When the date for the 72nd annual Emmy Awards was announced this past January, no one would have guessed how much the world would change before the September 20th date. With so many cancellations of cherished events and award shows since March, the Emmys seemed likely to be another casualty of COVID. That is why yesterday’s announcement that Jimmy Kimmel would be hosting the award event on Sept. 20, 2020, was such unexpected and welcome news. Leslie Jones, the two-time Emmy Award nominee from “Saturday Night Live,” was among those that made the virtual announcement yesterday. Jimmy Kimmel admitted that the format was not yet known due to COVID. This will not be the first time Kimmel hosted the Emmys. In 2016, he was the host and the event had 11.3 million viewers. Last year the event, aired on Fox, saw viewership slip to 6.9 million, likely due to their decision to hold the event without a host. While there remains some mystery in the details, the event has already become historic based on some of the nominations, and because of the advancement of video streaming services like Netflix.
Streaming platforms dominate the nominations this year. Netflix has a record-breaking 160 nominations. Amazon Prime Video and Hulu are at 25 each. Disney + picked up 19 nominations, 15 of which are for “The Mandalorian.” While HBO did not fare as well as the streaming platforms, their series “The Watchmen” received 26 nominations.
This year will be the first time in four years when there are no Outstanding Drama Series nominees from a Network, perhaps another sign that streaming content continues to improve. Nominees in this category include “Better Call Saul,” “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Stranger Things,” “Succession,” and “Ozark.” Both Laura Linney and Jason Bateman are nominated in the Lead Actor’s category for the popular Netflix show “Ozark.”
Another first this year is the nomination of the Hulu series “Ramy,” which is the first Muslim American sitcom ever nominated. The show is up for three nominations including Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Director, both for Ramy Youssef. Ted Danson’s nomination for Lead Actor for the Comedy Series “The Good Place” brings him to a total of 14 Lead Actor nominations over the course of his career. Other nominees in this category include Don Cheadle for “Black Monday,” Michael Douglas for “The Kominsky Method,” and Eugene Levy for “Schitt’s Creek.”
The Canadian Pop TV show “Schitt’s Creek” received 15 overall nominations including Lead Actor (Eugene Levy), Lead Actress (Catherine O’Hara), and Outstanding Comedy Series. 7 of the 15 nominations were for their last episode “Happy Ending.” Eugene Levy’s son, Dan Levy, was nominated for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of David. Annie Murphy was nominated in the Supporting Actress category portraying David’s sister, Alexis. If the series wins as Outstanding Comedy, along with O’Hara and Levy for Lead Actors, it will be the first comedy series to win in all three major categories since “30 Rock.” “Schitt’s Creek” ended its six-year run this April.
RuPaul from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on VH1 is up again for Best Reality Competition Program Host. If RuPaul wins, he will break a record by winning the category four years in a row. The show is also nominated in the Reality Competition Program category.
This year we have the youngest nominee for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. At 23, Zendaya is the youngest nominee for the category. Other nominees for Lead Actress in a Drama Series include Sandra Oh for “Killing Eve,” Olivia Coleman for “The Crown,” Jodie Comer for “Killing Eve,” Laura Linney for “Ozark,” and Jennifer Aniston for “The Morning Show.” Aniston’s portrayal of Alex Levy in the Apple TV+ show is her first nomination in 16 years.
Both Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate were nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the Netflix show “Dead to Me.” “The Mandalorian” received a surprising 15 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. “The Mandalorian” is the first live-action “Star Wars” show and the first to receive a nomination in one of the top Primetime Emmy categories.
Photo Credit-The Irish Times
Variety Talk Shows have looked quite different during the last several months. They have also been a source of solace and needed laughs during these difficult times. Nominees for this category were forced to perform their show in their home or at an isolated set without an audience, and they did so with ingenuity. Nominees for Outstanding Variety Talk Series include “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,” “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” and “The Late Show With Steven Colbert.”
You can find the complete list of nominations here. The 72nd Annual Emmys will be held on Sept 20, 2020, at 8 pm EST on ABC.
Written by Michelle Haab
