Emmy nominations 2023: Snubs and surprises
Wednesday's nominations for the 75th Annual Emmy Awards, which come in advance of the actual award ceremony on Sept. 18 -- labor disputes not withstanding -- scored the most nods for "Succession," "The Last of Us" and "The White Lotus."
But the big news, as usual, comes with the snubs that had fans fuming and the surprises that helped dim the pain.
Ahead of the awards show, which will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, learn more about the nominations that surprised TV lovers. You can also check out a full list nominations here.
SURPRISE: Did you know that the second season of "The Bear" -- the show we're all watching and cheering, especially for Jamie Lee Curtis who is giving the performance of her life in episode 6, is not -- I repeat NOT -- eligible for any Emmys until next year? Bummer, right? Though we still have the 13 nominations for season 1 to celebrate. Yes, chef, indeed.
SNUB: Steve Martin fell off the nominee list for lead actor in a comedy series for "Only Murders in the Building," joining costar Selena Gomez in the loser circle. Bad form, Emmy.
SURPRISE: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin of "Succession" are nominated for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, marking the first time in Emmy history that that lead actor category has seen three actors from the same series simultaneously receive a nod.
SNUB: "Bad Sisters" lost its bid for comedy series despite taking a deliciously witty smack at an abusive husband who had it coming.
SURPRISE: Newcomer "Jury Duty," a mockumentary about courtroom service, took a comedy series nomination over more likely shows, such as "Shrinking." Don't you love it when that happens?
SNUB: "Poker Face" is one of the best new comedy series around. Yet Emmy found no room in the category while allowing "Ted Lasso" to limp in for its limp third season. Ugh!
SURPRISE: Emmy is often accused of stalling in recognizing new talent. Not this year. There were 38 first-time performer nominees across all performer categories this season, including Jessica Chastain ("George & Tammy"), Elizabeth Debicki ("The Crown"), Riley Keough ("Daisy Jones & The Six"), James Marsden ("Jury Duty"), Aubrey Plaza ("The White Lotus"), Daniel Radcliffe ("Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"), Bella Ramsey ("The Last of Us"), Alan Ruck ("Succession"), Jason Segel ("Shrinking"), and Jeremy Allen White ("The Bear"). Now that's definitely worth cheering. Place your bets.
SNUB: "Happy Valley: The Final Season" was the last chance Emmy had to reward this British crime drama and its superb star Sarah Lancashire. Instead, Emmy buried its head in the sand.
SNUB: Harrison Ford felt the cold shoulder from Emmy for both his dramatic turn in "1923" and his comic expertise in "Shrinking." Something against 80-year-olds, Emmy? Ford's costar, Helen Mirren, 77, also got the silent treatment.
SURPRISE: I truly never thought Emmy would respond to the subversive comedy pow of "Beef." Color me surprised and delighted by the nominations for outstanding limited series and especially for its incandescent stars, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.
SNUB: "Yellowstone," TV's most popular cable series, and its star Kevin Costner have never received an ounce of Emmy love over all its four seasons. And while I'm at it, can someone explain how Kelly Reilly, who's the definition of dynamite as Dutton daughter Beth on the series, has come up empty-handed as well? Time will not look kindly on this snub.
SURPRISE: Latino actor Pedro Pascal scored three Emmy nominations for starring in "The Last of Us," as well as guest actor in a comedy series for hosting "SNL" and outstanding narrator for CNN's "Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World." Couldn't happen to a more deserving talent.
SNUB: Elizabeth Olsen won raves for playing an axe murderer in "Love & Death," but I guess Emmy voters didn't read them or watch her series. That's on them. Olsen was great.
SNUB: Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" -- the most expensive TV series ever made -- was expected to score big for drama series, writing, directing and acting. Emmy thought differently giving its drama series nod, if little else, to HBO's "House of the Dragon."
SURPRISE: Jenna Ortega of "Wednesday" became the second youngest lead actress to be nominated for a comedy series. At 20, Ortega is only three years older than Patty Duke, who still holds the record, having been nominated for her work on her eponymous sitcom "The Patty Duke Show" in 1964, when she was 17.
SNUB: Imelda Staunton comes up Emmy-empty for "The Crown." Don't Emmy voters recognize a queen when they see one?
SNUB: Quinta Brunson for comedy writing for "Abbott Elementary" -- last year she became only the second Black woman to win in this category. This year, she's missing. Please explain.
