As expected, Emmy voters heaped love on the so-called 鈥淏ig Four鈥 of comedy 鈥 鈥淗acks,鈥 鈥淭he Bear,鈥 鈥淎bbott Elementary鈥 and 鈥淥nly Murders in the Building.鈥 Many of those competing in the drama categories were likely just happy the Emmy-gobbling 鈥淪hogun鈥 is between seasons.
Emmy voters are creatures of habit but there were some happy differences this time around, like 鈥淢atlock鈥 star Kathy Bates becoming the oldest performer ever nominated in the lead drama actress category at age 77. And 鈥淪everance,鈥 which last year only won for dramatic score and title design, looks in better shape for its second season.
Here are other talking points, 鈥渟nubs鈥 and surprises from the Emmy nominations:
The growing love for 鈥楽hrinking鈥
the Apple TV+ comedy about a group of funny, complicated therapists, didn't get much Emmy attention last year during its debut season, with only two nominations for stars Jason Segel, a co-creator, and Jessica Williams. This time, 鈥沦丑谤颈苍办颈苍驳,鈥 well, expanded 鈥 with seven nods, including best comedy, and nods for Segel, Williams, Michael Urie and first Emmy nomination.
Fallout from an act of violence
the Netflix four-part series that traces the emotional fallout after a U.K. teen stabbing, became a sensation, a sort of 2025 version of and has earned a boatload of Emmy nominations, with 13. Owen Cooper, who plays the young attacker, became the youngest nominee in the history of his category 鈥 best supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or TV movie. The series was co-created and co-written by Stephen Graham, who also stars as the accused attacker鈥檚 father and earned a nomination for his work. 鈥淎dolescence鈥 reached No. 2 in .
Late night door is locked
鈥淭he Daily Show,鈥 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live鈥 and 鈥淭he Late Show With Stephen Colbert鈥 filled up the outstanding talk series category, dashing hopes that newcomers might crash the party. Like 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 Live With John Mulaney鈥 on Netflix, which features a quirky mix of guests, the host doing odd things like fighting three 14-year-old-boys and an episode when Mulaney was completely in a blindfold. There's also the spicy wing YouTube interview series hosted by Sean Evans, which has attracted A-list talent and often pulls in an audience higher than the established network late-night boys.
Green light, now red-light
The first season of became an international phenomenon after its release in 2021 and was embraced by the Television Academy the next year, racking up 14 Emmy nominations and winning six, including best actor for Lee Jung-jae. Three years later, the second season continued to captivate audiences, logging over 192 million views on Netflix. But not a single Emmy nomination went to its cutthroat look at life.
鈥楾he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥 says goodbye, quietly
After six harrowing, powerful seasons, Hulu's 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥 ended its exploration of an alternative America taken over by a totalitarian theocracy with a meek showing. The dystopian drama had garnered 76 nominations and 15 wins over its lifetime going into Tuesday's announcement 鈥 including a historic outstanding drama series win in its first season, the first ever for a streaming platform. But the series got a sole nomination Tuesday, for guest actress. It's a hard way to say goodbye to a series that was ranked as the 25th and 38th best TV series of the 21st century by The Guardian and BBC, respectively.
TV voters love a good Hollywood satire
鈥淭he Studio鈥 received 23 Emmy nominations 鈥 the most ever for a comedy series in its first season. critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series is about a Hollywood head struggling to balance his love of cinema with the mercenary demands of the market. Rogen got four individual nominations, including lead actor, writing and directing. The show mocks Hollywood's addiction to franchises and the explosive issue of diverse casting, with famous actors and filmmakers happily playing heightened versions of themselves. Five of the six guest actor nods went to the show, including to Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie and
Coldness for 'The Four Seasons'
If Netflix thought combining and Steve Carell 鈥 two of the most Emmy-nominated comedic actors of the last 20 years 鈥 would lead to Emmy triumph, it thought wrong. Neither actor got a nod and the series only got one, for supporting actor The eight-episode relationship comedy is about three couples who are friends and meet up on four seasonal vacations throughout the year. Fey (45 career Emmy noms and nine wins as an actor, writer and producer) and Carell (10 nominations) will have to wait for another TV season.
鈥楽low Horses鈥 gathers speed
The momentum seems to have continued for Apple TV+鈥檚 a critical darling that gained traction in the U.S. only last year, in the fourth season. That's when the show about lovable loser spies was added for the first time in the best drama series category. (So far, its only win is for writing.) This season, it earned five nods, including best drama, directing, casting, writing and for Gary Oldman, who leads the underdogs.
Gaga for Goggins
is having quite a moment, earning back-to-back Emmy nominations. Last year it was for playing a ghoul on 鈥淔allout鈥 and this year it is for his 鈥淲hite Lotus鈥 portrayal of the troubled Rick Hatchett. The Alabama-born, Georgia-raised actor has been around for over three decades, with memorable turns in blockbusters like 鈥淒jango Unchained鈥 and 鈥淟incoln,鈥 playing a spray-tanned, silver-streaked televangelist in 鈥淭he Righteous Gemstones鈥 and a hosting stint on NBC鈥檚 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥 said a headline in Vulture.
Something off-pitch?
鈥淭he Voice鈥 heard a sour note, missing a nomination in the reality competition category for the first time since 2012. The 26th season didn't have too many changes, with host Carson Daly returning, as well as judges Reba McEntire and The new faces were debut coaches Michael Bubl茅 and Snoop Dogg. The season's winner was Sofronio Vasquez, the show's first foreign male winner and second winner of Asian descent. 鈥淭he Voice鈥 has been nominated for an Emmy every year since its second season in 2012 with wins in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. But it will take a year off and watch one of the following shows take the crown: 鈥淭he Traitors,鈥 鈥淩uPaul鈥檚 Drag Race,鈥 鈥淭he Amazing Race,鈥 鈥淪urvivor鈥 and 鈥淭op Chef.鈥
Ring her bell
has been a TV fixture for years 鈥 think 鈥淰eronica Mars,鈥 鈥淭he Good Place鈥 or 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥 鈥 but has never gotten an Emmy nod 鈥 until now. In the Netflix romantic comedy series 鈥淣obody Wants This,鈥 Bell plays an agnostic sex and dating podcaster who finds herself romantically drawn to a rabbi played by Adam Brody, who also earned his first nod. Their on-screen chemistry and easy bantering has won over TV audiences and now Emmy voters.
Noah Wyle scrubs in for a nod
a throwback medical drama that's like a mashup of 鈥淓R鈥 and 鈥24,鈥 has been a ratings hit 鈥 among the top three most-watched HBO Max titles ever 鈥 and now has 13 Emmy nods. 鈥淭he Pitt鈥 throws us into the chaos of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center and takes viewers hour-by-hour through a single shift overseen by Noah Wyle鈥檚 Dr. Michael 鈥淩obby鈥 Robinavitch. Wyle, who is also a producer and writer, earned his first Emmy nod in 26 years, since back when he was on 鈥淓R.鈥
No cheers for Ted Danson
surprisingly, will not be able to extend his record for the most nominations 鈥 14 鈥 in the best comedy actor category this year. He already received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performance as Charles Nieuwendyk on the Netflix comedy 鈥淎 Man on the Inside.鈥 Forbes called it 鈥渙ne of the best shows of 2024鈥 and said Danson 鈥渉as never been better.鈥 The Guardian said 鈥淎 Man on the Inside鈥 was 鈥渁s good a vehicle as he has ever had.鈥 It drew 12.4 million viewers, good enough for No. 14 on Nielsen's chart of most watched series that combines over-the-air, on demand and streaming.
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