The biggest snubs and surprises of the 2021 Emmy nominations
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Cheers to Bridgerton, The Boys, and Cobra Kai! Way to represent, This is Us!
Leave it to the TV Academy voters to keep us on seat's edge when announcing the nominations for the 73rd annual Emmy Awards. As one of my esteemed colleagues observed, "half of these noms feel like the Emmys are just trying to be cool." As usual, my EW buddies are right: Emily in Paris? Lovecraft Country? Emily in Paris?
Here are some of the biggest (welcome) surprises and (sad) snubs of the day:
Huzzah for Cobra Kai. Yes, we know some of you who haven't taken the time to find this Netflix gem may consider this one of those "look cool" nominations, but we urge you to revisit Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence before you pop off about this well-deserved nod.
Bravo to PEN15! This is one of those niche comedies on Hulu that I'm sure you've scrolled over to get to the Sons of Anarchy reruns, but go back and give it a gander. As our critic Darren Franich says, "There's a mystical quality to PEN15, Hulu's spectacular sitcom about middle-school friendship. Co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star as their barely teenage selves, in performances so full-bodied that you could be watching ghosts of the past conjured via séance." Now if only the voters thought to nominate those gals, too?
Heidi Gutman/Peacock Busy Philipps, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sara Bareilles, and Paula Pell on 'Girls5Eva'
No Outstanding Comedy nom for Girls5Eva on Peacock? But I only whisper this complaint, as the category as a whole -- which includes Hacks, Ted Lasso, PEN15, and The Flight Attendant -- is as exciting as it's ever been. We can talk later about how some of these shows should really be in their own dramedy category. (I know it sucks, Chuck Lorre, who created The Kominsky Method).
Sorry, Ted Danson for Mr. Mayor, Ethan Hawke for The Good Lord Bird, Milo Ventimiglia for This is Us, Phoebe Dynevor for Bridgerton, John Benjamin Hickey for In Treatment, and Emmy favorite Sarah Paulson for Ratched.
Tears for Desus and Mero: they deserved a Variety Talk nod. So did Seth Meyers for an inspired season of at-home chatter from his in-laws' attic.
Round of champagne for Mj Rodriguez for Pose and Regé-Jean Page for Bridgerton!
Once again, the Competition Reality program is a major snoozefest. As I said before this day, voters have to stop being reality show snobs.
One of the digital editors thinks Elon Musk got snubbed for hosting Saturday Night Live. I'm assuming it's because she held Dogecoin. No matter: We are much happier over Daniel Kaluuya getting a nod for hosting instead.
No Emmy nom for Nicole Kidman in The Undoing? Maybe voters just preferred her coats. And what did you have against Kathleen Turner on The Kominsky Method, voters? You love that Netflix show for everybody else, sheesh.
Can we talk about the insanity of Don Cheadle getting a nomination for his ONE TINY SCENE in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Which also happens to be the only acting nomination for the Disney+ show? We guess meager scenes are in this year: Claire Foy got nominated in the Guest Actress category for a blink-and-she's-gone scene in season 4 of The Crown.
Welcome back to the show, Paul Reiser! The veteran sitcom actor earned a nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for co-starring on The Kominsky Method. The last time he earned an Emmy nom was in 1999 (!!) for Mad About You. And he's never won. (Insert crying emoji here).
The now infamous Oprah with Meghan and Harry primetime special on CBS got a nomination in the Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special. Suck it, Piers!
The 73rd annual Emmy Awards airs Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.
Related content:
