The 76th Primetime Emmy nominations dropped Wednesday, and while there’s a lot to cheer about, some of the picks are simply head-scratching. First off, let’s give a standing ovation to Abbott Elementary, the brilliantly relevant comedy in a field of overcooked sitcoms. And hallelujah, The Gilded Age finally got the nod it deserves. It’s like the Academy just discovered that this genius period drama exists. As for The Morning Show, it seems Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon could film themselves reading out the contents of a menu, and they’d still get nominated. Must be nice to have that kind of job security.
If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t we already do this in 2024?” You’re not losing your mind; you would actually be right. The 75th Primetime Emmys aired this January, a delayed ceremony pushed back from September 2023 by last year’s dual actors’ and writers’ strikes. Shows that aired between June 2023 and May 2024 are up for the gold this time, and the winners will be announced on 16 September.
Now, let’s talk about the 2024 nominations. There were snubs, surprises, and moments that made me want to throw confetti. The biggest “finally!” of all according to fans? Selena Gomez, who spent two seasons watching her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short rake in nominations while she got zilch. This year, she’s up for Best Comedy Actress, and fans are rejoicing after two years of complaining. Many say her costars goofy acting would be nothing without her monotonous one-liners. I however, disagree. To me, watching Gomez’s acting is the equivalent of an inconvenient papercut. It’s annoying, but I must power through the rest of my day.
Gomez’s nomination is part of a historic Best Comedy Actress category, dominated for the first time by women of colour. Alongside her, we have Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, and Quinta Brunson, any of whom would be a much more deserved winner. Seriously, I’d campaign for them myself if I had the time or the inclination. Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis for Under the Bridge and True Detective: Night Country were also nominations that were a long time coming as they become the first Indigenous people to ever be nominated in the Actress category
Let’s move on to the snubs, shall we? The Curse was gloriously weird and creepy. Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone were spectacularly disturbing as a picture-perfect couple with a dark twist. Stone’s performance was so good it deserved at least a nomination but alas, her EGOT dreams were shattered. Fans were outraged that this show received the ultimate snub. “The shutout of The Curse is shocking and unforgivable. It blew every other show out of the water,” wrote a fan. Another commented, “Emma Stone was incredible.”
Then there’s The Gentlemen, a spinoff of Guy Ritchie’s movie that delivered action and laughs in equal measure. A man dancing in a chicken suit shouldn’t be funny, but this show nailed it. Yet, it’s nowhere to be seen in the nominations. A travesty, I tell you.
Now for the overrated nominees. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was like watching paint dry, another argument as to why some things shouldn’t merit remakes. And don’t get me started on Palm Royale that scored 11 nominations, including one for Kristen Wiig. This show was a screechy mess of 1960s flair and convoluted plots. That nomination slot could’ve gone to so many better comedies, but here we are.
As for who I’m cheering for, that would be anyone and anything to do with The Bear. Known for their clean sweeps at award shows, The Bear is nominated in every comedy category there is. Though I’ll never understand why it’s classified as a comedy, the show is an anxiety inducing, teeth grinding nightmare that keeps you at the edge of your seat. But whatever they choose to call themselves, I’ll accept it as long as they keep the seasons rolling.
