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Emmy nominations 2023: A year of surprises, snubs, and new beginnings
Every year, the Television Academy’s Emmy nominations honor hundreds of individuals and dozens of shows, inspiring enough material for a week’s worth of trend pieces. Sorting through it all is daunting, which is why Variety TV critics Alison Herman and Aramide Tinubu convened to give their big-picture thoughts on the nominations, from breakout shows to the larger forces shaping the field.
A year of change and opportunity
Alison Herman: Aramide, this was always going to be a weird year for the Emmys — after all, the last Emmys happened just six months ago! That January ceremony had been delayed by Hollywood’s historic dual strikes, which also pushed several awards-staple series outside this year’s eligibility window. (See you in 2025, “The White Lotus!”) Throw in the power vacuum left behind by “Succession” wrapping its run, and you have a relatively blank slate. Given the Academy’s propensity to rally around just a handful of favorites each year, á la “Ted Lasso,” that’s an exciting prospect.
Do you think Emmy voters took adequate advantage of their chance to shake things up?
Aramide Tinubu: Admittedly, there are some shows I wanted to see shine that were passed over. But with less programming to choose from, I do think that Emmy voters were able to spotlight performances that may have gotten buried in a more “normal” year. For example, I was thrilled to see Lily Gladstone get a nod for “Under the Bridge” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/under-the-bridge), a terrific (though depressing) Hulu series. Also, Aja Naomi King, who viewers probably know from ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder,” snagged her first Emmy nomination for Apple TV+‘s “Lessons in Chemistry” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/lessons-in-chemistry). I was stunned (and delighted!) to see both of their names. What are some of the nominations that stood out for you?
Herman: I will smugly take responsibility for the visually jaw-dropping “Scavengers Reign” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/scavengers-reign) making the cut for animated series. (Max’s loss is your potential gain, Netflix!) That’s a joke, but for a notoriously hidebound category, animation is the strongest it’s been in years, with nods for the equally deserving freshmen “Blue Eye Samurai” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/blue-eye-samurai) and “X-Men ‘97” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/x-men-97), alongside mainstays like “The Simpsons” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/the-simpsons) and “Bob’s Burgers” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/bobs-burgers).
I also must admit to taking a perverse pleasure in the surprise Emmys success of “The Morning Show” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/the-morning-show), which skyrocketed to 16 nominations for its deranged (a compliment!) Season 3. Apple TV+ as a whole seems to have seized the opportunity to make an impact, garnering a slew of nods for the impeccably executed spy series “Slow Horses” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/slow-horses), as well as the artfully gaudy nostalgia of “Palm Royale” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/palm-royale). Kudos to Tim Cook and team, of course — but I reserve my heartiest congratulations to the Academy itself, which snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by finally honoring FX’s “Reservation Dogs” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/reservation-dogs) for its final season. Series lead D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai joins Gladstone and Kali Reis of “True Detective: Night Country” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/true-detective-night-country) in making this a banner year for Native representation, but “Reservation Dogs” is a titanic achievement, even apart from the records it set.
Tinubu: I was also stunned to see “The Morning Show” gobble up all those nominations, but I know you live for the show. Apple TV+ finally seems to have its foot in the door when it comes to awards season. I thought Kristin Wigg was an absolute delight in “Palm Royale,” though I seemed to be the only critic who thought so. I’m glad that the Television Academy was on my side, though they clearly forgot about the streamer’s intense crime drama “Criminal Record” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/criminal-record).
You’re absolutely right about the Indigenous representation. I was thrilled to see Gladstone and Reis become the first Native women nominated for acting. It’s been an excellent year for women of color in general. Selena Gomez just snagged her first acting Emmys nod for “Only Murders in the Building” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/only-murders-in-the-building), and Anna Sawai and Nava Mau earned nominations for “Shōgun” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/shogun) and “Baby Reindeer” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/baby-reindeer), respectively.
As incredible a performer as he is, I did not expect Idris Elba to be nominated for “Hijack” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/hijack), but clearly, that means Apple TV+ is giving viewers what they want.
Herman: …and so is “The Bear” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/the-bear), which set the record for the most comedy nominations in a single year with a whopping 23! I’m sure this will only kick up more outraged cries of category fraud, which I maintain could be solved by simply rebranding drama and comedy as hourlong and half-hour long. (Though FX is still left with the problem of “Shōgun,” which flipped from limited series to drama because there might be a potential Season 2.) We already do it for cinematography and production design; why not move up the call sheet? Regardless, so much for the theory that a subpar Season 3 could dampen voters’ enthusiasm. But don’t leave me alone on Hater Island — surely there are nods that left you, too, scratching your head!
Tinubu: You are correct. Clearly, some category revamping is necessary, especially since “Palm Royale” initially appeared to be a limited series but has since been renewed for a second season. As far as joining you on Hater Island, I’ve never understood the hype behind “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/mr-and-mrs-smith), which earned Prime Video a baffling 16 nominations. (Though Michaela Coel deserved her nod for guest actor.) While “Fallout” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/fallout) is undoubtedly one of the best series of the year, I’m flabbergasted that Lulu Wang’s “Expats” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/expats) got nothing, even with Nicole Kidman’s beautiful performance as a grieving mother. I had also hoped that BET’s “Diarra From Detroit” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/diarra-from-detroit), a brilliant whodunit, would get some shine, but there is always next season (hopefully).
Herman: Oh, the snubs that were snubbed! I’m especially put out by the exclusion of John Mulaney’s “Everybody’s in L.A.” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/everybodys-in-la), the rare chance to disrupt a talk category that’s long been taken up by the same handful of aging network franchises. Mulaney did something special, different, and most importantly, standalone. The Academy has the rest of time to celebrate “The Tonight Show” — why not seize the chance to honor novelty while it can? And while I’m not deluded enough to think awards voters would embrace the squirm factor of “The Curse” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/the-curse), part of me held out hope my beloved “Tokyo Vice” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/tokyo-vice) would become a dark horse, boosting its chances of a future Season 3. Park Chan-Wook’s adaptation of “The Sympathizer” (https://trailers.movieetv.com/search/the-sympathizer) for HBO did squeeze in, but its sole nomination went to Robert Downey Jr., who played a set of characters meant to collectively represent the American imperial project. It’s a perverse irony Director Park, and hopefully Downey Jr., surely appreciates: a series meant to highlight the Vietnamese experience of U.S. intervention whose Vietnamese cast were ignored in favor of their more famous costar.
There — I’ve vented my spleen. Let’s go out on a brighter note, shall we?
Tinubu: A brighter note indeed, with all spleens intact. it’s been an odd year for television, and though the strikes were terrible for all workers, top-down, these nominations show that there have been some shifts in the television landscape. Though there is undoubtedly room for improvement, more women’s voices and underrepresented stories are finally getting spotlighted. I hope that moving forward (now that we’re back to our regular schedule), the networks and streamers will continue to champion shows that represent the viewing audience as a whole. And in turn, the TV Academy will no longer be handing out so many “firsts.”
