This Year's Emmys Have Already Made History

Announced this morning live on Emmys.com, HBO’s Succession achieved 25 nominations. Close behind, Apple TV’s Ted Lasso and HBO’s White Lotus secured 20 each. Other big wins for the 74-year-old award show came with some history-making recognition; HBO’s Euphoria scored 16 nominations and is up for outstanding drama series. Following her 2020 win for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, Zendaya is now the Emmys’ youngest two-time acting nominee (for her leading role in both Euphoria seasons) and youngest producing nominee.

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With 17 overall nominations, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building contributes to the streaming platform shattering its own personal record with 58 total nominations. Though Selena Gomez wasn’t recognized for her lead acting role in the series, she serves as an executive producer and was nominated, alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short, for outstanding comedy series. This makes her the second Latina to be nominated as a producer for a comedy series, next to Salma Hayek in 2007 for Fox’s Ugly Betty.

Obtaining nominations in acting, writing, and outstanding comedy for Abbott Elementary, Quinta Brunson is the first Black woman to be nominated in three comedy categories in the same year. The 32-year-old is also the youngest Black woman to be nominated for comedy acting. Ahead of her, only one Black woman has ever won in the categories of lead actress in a comedy and writing for a comedy series. Historically, in 2020, Issa Rae, who is nominated again this year for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Insecure, was one of two Black women nominated for both outstanding comedy series and lead actress in a comedy.

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Representing international shows, Netflix sensation Squid Game was nominated for outstanding drama series, becoming the first non-English language series to receive an Emmy nomination. Among 14 overall nominations, the cast and the series creator are the first native Koreans to be recognized in their individual categories. Lee Jung-jae was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, Jung Ho-Yeon was nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series, both Park Hae-Soo and Oh Yeong-su were nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series,and Lee You-mi was nominated for outstanding guest actress in a drama series. The mastermind behind the thriller, Hwang Dong-Hyuk, is a nominee for drama writing and directing.

Along with the Squid Game cast, many got their first nominations this year. Former President Barack Obama was honored with a nomination for outstanding narrator in the Netflix documentary Our Great National Parks. Posthumously, Chadwick Boseman was nominated for the animated series What If? on Netflix. For roles in Euphoria and White Lotus, Sydney Sweeney earned nominations for supporting star in a drama series and supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie.

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With so much to celebrate, it wouldn’t be the Emmys without a few snubs. Though Stranger Things 4 got 13 nominations, including outstanding casting for a drama series, none of the nominations went to the actors, including stars Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Sink. Then, for the final season of This Is Us, lead actress Mandy Moore received no nods even after co-star Sterling K. Brown previously won for his role in the hit drama.

Premiering Sep. 12 on NBC, this year’s Emmys seems like one to watch. Check out the full list of nominees not the Emmys website.

Photo via Getty/ Matt Winkelmeyer