney is just happy these series were nominated.
Loser: Atlanta
Remember Atlanta, one of the best shows of the past decade? The FX series has been on the Television Academy’s radar for years, winning six Primetime Emmys going back to 2017. But despite Atlanta airing its final two seasons last year—the fourth season was the only one that sneaked into the Emmys’ eligibility window—the series wasn’t able to snag a single major nomination. (It did receive a sole nod for cinematography.) Setting aside the fact that Academy voters showed in the past that they’re fans of Donald Glover’s series, what’s so puzzling about Atlanta’s snub is that the fourth season was universally lauded for putting the show back on track after a lackluster third season. I’m a bigger fan of Ted Lasso’s final season than most critics, but it’s downright criminal to nominate it for Outstanding Comedy Series ahead of Atlanta. Suffice it to say, this was not the send-off that Atlanta deserved.
Winner: Prime Video (and Freevee)
It’s weird to think of a massive corporation like Amazon as an underdog, but against the likes of HBO and Netflix, Prime Video certainly doesn’t have the same level of industry clout or prestige—no matter how much money it spends. Though the public has relatively low expectations for the streamer, Wednesday’s nominations proved that Prime Video—along with Amazon’s free, ad-supported service, Freevee—does have some programs to write home about. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Daisy Jones & the Six were nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Limited Series, respectively, while Dominique Fishback is up for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series for Swarm. Meanwhile, Freevee’s critical darling Jury Duty is competing against Maisel for Outstanding Comedy Series. (James Marsden, the only A-list actor in Jury Duty’s cast, is also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.) Perhaps if Prime Video funneled more of its resources into shows that are actually good—basically, nothing that’s been touched by the Russo brothers—it could start breathing down Netflix’s neck on a more regular basis.
Loser: The Yellowstone Extended Universe
Considering how popular Yellowstone and creator Taylor Sheridan’s ever-growing TV universe have become for Paramount, there have been plenty of theories—mostly political in nature—about why Emmy nominations have continued to elude the franchise. If there was ever a time for the Yellowstone universe to get some love from the Television Academy, this year seemed like the best bet: Not only is Yellowstone about to wrap up because Kevin Costner is (reportedly) tired of Sheridan’s bullshit, but the prequel series 1923 stars none other than Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. (Award shows love nothing more than to nominate A-listers, especially when they migrate to the small screen.) Alas, the Yellowstone Extended Universe is still being shut out by the Emmys—if Harrison Ford can’t get a nomination, then nothing from Sheridan’s franchise ever will. (Speaking of Ford—it’s also shocking to see the actor snubbed for his charming comedic turn in Shrinking, which seemed tailor-made for an Emmy nomination.)
Winner: … Prey?
The Outstanding Television Movie category is usually a humdrum affair because, well, we’re talking about TV movies. But with major studios developing a habit of dumping proper blockbusters onto their streaming services, Hulu’s Prey, a fucking Predator prequel, is up for an Emmy. To be clear: I’m happy the 20th Century Studios film is getting some industry recognition, because it absolutely ripped. (For what it’s worth: Many people agree with my assessment.) But I can think of no greater indictment of Hollywood’s ability to repeatedly shoot itself in the foot than Prey being a streaming release in the middle of the summer when it could’ve taken the box office by storm. All of which is to say: Prey might be a winner for its Outstanding Television Movie nomination, but Disney needs to take a massive L for denying everyone the opportunity to see this film in theaters.
