The 71st annual Emmy Award nominations were unveiled this morning and while shows like Game of Thrones were thrilled with the results (scoring a record 32 nominations) there were some noticeable snubs and surprises that have the industry talking.
Snubs: The Big Bang Theory – I honestly thought the final season of The Big Bang Theory would’ve garnered some nominations but the show only scored three in lower-tier categories. The idea is that when it’s a series’ swang song (like Game of Thrones which dominated this year) the Emmys tend to give some love to a show as it’s on the way out. Even Jim Parsons, who has taken home four statues for playing Sheldon, wasn’t recognized.
Snubs: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Despite previously earning Emmy nominations for every season for which it was eligible, including the first half of the show’s fourth season, which dropped in May of 2018, the back end of season four didn’t earn a single nomination which is very surprising because the show has been a bit of an Emmy darling, in terms of nominations.
Snubs: Allison Janney – Allison Janney has been a presence at the Emmys for her role on Mom, having won the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy award twice but the talented actress was left out this year. I’m going to assume it’s the bigger presence of comedy this year because the Emmy’s really did choose a variety of comedies and performances to acknowledge but it’s still a bit surprising not to see her be a factor this year.
Snubs: Black-ish & Tracee Ellis Ross – While Anthony Anderson scored a Best Actor In A Comedy nomination, Black-ish missed the Best Comedy category for the first time in a while and Tracee Ellis Ross, who some believe carries the show, wasn’t nominated this year as well. Blaming this once again on a very crowded comedy field.
Surprise: Viola Davis – One shouldn’t be surprised when Viola Davis is nominated for anything but I don’t think anyone saw her on the radar for a nomination for the fifth season of How to Get Away With Murder. She’s still the MVP of that show and it’s a welcome return after she became the first black actress to win the Best Actress in A Drama Emmy during season one but I honestly don’t think anyone really saw her nomination coming.
Snubs: Network TV – Other than NBC representing with The Good Place & This Is Us in major categories along with ABC’s nods for Viola Davis in How to Get Away With Murder & Anthony Anderson in Black-ish, network TV was largely absent from the nominations which just drives home the fact that it’s becoming a dying breed behind premium cable channels and streaming. I’m happy to see the love for shows like The Good Place & This Is Us but they can’t be the only award-worthy shows on network TV, right?
Snubs: Movie Stars – Several film actors did fine work in TV during the eligibility period but the Emmys didn’t acknowledge any of them. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were ignored for Maniac on Netflix while Julia Roberts was forgotten for Homecoming, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. George Clooney missed the boat for Catch-22 while Jim Carrey didn’t earn a nod for his critically acclaimed turn on Showtime’s Kidding. Some were wondering why Big Little Lies was absent for the still airing season 2 but it all came down to missing the eligibility period. I’m sure we will see the likes of Resse Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Street next year.
Surprise: Schitt’s Creek – Color me pleasantly surprised on this one but it was surprising yet refreshing to see the Emmys acknowledge the hilarious Schitt’s Creek with four nominations, including Best Comedy Series. Crazy that the show is really reaching its peak of popularity as it heads into its final season but better late than never. Honestly one of the funniest cast on TV right now and they deserve every accolade that could come their way.
Snubs: Grace And Frankie – The Netflix comedy starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin has been acknowledged at the Emmys in some fashion since its debut but it was left out this morning. Again, comedy was very good this year so there was added competition but still a bit of a snub on this one.
Snubs: Richard Madden – The actor won a Golden Globe for his role on Netflix’s Bodyguard but he didn’t get any attention at the Emmys. The show did score a Best Drama nomination so he’ll still be there to support the show but just shows that the Globes and Emmys differ quite a bit on these things.
