2023 TCA Awards: ‘Succession,’ ‘The Bear,’ and ‘The Last of Us’ Lead 39th Annual Nominees

The 2023 Television Critics Association announced their 39th annual nominees today, and it’s apparently an HBO world and we’re all just watching it. HBO/Max received 20 nominations in all, doubling its nearest competitor in FX with 10 nominations. HBO’s Succession and The Last of Us were joined by FX’s The Bear to lead all contenders with five nominations each. ABC’s Abbott Elementary and Peacock’s Poker Face follow with four nominations each.

The TCAs are one of the few critics groups that announce their nominees/winners in the corridor leading up to the 2023 Emmy Awards. They’ve been a bit more predictive of a series’ Emmy reception in recent years than historically, more so on the nominations side than actual winners. Last year, Abbott Elementary won Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Comedy but lost the Emmy to Ted Lasso. Succession repeated its TCA drama win with the same win at the 2022 Emmy Awards, and Hulu’s Dopesick received the miniseries award but mostly because HBO’s The White Lotus competed in drama series at last year’s TCAs.

Today’s mentions seem to indicate that, as we expected, Succession, The Last of Us, and Abbott Elementary will be big Emmy contenders. It also gave a boost to the campaigns of The Bear and Poker Face, the latter of which needed some headwind. Recently canceled The Other Two surprisingly showed in the Program of the Year category, noting a degree of strength for the never Emmy-nominated series. We’re hoping that changes with its last season.

Disney+’s Andor also shows some strength, meriting mentions in Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama.

Here are the nominees for the 2023 TCA Awards:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
Abbott Elementary – ABC
Andor – Disney+
Better Call Saul – AMC
Poker Face – Peacock
Succession – HBO | Max
The Bear – FX
The Last of Us – HBO | Max
The Other Two – HBO | Max
The White Lotus – HBO | Max

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Andor – Disney+
Better Call Saul – AMC
Interview with the Vampire – AMC
Succession – HBO | MAX
The Good Fight – Paramount+
The Last of Us – HBO | Max
The White Lotus – HBO | Max
Yellowjackets – Showtime

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Abbott Elementary – ABC
Barry – HBO | Max
Poker Face– Peacock
Reservation Dogs – FX
Shrinking – Apple TV+
The Bear – FX
The Other Two – HBO | Max
What We Do in the Shadows – FX

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES OR SPECIALS
A Small Light – National Geographic
Beef – Netflix
Black Bird – Apple TV+
Daisy Jones & The Six – Prime Video
Fleishman is in Trouble – FX
Mrs. Davis – Peacock
The Patient – FX
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – The Roku Channel

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
Andor – Disney+
Interview with the Vampire – AMC
Jury Duty – Amazon Freevee
Mrs. Davis – Peacock
Poker Face – Peacock
Shrinking – Apple TV+
The Bear – FX
The Last of Us – HBO | Max

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Christine Baranski, The Good Fight – Paramount+
Kieran Culkin, Succession – HBO | Max
Dominique Fishback, Swarm – Prime Video
Betty Gilpin, Mrs. Davis – Peacock
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us – HBO | Max
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us – HBO | Max
Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul – AMC
Sarah Snook, Succession – HBO | Max
Jeremy Strong, Succession – HBO | Max

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary – ABC
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear – FX
Harrison Ford – Shrinking – Apple TV+
Bill Hader, Barry – HBO | Max
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary – ABC
Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face – Peacock
James Marsden, Jury Duty – Amazon Freevee
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear – FX

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
30 for 30 – ESPN
Free Chol Soo Lee – PBS
Frontline – PBS
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? – Netflix
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence – Hulu
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi – Hulu
The 1619 Project – Hulu
The U.S. and the Holocaust – PBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY
Couples Therapy – Showtime
Jury Duty – Amazon Freevee
RuPaul’s Drag Race – MTV
The Rehearsal – HBO | Max
The Traitors – Peacock
Top Chef – Bravo
Vanderpump Rules – Bravo
Welcome to Wrexham – FX

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING 
Alma’s Way – PBS Kids
Bluey – Disney+
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – PBS Kids
Donkey Hodie – PBS Kids
Eva the Owlet – Apple TV+
Molly of Denali – PBS Kids
Ridley Jones – Netflix
Sesame Street – HBO | Max
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures – Disney Junior/Disney+

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FAMILY PROGRAMMING 
American Born Chinese – Disney+
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Disney+
Jane – Apple TV+
Love, Victor – Hulu
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur – Disney Channel
Ms. Marvel – Disney+
Never Have I Ever – Netflix
Star Trek: Prodigy – Paramount+
The Mysterious Benedict Society – Disney+

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY, TALK OR SKETCH
The Amber Ruffin Show – Peacock
|A Black Lady Sketch Show – HBO | Max
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson – Netflix
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – HBO | Max
Late Night with Seth Meyers – NBC
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – CBS
Saturday Night Live – NBC
Ziwe – Showtime