The nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, announced on Thursday by Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood), pack quite a punch. And like every year, this year’s nominations list contains plenty of shocks, snubs and surprises.
WARDSsEASON
Game of Thrones leads from the front with 23 nominations.
The nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, announced on Thursday by Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood), pack quite a punch. And like every year, this year’s nominations list contains plenty of shocks, snubs and surprises.
Our story, however, begins with HBO’s Game of Thrones which is leading from the front with 23 nominations including one for Best Drama for its sixth season. Having picked up the trophy for Best Drama last year, Games of Thrones could take away the top prize again.
Following closely behind Game of Thrones is Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which has been rewarded with 22 nods including one for Outstanding Limited Series.
New entrant Mr. Robot has picked up two major nods including one for Best Drama and a Best Actor nod for lead star Rami Malek.
Other notable nominations include USA’s edgy new show, Mr. Robot, which has nabbed a Best Drama nod as well a Best Actor nod for Rami Malek, who is brilliant as an anti-social vigilante hacker looking to leave his mark on the world.
Sarah Paulson has nabbed two solid nods in the categories of Lead Actress in Limited Series for The People v. O.J. Simpson as well as a supporting actor nod for American Horror Story: Hotel and looks like a sure-short winner.
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie is one of the toughest categories with nominations going to actors like Bryan Cranston (All The Way), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: The Abominable Bride), Idris Elba (Luther), Cuba Gooding Jr (The People v. O.J. Simpson), Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager) and Courtney B. Vance (The People v. O.J. Simpson).
The Night Manager’s Hugh Laurie has also nabbed a nomination in the supporting category alongside Jesse Plemons and Bokeem Woodbine from Fargo as well as Sterling K. Brown, David Schwimmer and John Travolta, all from The People v. O.J. Simpson. Also making a surprise appearance in this year’s list is FX’s The Americans, a masterful spy drama that has picked up a nod for both of its lead stars as well as a nod in the Best Drama category.
Ryan Murphy’s People v. O.J. Simpson is having a massive Emmy moment with nominations going to almost all the actors who have been a part of the limited series including Friends star David Schwimmer.
Snubs
Though fans have lauded the nomination of shows such as The Americans, there are plenty of shocking omissions as well. For instance, the leading men from Billions (Damien Lewis and Paul Giamatti) have been left out. Hugh Laurie has received no nods for his appearance on Veep, which is shocking given how good Laurie is.
Though newer shows such as The Night Manager and Mr. Robot have been acknowledged, the omission of a series like The Good Wife is a glaring one. The show, in its final year, deserved a few nods but sadly neither Julianna Marguiles nor Christine Baranski have been recognized.
Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik from The Big Bang Theory have gone unnoticed this time around.
Christian Slater may have won a Golden Globe for his role in Mr. Robot but the seasoned star was left out of the Emmys list.
That said, this year is perhaps the most diverse year for the Emmys with nominations going to actors like Aziz Ansari, Idris Elba, Courtney B. Vance, Cuba Gooding Jr and Tracee Ellis Ross.
And the nominees are...
OUTSTANDING DRAMA
The Americans
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mr Robot
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Rami Malek, Mr Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Taraji P Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Keri Russell, The Americans
Robin Wright, House of Cards
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones
Maura Tierney, The Affair
Constance Zimmer, UnREAL
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
OUTSTANDING COMEDY
Black-ish
Master of None
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY (2015 winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Laurie Metcalfe, Getting On
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Aziz Ansari, Masters of None
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth
William H Macy, Shameless
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Niecy Nash, Getting On
Kate McKinnon, SNL
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Allison Janney, Mom
Judith Light, Transparent
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep
Matt Walsh, Veep
LIMITED SERIES
American Crime
Fargo
The Night Manager
The People v. OJ Simpson
Roots
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Audra McDonald, Billie Holiday: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Lili Taylor, American Crime
Kerry Washington, Confirmation
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
Idris Elba, Luther
Cuba Gooding Jr, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Melissa Leo, All The Way
Regina King, American Crime
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Hotel
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Hotel
Jean Smart, Fargo
Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Jesse Plemons, Fargo
Bokeem Woodbine, Fargo
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson
David Schwimmer, The People v. O.J. Simpson
John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson
