The 2020 Emmy nominations had been introduced Tuesday morning, and there was a lot rubber-stamping from the voters leading to some pretty predictable nominees – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Sterling K. Brown, and Olivia Colman, for example — however there have been additionally just a few nice surprises tucked within the combine, together with plenty of love for Succession after not getting the like it deserved final 12 months.
In fact, you possibly can’t have superior surprises with out the inevitable infuriating snubs, and there have been plenty of these too, particularly for Better Call Saul. Principally, it was simply one other Emmy nomination day in a protracted line of Emmy nomination days. Try the most important snubs and surprises of the 2020 Emmy nominations beneath.
Emmys 2020 Nominations: See the Full List
Kieran Culkin, Succession
SURPRISES
All of the love for Succession. It took a season for Emmy voters to essentially discover and fall in love with Succession, however as soon as they did, they fell laborious. The acclaimed HBO collection garnered 19 nominations total, together with a drama collection nomination and appearing nods for Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Nicholas Braun, Matthew Macfadyen, Sarah Snook, James Cromwell, Harriet Walter, and Cherry Jones. The collection was additionally nominated for manufacturing design, casting, writing, directing (two nominations), single-camera enhancing (two nominations), and music composition.
Annie Murphy sneaks in. Schitt’s Creek lastly broke into the Emmys race final 12 months, with 4 nominations, together with one for Excellent Comedy Sequence. This 12 months, the collection earned a whopping 15 nods: comedy collection, lead actor for Eugene Levy, lead actress for Catherine O’Hara, supporting actor for Dan Levy, supporting actress for Murphy, casting, costuming, directing, writing (two nominations), single-camera enhancing (two nominations), hairstyling, make-up, and sound mixing. Whereas we’re over the moon the heartfelt Canadian comedy, which got here to a detailed earlier this 12 months, goes out on high, Murphy’s nod is perhaps probably the most deserved of your entire Schitt’s Creek forged. Everybody went on a journey over the course of the present’s six seasons, however Alexis’ transformation was actually one of many vivid spots. Now, it is simply too dangerous there is no Emmy for Excellent Wrist Appearing as effectively.
TV’s silliest present obtained a number of nominations. What We Do in the Shadows‘ spectacularly foolish second season earned the FX collection its breakthrough nod for Excellent Comedy Sequence. The vampire mockumentary — which stars Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Kayvan Novak, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch – earned a further seven nominations, together with three comedy writing nods for the episodes “Ghosts,” “On the Run,” and “Collaboration.” The present, created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, additionally obtained nominations for casting, single-camera image enhancing, sound enhancing, and manufacturing design. What We Do within the Shadows’ sturdy turnout this 12 months was a contented shock, given the comedy’s first season solely obtained two nods, one for cinematography and one for sound enhancing. –Sadie Gennis
Insecure will get the popularity it deserves. Insecure scored a handful of Emmy nominations over the course of its first three seasons, together with lead actress in a comedy Sequence for Issa Rae in 2018. However after a stellar fourth season, the Tv Academy embraced the HBO favourite in an enormous manner, rewarding it with eight nominations this 12 months. On high of Excellent Comedy Sequence, Excellent Lead Actress in a Comedy Sequence for Rae, and Excellent Supporting Actress in a Comedy Sequence for Yvonne Orji, the present additionally earned nods for casting, enhancing, and music supervision, and two episodes scored nominations for excellent cinematography. After a buzzy season devoted to the fractured friendship between Rae’s Issa and Orji’s Molly, we’re thrilled to see them getting the popularity they deserve. –Kelly Connolly
HBO Just Got Dethroned By Netflix for Top Emmy Nominations
The Mandalorian breaks into the drama collection race. The primary ever live-action Star Wars collection, The Mandalorian was launched late final 12 months to nice fanfare for apparent causes, and that has now translated right into a nomination for Excellent Drama Sequence, placing it alongside exhibits like Succession, Higher Name Saul, The Crown, and The Handmaid’s Tale. To be trustworthy, nobody noticed this nomination coming. Actually, the present significantly overperformed throughout the board, incomes 15 nominations in complete.
The Mandalorian
The love for Good Place actors not named Ted Danson. Earlier than this 12 months, Danson was The Good Place‘s solely common forged member to be nominated for his efficiency within the beloved NBC sitcom. However for its fourth and closing season, two extra The Good Place stars scored well-deserved noms: D’Arcy Carden and William Jackson Harper. We have had our fingers crossed for each of them for some time, however Harper would possibly simply be the larger shock, particularly contemplating that he pulled off an enormous change in Chidi in Season four and made it look straightforward. His hilarious reaction to the nomination solely provides to the sweetness of this recognition. Time to have fun with a smooth pretzel. –Kelly Connolly
Giancarlo Esposito is a double nominee. It isn’t terribly shocking that Esposito was nominated — he was nominated final 12 months for his portrayal of Gus Fring on Better Call Saul, and was nominated as soon as earlier than for taking part in the identical position on Breaking Bad – however it’s kind of shocking the actor was nominated twice this 12 months. He was as soon as once more nominated within the supporting actor in a drama race for his efficiency as Fring, who arguably did not have a lot to do that season, in addition to within the visitor actor in a drama collection class for his efficiency as Moff Gideon within the Disney+ The Mandalorian.
Paul Mescal scores a nod for his first ever TV position. OK, so many Emmys consultants had been really predicting Mescal to be nominated for lead actor in a restricted collection for his efficiency as Connell in Hulu’s Normal People, however when Emmy voters usually allow you to down, it is nonetheless a bit shocking every time they do one thing proper and nominate somebody who’s deserving. Mescal broke viewers’ hearts numerous instances all through the collection, which is an adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel of the identical title, and his nod is even sweeter as a result of the collection was Mescal’s first ever TV position. Not everyone seems to be fortunate sufficient to say they earned a nomination their first day trip.
Brad Pitt is nominated for about 5 minutes of labor. The Tv Academy should really need Brad Pitt to indicate as much as no matter it pulls off with the telecast this 12 months. The primary-time Saturday Night Live host earned a visitor actor nod for his at-home cold open by which he wore a wig and glasses to turn out to be Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s high infectious illness doc, after which peeled them off to thank Fauci for being a human truth-o-meter amid the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci approved of the portrayal, and it was completely superb, however the digital “SNL at House” format of his episode meant Pitt did not have a lot of a raise exterior of the opening video, in contrast to fellow nominated hosts Adam Driver, Eddie Murphy, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. –Amanda Bell
Quibi obtained a number of nominations. For a streaming service that’s A) solely obtainable on telephones, B) solely eligible within the shortform classes, and C) arguably a business failure, Quibi surprised everyone on Tuesday when it earned 10 nominations.
Rhea Seehorn and Bob Odenkirk, Higher Name Saul
SNUBS
Rhea Seehorn is ignored once more. Emmy voters have by no means fairly taken to Higher Name Saul the way in which they did its mother or father collection Breaking Unhealthy, and we nonetheless cannot clarify it — the collection is taken into account by many critics to truly be a superior collection. Sadly, voters continued to show their ignorance this 12 months by as soon as once more overlooking Seehorn, who has been excellent as Kim Wexler, the best character on television, for the reason that AMC drama’s very first season. For what it is value, I’m really shocked she wasn’t nominated this 12 months; with out the women of Game of Thrones hogging most of the nominations and with what was Seehorn’s strongest season but, I really believed this was going to be her 12 months. Alas, Emmy voters stay blind to perfection. However that is on them, not on Seehorn.
Quibi Got More Emmy Nominations Than Better Call Saul‘s Rhea Seehorn
Bob Odenkirk falls out of the lead actor in a drama race. In even worse information for Better Call Saul, Odenkirk, who was beforehand nominated yearly he was eligible for his efficiency on the Breaking Unhealthy spin-off, didn’t safe a nod for his work in Season 5. It is unlucky to fall out of the race after such a protracted and robust run, and particularly since this was seemingly the very best season of the AMC drama to this point, however it’s much more regarding given how laborious it would seemingly be to interrupt again into the race for the present’s upcoming closing season.
The ladies of Unbelievable. Regardless of being critically acclaimed and that includes three of the very best performances on TV final 12 months, Unbelievable, Netflix’s harrowing restricted collection primarily based on a real story, walked away with only one Emmy nomination within the appearing classes: for Toni Collette, within the supporting actress class. Kaitlyn Dever‘s efficiency as a rape survivor obtained common acclaim, whereas two-time Emmy winner Merritt Wever was thought of a favourite as effectively. Sadly, the collection aired final 12 months and was overshadowed by Mrs. America, which debuted in April — aka a lot nearer to Emmy voting — and likewise featured plenty of unimaginable performances.
Tom Pelphrey misses the Ozark wave. Emmy voters love Ozark — simply have a look at the final a number of Emmys cycles and it is clearly a transparent favourite — and but Pelphrey, who was the stand-out performer of the third season, failed to attain a nom regardless of loads of popularity of his efficiency as Wendy’s troubled brother.
Tom Pelphrey, Ozark
Regular Folks would not make the restricted collection lower. Though we’re celebrating Paul Mescal’s appearing nomination, it is unlucky that Regular Folks, which was a heartbreaking love story that caught with you lengthy after you watched it, wasn’t capable of break into the restricted collection class, which included Watchmen, Little Fires In every single place, Unorthodox, Mrs. America, and Unbelievable.
Nothing for Aaron Paul. Paul was up for 3 potential nominations this 12 months — for his performances in Netflix’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, HBO’s Westworld, and Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told — and he did not obtain a single nod. Whereas it isn’t shocking he wasn’t acknowledged for Reality Be Informed and even Westworld, Paul took dwelling three Emmys for supporting actor in a drama collection for his portrayal of Jesse Pinkman over the course of Breaking Unhealthy. On the time of his third win, he was tied for probably the most wins within the class with Don Knotts and Artwork Carney (Peter Dinklage has now surpassed all of them, with 4 wins for Sport of Thrones). It is unlucky Emmy voters ignored him for his work in El Camino, given how a lot they as soon as cherished him. In fact, it isn’t terribly shocking both; El Camino significantly underperformed, failing to attain each Golden Globe and SAG nominations earlier this 12 months.
And nothing for Reese Witherspoon both. Of all of the years for Witherspoon to be locked out of an Emmy nomination, this one was an actual shocker. She was each behind the scenes and in entrance of the cameras for HBO’s Big Little Lies, Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere. It is instances like these that we’d like a prize only for sheer prolificacy as a result of wow. –Amanda Bell
Sarah Paulson additionally comes up empty. At this level, we simply assume Paulson shall be nominated for no matter restricted collection she’s starring on this week, so to see her not make the record of nominees for her work in Mrs. America is a little bit of a shock. Nonetheless, it is also laborious to be too mad when her co-stars Cate Blanchett, Uzo Adubo, Margo Martindale, and Tracey Ullman all made it in.