“Severance” led the Emmy pack with 27 nominations in a stellar year for Apple TV+, followed by “The Studio” with 23, marking Apple’s significant presence in the television industry.
Apple TV+ asserted its dominance in this year’s Emmy nominations as its drama series “Severance” received a remarkable 27 nods on Tuesday. The dystopian workplace series has peaked both critical acclaim and viewer interest during its second season, outpacing all other contenders in the drama category.
Key nominations for “Severance” included recognition for lead actors Adam Scott and Britt Lower, who portray dual roles of “innie” work selves and “outie” home selves. Tramell Tillman got a supporting actor nomination for his performance as their enigmatic supervisor, while Ben Stiller was acknowledged with a directing nomination.
The comedy genre spotlight was stolen by Apple’s “The Studio,” which led with 23 nominations and surpassed other contenders like “Hacks,” with 14 nominations, and “The Bear,” with 13. The show, which is a satirical look at Hollywood, also earned co-creator Seth Rogen three personal nods in acting, writing, and directing. A-list guest stars Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, and Zoë Kravitz also scored nominations for their appearances on the series.
Another standout is HBO’s “The Penguin”, a dark drama entrenched in the “Batman” universe, achieving 24 nominations in the limited series category. Lead roles by Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti earned individual recognition.
Netflix’s “Adolescence,” acclaimed for its engaging narrative, gathered 13 nominations, highlighted by a supporting actor nod for the young Owen Cooper, who plays a 13-year-old accused of a crime.
In the race for best drama series, the nominees are “Andor,” “Paradise,” “Severance,” “Slow Horses,” “The Diplomat,” “The Pitt,” “The Last of Us,” and “The White Lotus.” The best comedy series contenders include “Hacks,” “The Bear,” “The Studio,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Shrinking,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
The limited series category features nominees “Adolescence,” “Black Mirror,” “Dying For Sex,” “Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story,” and “The Penguin.”
Leading the best comedy actor list is Seth Rogen of “The Studio,” joined by Martin Short, Jeremy Allen-White, Adam Brody, and Jason Segel. On the comedy actress front, contenders are Uzo Aduba, Kristen Bell, Quinta Brunson, Jean Smart, and Ayo Edibiri.
Two of the categories were announced early on “CBS Mornings.” Competing for best talk series are “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Nominees for reality competition series include “The Amazing Race,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Survivor,” “Top Chef,” and “The Traitors.”
“Severance” solidifies Apple TV+ as a major player in the Emmy race. Despite previous successes with series like “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses,” along with comedies such as “Ted Lasso,” Apple had not claimed the same prestige in dramas that perennial Emmy favorite HBO often enjoys. This year might signal a change, as evidenced by the multiple nominations for its strong dramatic and comedic programming.
All nominated shows reflect the evolving landscape of television shaped by streaming services. Viewership statistics illustrate this shift; for example, an average of 10 million watched “The Pitt” on HBO Max, compared to 30 million viewers of “ER” on NBC three decades ago. The role of broadcast networks in the Emmys has diminished, although successes such as ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’s “Matlock” continue to shine in a few areas.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards is set to air on CBS, broadcasting from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14, with Nate Bargatze hosting the ceremony.