It’s been a rough year for television, following last year’s strikes and costs cut across the board, but the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards are rolling ahead—and there’s still plenty of great series to celebrate. The 2024 nominations were announced July 17 by Veep’s Tony Hale and Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph who received her third nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Shōgun, the new Japanese-language FX series about 17th-century feudal Japan, dominated with 25 nominations, including one for its compelling female lead, Anna Sawai. The Bear broke a record with 23 nominations—the most for any comedy series since 30 Rock nabbed 22 in 2009 (keep in mind we’re talking about season two of The Bear, not the one that just aired).
It’s no surprise that Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Maya Rudolph (Loot), Jean Smart (Hacks) and Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale) were all nominated in the lead actress category, nor is it shocking that Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon were acknowledged for their roles as frenemy broadcast anchors on The Morning Show. Jodie Foster got a well-deserved nod for HBO’s True Detective (as did her co-star, Kali Reis), and Sofia Vergara nabbed a nom for her role as a real-life Colombian drug trafficker in Griselda. Two of Netflix’s more polarizing shows, Baby Reindeer and Ripley, will compete in the limited series category, and over in drama, annual favorites The Crown and The Morning Show are up against new breakouts like 3 Body Problem and Fallout.
As always, even in a quieter year like this one, there were a few curveballs. Below, the biggest snubs and surprises of the 2024 Emmy nominations:
Surprise: Selena Gomez for Only Murders in the Building
After three seasons of being overlooked, Gomez was finally acknowledged for her role in Only Murders’ central trio. In addition to being a producer on the delightful whodunnit series, Gomez has held her own up against her comedy giant costars Steve Martin and Martin Short, playing the grounded straight man to their (very silly) goofballs. Without her, the show doesn’t function.
Surprise: Idris Elba for Hijack
Elba was a sleeper surprise (you could even say, a hijacker) in the lead actor drama category, for his role as a negotiator on a hijacked plane in the tense Apple TV+ thriller.
Surprise: Reservation Dogs
Despite three seasons of high praise from critics, fans, and other awards recognition (like the Peabody, Writers Guild, and Independent Spirit Awards) alike, Reservation Dogs had yet to get its due from the Emmys, until this year. It was nice to see the Native coming-of-age series get a best comedy nod, and one of its stars, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai acknowledged in the lead actor category. It’s a bit bittersweet, as an Emmy nod earlier in its run might’ve garnered the now-canceled series a bigger audience (and possibly kept it on the air longer).
Surprise: Matt Berry for What We Do in the Shadows
Though WWDITS, the witty horror comedy about a group of millennia-old vampires trying to remain undetected in a share-house in modern-day Staten Island, has been a cult favorite over its five-season run, it’s a pleasant surprise to see Berry get a nod for his role as pansexual, former British noble Laszlo Cravensworth.
Snub: Emma Stone for The Curse
Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s cringe comedy The Curse was completely shut out of the Emmys, including a snub for its lead, Emma Stone, who fully leaned into the series’ absurdly dark humor.
Snub: Kate Winslet for The Regime
Even though The Regime didn’t seem to land with audiences as intended, Winslet gave a great performance as a satirically narcissistic politician—fitting for the times. Still, she was overlooked by Emmy voters.
Snub: John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In LA
The first season of Mulaney’s comedic take on a classic talk show, which featured guests like Jerry Seinfeld, Fred Armisen, Jon Stewart, Pete Davidson, and Sarah Silverman, didn’t land with voters beyond the technical categories.
Snub: Theo James for The Gentlemen
Despite a major awards push by Netflix for its spinoff of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 crime comedy film of the same name, James’s charisma wasn’t enough to land his expected nod.
Snub: The Idol: “World Class Sinner/I’m a Freak”
The nomination for best choreography for Lily-Rose Depp’s pop star character’s comeback single, “World Class Sinner/I’m a Freak” in The Weeknd’s ill-fated The Idol could land in both the snub and surprise category. Surprise for being nominated at all (despite being possibly the most talked about show of 2023, at least in certain corners of the internet), and snub for best song (you’re hearing it in your head now, aren’t you?)
The Emmys will air on January 15, 2024 at 8pm ET on ABC.
