A Quick Look At The Emmy Nominations

Joey Moser offers a knee jerk reaction to the lead categories of this year’s crop of Emmy nominations. Warning: bitchiness ahead…

It felt there were a lot of surprises at this morning Emmy nomination announcement. Every gasp of a surprise name was met moments later with a realization of a snub. For the first time in 18 years, HBO does not lead with the most nominations–Netflix wears the crown this year. History was made with a few of the nominees, but let’s dive into this year’s crop of nominations.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta
Barry
Black-ish
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Glow
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Silicon Valley
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

At ADTV, we always joke about about Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series from a few years back. Remember when they had 8 nominees in that category? Well, the Television Academy was very generous in a lot of categories this season. Apparently, enough people enjoyed the little taste of Kimmy Schmidt that Netflix released just before the voting window closed–it only received two nominations. I will give someone money to get rid of Silicon Valley.

Outstanding Drama Series
The Americans
The Crown
Game of Thrones
The Handmaid’s Tale
Stranger Things
This Is Us
Westworld

One of easiest categories to predict this season.

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Jeff Daniels, The Looming Tower
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
Jesse Plemons, USS Callister (Black Mirror)

Maybe someone is really into watching Jeff Daniels do it in The Looming Tower? The biggest surprise here is John Legend’s inclusion as our Lord and Savior and Rock Star. Plus, he looked really great in that sweater thing during the overture.

Lead Actress, Limited Series or Movie
Jessica Biel, The Sinner
Laura Dern, The Tale
Michelle Dockery, Godless
Edie Falco, Law and Order: True Crime
Regina King, Seven Seconds
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Cult

Edie Falco’s wig is going to haunt me forever. It’s the subject of next season’s true crime saga, Law & Order: True Crime: Traumatized Wig Victims Unit: Colon: By Dick Wolf. We should never count out Regina King or Sarah Paulson (AKA the queen of Limited Series nominations). Jessica Biel!

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
William H. Macey, Shameless

Can fans of The Good Place calm the eff down a smidge now? You’re at a 14. I need you at a 5.

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamala Adlon, Better Things
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Allison Janney, Mom
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

ISSA RAE!!! That is all.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Sterling K Brown, This Is Us
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Ed Harris, Westworld
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld

I had Bateman in my predictions and swapped him out for Freddie Highmore. Ed Harris is the biggest surprise here with me saying, “Really…?” every time Westworld is mentioned.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Keri Russell, The Americans
Claire Foy, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld

If we don’t all rally behind Sandra Oh to win this Emmy, we fail as a society. Tatiana Maslany, huh?

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta
Henry Winkler, Barry
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Yay for Kenan Thompson! Boo for excluding Sean Hayes! What is wrong with you people?!

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Zazie Beetz, Atlanta
Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne
Betty Gilpin, Glow
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Megan Mullally, Will & Grace

Just make this category 8 slots, okay? It’s going to happen like a bad omen every other year, so I suggest just writing it down. Lady Bird fans rejoice! Leslie Jones’ Olympic (and Drag Race) coverage obviously helped her score another nomination. Aidy Bryant is the major surprise, but Rita Moreno should be in here for One Day at a Time. 8 slots and you can’t reserve one for a legend doing hilarious and heartfelt work?

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Matt Smith, The Crown
Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid’s Tale

Being dastardly and donning a beard gets you an Emmy nomination.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Vanessa Kirby, The Crown
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Thandie Newton, Westworld

Yvonne Strahovki is the most worthy nominee this season. Yeah, I said it. Kudos for Vanessa Kirby’s nomination as well. Pssst…I don’t think Alexis Bledel should be here.

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series
Jeff Daniels, Godless
Brandon Victor Dixon, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Ricky Martin, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Finn Wittrock, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Michael Stuhlbarg, The Looming Tower
John Leguizamo, Waco

Wow. Gianni Versace really just OJ Simpson-ed this category, didn’t it? I like “Livin’ La Vida Loca” as much as the next person, but I am shocked at that Ricky Martin nomination. Brandon Victor Dixon is the real MVP here. I hope his bedazzled blouse at the end of Superstar gets him the Emmy.

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series
Sara Bareilles, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Judith Light, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Adina Porter, American Horror Story: Cult
Merritt Wever, Godless
Letitia Wright, Black Museum (Black Mirror)

Oh, heeeeeyyyy, Adina Porter! Didn’t see you coming there!

Television Movie
Fahrenheit 451
Flint
Paterno
The Tale
USS Callister (Black Mirror)

Yawn.

Outstanding Reality Show Program
Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Project Runway
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Let’s hope the Television Academy rights their wrong from last year when it comes to voting…

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
At Home with Amy Sedaris
Drunk History
I Love You America with Sarah Silverman
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
The Tracey Ullman Show

I want Amy Sedaris to win just so she can stitch together an Emmy cozy on stage.

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

CUNTS!!!

Outstanding Limited Series
The Alienist
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Genius: Picasso
Godless
Patrick Melrose

The Alienist nabbed 6 nominations, so I was personally very happy that the creative team was honored (shameless self-promotion alert: you can read interviews with the nominees here, here, and here!)  Still think they should’ve nominated the investigative series about spray painted dicks…