Apple and FX's diverse storytelling leads to historic Emmy nods

The 76th Emmy Awards: A new era of diversity and competition

The 76th Emmy Awards nominations have been revealed, just six months after the delayed 75th Primetime Emmy Awards due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. While many expected outcomes, a few standouts are worth noting. Apple TV+ and FX have emerged as true competitors against long-dominating networks like Netflix and HBO/Max. Moreover, the Indigenous community and women of color have made significant strides, suggesting that the television landscape has finally turned a corner regarding diversity and inclusion.

A year of surprises and new contenders

Despite the long strikes of 2023 causing chaos for the traditional Emmys season, Hollywood has managed to deliver fantastic television shows that have set the bar for returning programming and newcomers. Netflix’s breakout hit, “Baby Reindeer,” is an 11-time nominee, and its long-running staple, “The Crown,” has earned an additional 18 nominations, adding to the streamers’ total of 107. While Netflix continues its reign, what is surprising this time around is the meteoric rise of both FX and Apple TV+.

FX’s impressive lineup

Though FX has had some well-loved series in the past, including “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” which helped the basic cable network snag 56 nominations back in 2016, this year, with its megahits, “Shōgun” (25 nominations), “Fargo” (15 nominations), and “The Bear” (23 nominations), the network has earned an astounding 93 nominations, putting it right at Netflix’s heels. With its marquee series “Shōgun” set in 1600 feudal Japan, the show’s Japanese leads Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai are considered frontrunners, and drama supporting actor nominees Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira are contenders as well.

Apple TV+ on the rise

Apple TV+’s stunning World War II drama “Masters of the Air” failed to earn any acting nods, nor was it nominated in the limited series category, but the streamer managed to snag 70 nominations up from 54 last year. Idris Elba was a surprise nominee — his sixth — for “Hijack.” And fan-favorite “The Morning Show” received a whopping four supporting actress nominations, with 16 total for the series — and both Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston were nominated in the lead actress in a drama category, appearing there together for the first time. The Gary Oldman starrer “Slow Horses” has finally gotten in the race with nine nominations. Newcomers, including the 1960s-set “Palm Royale,” starring actress in a comedy nominee Kristin Wiig, grabbed 11 nominations. Moreover, the streamer’s limited series “Lessons in Chemistry,” starring Brie Larson, has been nominated in 10 categories.

A fun curiosity: Wiig and Apple TV+’s “Loot” star Maya Rudolph will face off in two categories, since they are both nominated for comedy lead actress and comedy series guest actress for hosting “Saturday Night Live.”

Indigenous representation and women of color

As for Indigenous representation on television, with this year’s nominations, the TV Academy has taken a giant leap forward. For its final season, FX’s “Reservation Dogs” has been nominated in four categories, including comedy series and comedy lead actor, for D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. Relative newcomer Kali Reis was also nominated for her drama supporting actress role in HBO’s limited series “True Detective: Night Country” (one of its 19 total nominations). Lily Gladstone — who’s had a huge year after her Oscar nomination for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” — earned her first Emmy nomination for her role as Cam Betland in Hulu’s “Under the Bridge.” Reis and Gladstone are the first Indigenous women ever nominated in an Emmy acting category.

In general, women of color had a standout year for Emmy nominations. Joining Gladstone and Reis in the supporting actress limited series and movie category are Aja Naomi King for “Lessons in Chemistry” and Nava Mau for “Baby Reindeer.” And women of color absolutely crushed the comedy lead actress category: Along with Rudolph for “Loot,” Selena Gomez just earned her first Emmys acting nod for her role as Mabel Mora in ABC’s “Only Murders in the Building,” previous winner Quinta Brunson was nominated for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” and Ayo Edebiri — who switched to lead from supporting, which she previously won — for FX’s “The Bear.” (A winners showdown, here in comedy lead actress, if we’ve ever seen one.)

The future of television

In platforming unique stories and championing underrepresented voices, especially women, Apple TV+ and FX are explicitly showing up in ways that make viewers and critics pay attention. It will be interesting to see if other streamers and networks follow suit or if these nominations just happened to be a byproduct of an unusual television season.

For more information and to watch the trailers of the mentioned series, visit the following links:

The television landscape is evolving, and these nominations reflect a broader shift towards inclusivity and diverse storytelling. The future of television looks promising, with more voices being heard and more stories being told.