If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Emmys, Vol. 3
“I write for you, my Sue. I write for you. For you alone. That’s enough.”
It’s that time of the year again! July is when the Emmy nominations are announced every year and it is also the month when I publish what the nominations (and winners) would look like if I was the one who was in charge of them. It’s been a big year for me and television between my 2020 in review, my High School Musical: The Musical: The Series recaps, and The Television Project: 100 Favorite Shows, but I was still so stoked to run through these categories. It’s such a fun lens through which to look back on the year that was! Speaking of HSM: TM: TS, that brings me to an important point. In the past, my own Emmy calendars have been more flexible than the actual Academy’s. I would run through July or start in August or do anything that was kind of nonsense. While my calendar went through June 2020 last year, that’s the last time I’ll be flagrant. The shows eligible for this list (according to Vol. 2 (and here’s Vol. 1)) begin around the Frozen II docuseries and the Zac Efron nature show. We’re basically going from July 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. That does leave a month out, but it’s because I’m adhering to the Emmys calendar now. Vol. 4 will stretch from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022, just like the real ceremony. For shows that were still airing new episodes in June, my rule is that they had to air at least half their episodes by June 1, 2021. That means Master of None is only eligible for this edition, Mythic Quest is eligible for this edition (episodes ten through fourteen) and the next edition (episodes fifteen through twenty), and HSM: TM: TS is eligible only for the next edition, not this one. Does that make sense? Cool. Aside from that, there’s one new category this year, so keep an eye out for that. Also, it’s so fun to reflect on the year in television and all the different contexts and circumstances with which I (and my loved ones) experienced these superb series. Without any more mini-tangents, here are the categories!
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
“Episode 3” by Demi Adejuyigbe, Jenny Hagel, Shantira Jackson, Dewayne Perkins, and Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show)
“How to Cook the Perfect Risotto” by John Wilson, Michael Koman, and Alice Gregory (How To with John Wilson)
“Jake Tapper, Matthew Macfadyen, and Foster the People” by Alex Baze and Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
“Nick Jonas/Nick Jonas” by Michael Che, Anna Drezen, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live)
“Night-Time!” by Tom Armstrong, Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly, Sam Lingham, Max Miller, and Zachary Ruane (Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun)
First up, a category that can always go a number of directions. The writing for The Amber Ruffin Show remains consistent because there’s such a strong team assembled over there. Of course, a lot of that stems from Late Night, which excelled from home this past year, thanks to appearances from the Sea Captain (Will Forte). A weak year for SNL (where Meyers, in turn, stems from) had some offbeat, quality writing when Nick Jonas pulled double duty. But this category was always going to come down to Aunty Donna v. How To. I give the edge to Aunty Donna, from a writing perspective, because it seems like each rewatch of that show would reveal something new and clever about it.
Previous Winners: “Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side” by Duffy Boudreau and Bill Hader (Documentary Now!), “Eddie Murphy/Lizzo” by Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
“East/West” by Noah Hawley and Lee Edward Colston II (Fargo)
“Openings” by Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit)
“Previously On” by Laura Donney (WandaVision)
“Sacrament” by Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown)
Sam Levinson (Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always)
This was a tough one to pick a winner for because how subtle the writing is for a lot of the episodes included. For Gambit, Mare, and Fargo, the writing is far from showy, so it might have been easier to just go with the in-your-face nature of Wanda’s coming-of-age or Sam Levinson’s treatise on addiction. Ultimately, though, I went for Fargo. Many have disparaged the FX anthology’s fourth season, but I vibed with it and liked it even more on a revisit. “East/West” shines in its subtlety, as it manages to operate as a well-thought out origin story for one of Fargo’s most bombastic characters, simultaneously with a minimalist homage to the first act of The Wizard of Oz. Hawley’s still got it.
Previous Winners: “The Bent-Neck Lady” by Meredith Averill (The Haunting of Hill House), “When the Doorman Is Your Main Man” by John Carney (Modern Love)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“Gold Stick” by Peter Morgan (The Crown)
“Sundown” by Misha Green (Lovecraft Country)
“Terra Nullius” by Peter Morgan (The Crown)
“Truth” by Dalan Musson (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
“The Weight” by Nichole Beattie and Joe Menosky (For All Mankind)
This was also an interesting category to think about because so many of the past year’s drama were more direction-heavy, as opposed to boasting brilliant, dazzling screenplays. Fortunately, we still had The Crown, which dazzled more than it has in any previous season, in my opinion. If I’d seen this before my self-imposed deadline, I reckon it would’ve made The Television Project: 100 Favorite Shows. From the minute Peter Morgan introduced Princess Diana through the lens of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this category was sewn up. A masterstroke of the pen.
Previous Winners: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” by Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones), “This Is Not for Tears” by Jesse Armstrong (Succession)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Alf Musik” by Lauren Gurganous and Michael Koman (Girls5eva)
“Carma” by Anna Drezen and Azie Dungey (Girls5eva)
“The Diamond Dogs” by Leann Bowen (Ted Lasso)
“I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” by Alena Smith and Ayo Edebiri (Dickinson)
“Moments in Love, Chapter 4” by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe (Master of None)
In my first edition of this piece, I went with the episode I felt was written the funniest. It’s hard to write comedy and “Honeymoon” from Brooklyn Nine-Nine made me laugh so much that I felt it deserved the Emmy for that feat. Last year, I opted for the finale of The Good Place for its finale to be both hilarious and heartfelt. This year’s crop allowed me to venture into either direction. Master of None and Dickinson were more on the heartful side. Both Girls5eva options were straight comedy. And Ted Lasso landed somewhere in the middle. Ultimately, though, the more I think about “New York Lonely Boy,” the more I know that Girls5eva’s “Alf Musik” deserves this year’s award.
Previous Winners: “Honeymoon” by Neil Campbell (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), “Whenever You’re Ready” by Michael Schur (The Good Place)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
“Housemates” by Max Miller (Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun)
“How to Put Up Scaffolding” by John Wilson (How To with John Wilson)
“John Mulaney/The Strokes” by Don Roy King (Saturday Night Live)
“Orlando Bloom, Cecily Strong, and Trey Anastasio” by Dave Diomedi (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
“Phoebe Bridgers: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” by Lucas Belkind, Dalton Gaudin, Jason Lester, and Powell Robinson (NPR Tiny Desk Concerts)
Let’s break this one down a bit. The visual style of Aunty Donna is super duper wacky and Pee-wee-adjacent. Whenever John Mulaney pops by SNL, the production team flexes on most other live shows. That particular Jimmy Fallon episode was the first one to be back in the studio, so I have a lot of respect for what that directorial team achieved. And the Phoebe Bridgers Tiny Desk was recorded remotely, but still somehow managed the intimate feel of the NPR tradition, which I felt was commendable. (Phoebe would EGOT, if I had my way.) But the directorial achievement of John Wilson here is kind of unprecedented. He pieced together countless hours of footage, stitched it together with coherent themes and apt jokes, and got incredible work out of the people he encountered across the western hemisphere. I chose the scaffolding episode in particular because, while the risotto one is an immaculate achievement, the subversive ending of the scaffolding installment is a pure directorial choice.
Previous Winners: “Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton Cast, José Andrés, and Bad Bunny” by Dave Diomedi (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), “Brad Pitt/Miley Cyrus” by Don Roy King (Saturday Night Live)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
“Chapter 9: Indiana Winter” by Barry Jenkins (The Underground Railroad)
“East/West” by Michael Uppendahl (Fargo)
“End Game” by Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit)
“Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience” by Matt Shakman (WandaVision)
“The Great Good Place” by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
This one was another tough one (you’ll notice this pattern for most categories). Everything I said about “East/West” still stands. Scott Frank dotted every frame of The Queen’s Gambit with brilliance and chess-laden imagery. Probably four separate eps of Bly could be eligible here with no worries and every episode of Railroad would fit all the same. Flanagan, Jenkins, and the teams they both assembled are just so talented. But ultimately, I went for WandaVision because its first episode was doing something we’ll probably never see in this category again: lovingly recreating The Dick Van Dyke Show. Shakman’s goals trickled all the way through to the audience, who attended the taping in period costumes. It’s not easy to be tasked with beginning the identity of Marvel on television, but Shakman did it with aplomb. His sitcom veteran status probably helped Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany embody their television forebears so well, too. The authenticity of this achievement must be rewarded.
Previous Winners: “Two Storms” by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), Paul Dugdale (Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Chapter 11: The Heiress” by Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian)
“Chapter 13: The Jedi” by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian)
“Gold Stick” by Benjamin Caron (The Crown)
“The Grey” by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (For All Mankind)
“Sundown” by Yann Demange (Lovecraft Country)
As I mentioned, the drama series from this year were impeccable directorial achievements. So much so that I couldn’t even find room for the great work Kari Skogland did on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Still, these nominees are more than worthy. The Mandalorian was my winner last year, courtesy of Taika Waititi’s work in the finale. Here, the sci-fi series is represented with two installments. Bryce Dallas Howard and Dave Filoni irrefutably proved that they belong as auteurs in the Star Wars franchise. “Gold Stick,” as aforementioned, was just perfect in every way. For Lovecraft, it certainly could’ve flexed a number of episodes into the nomination, but “Sundown” is still its top achievement in my mind. Instead, I had to go with “The Grey,” an immaculate feat of pacing and tension that positions four heart-pounding story lines against one another and crushes every single one of them. Mimica-Gezzan blew me away with this episode. I don’t even want to say anything else about it. Just go watch For All Mankind, ya goon!
Previous Winners: “The Bells” by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones), “Chapter 8: Redemption” by Taika Waititi (The Mandalorian)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“Everlight” by Rob McElhenney (Mythic Quest)
“Lily” by Brad Silberling (Dash & Lily)
“Make Rebecca Great Again” by Declan Lowney (Ted Lasso)
“Moments in Love, Chapter 4” by Aziz Ansari (Master of None)
“Split the Lark” by Silas Howard (Dickinson)
From the moment Sue began to turn Emily Dickinson’s famed “Split the lark” poem into a musical serenade, I knew it was a moment I’d never forget. Turns out, as Emmy season came around, I loved it more than that. It was the easy winner of this category, which was filled with impressive work all around. Mythic Quest is the undisputed champion of special episodes, Dash & Lily was such a lovely seasonal delight, Ted Lasso’s nominated episode pulled off three stunning sequences, and Master of None’s fourth episode is a remarkable feat. But man, oh man, that Dickinson episode! It covers interiority, embarrassment, gorgeousness, soaring lyricism. It has it all! Go watch Dickinson, too, ya goon!
Previous Winners: “ronny/lily” by Bill Hader (Barry), “The Auditions” by Tamra Davis (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
Outstanding Episode of Television
“The Altar of the Dead” (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
“Daddy Dropoff” (Bluey)
“East/West” (Fargo)
“The Grey” (For All Mankind)
“The Hope That Kills You” (Ted Lasso)
“How to Cook the Perfect Risotto” (How To with John Wilson)
“Moments in Love, Chapter 4” (Master of None)
“Previously On” (WandaVision)
“Split the Lark” (Dickinson)
“Sundown” (Lovecraft Country)
This is a category where you just have to go through them one by one. “The Altar of the Dead” was the episode of Bly that revealed the mystique behind the Hannah Grose character. Fractured timelines and unreliable perspectives abound. It was a towering achievement up there with “The Bent-Neck Lady” and “Two Storms” from Hill House. Pretty much any Bluey episode could be here, but “Daddy Dropoff” hit me where “Camping” did. I don’t know why a flash-forward for animated blue heeler children always makes me cry. I’ve talked a lot about the Wizard of Oz homage that made “East/West” one of the best Fargo eps ever. The finale of Ted Lasso was such an emotional affair. I always want to yell, “Roy Kent! Roy Kent! He’s here! He’s there! He’s every-fucking-where!” “How to Cook the Perfect Risotto” remains a perfect encapsulation of pre- and mid-pandemic New York City. Master of None’s fourth episode of season three was profoundly moving and I literally cheered while watching it in bed. The episode selected from WandaVision helped establish Wanda as one of my favorite MCU character because I, too, like to watch old sitcoms. That Dickinson episode was my favorite of the show so far and a towering achievement of magical realism. As for Lovecraft Country, that first episode promised something that the rest of the series didn’t quite deliver. But what a debut! Ultimately, though, I went with For All Mankind’s “The Grey.” It might be the most thrilling episode of television I’ve seen since the Battle of the Bastards and I was genuinely choked up and roused by the end of it. Ambitious storytelling sticking the landing? Nothing better.
Previous Winners: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (Game of Thrones), “Whenever You’re Ready” (The Good Place)
The Julia Louis-Dreyfus Lifetime Achievement Award
Dick Van Dyke
The first year I did this, I did not have a lifetime achievement award. Considering it was the final season of Veep that year, I retroactively bestow it upon Julia Louis-Dreyfus and, to make up for missing her, I have named the award after her. Like how it’s named after Robert Redford in my own Oscars and Paul McCartney in my own Grammys. Last year, it went to Michael Schur when The Good Place ended. This year, I’m giving it to Dick Van Dyke. I don’t need an excuse to give him a fake award, but this was the year WandaVision debuted and it counted Dick Van Dyke as a consultant for the pastiche of classic sitcoms, like his own Rob Petrie vehicle. He also appeared in the show via archival footage. This show wouldn’t exist as it did without him! He’s been a staple of television since the 1960s and I am always a supporter of celebrating people while they are alive. He’s a genuine American treasure.
Previous Winners: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Schur
Outstanding Host for a Reality, Competition, or Talk Series
Zac Efron (Down to Earth with Zac Efron)
Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
Ewan McGregor (Long Way Up)
Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show)
Considering how much I adore the other four nominees, you can trust that this is an earned win for Amber Ruffin. Someone has to really shine to unseat Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Ewan McGregor, and Zac Efron, four of Dave’s Boys. But Ruffin was just so perfect as the host of her own show for Peacock. A weekly talk show, The Amber Ruffin Show delivers a long-deserved vehicle for Ruffin. Anyone who watched her excel on Late Night knew that she’d crush it. It’s certainly not easy to be a great host right from the start, but that’s exactly what Ruffin was. Sorry to Ewan McGregor singing “Endlessly” in South America.
Previous Winners: Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers), Alex Trebek (Jeopardy!)
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack (DuckTales)
Jeff Daniels as Ernest Hemingway (Hemingway)
Rob Paulsen as Yakko Warner (Animaniacs)
John Roberts as Linda Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)
Melanie Zanetti as Chilli Heeler (Bluey)
An honorable mention here is Chris Diamantopoulos, who voiced Mickey Mouse on The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse. He’s a great Mickey, but these were five unique performances that just called out to me when constructing this category. Paulsen hasn’t missed a step as Yakko and various other Animaniacs voices. Daniels was a surprising choice to voice Ernest Hemingway for the Ken Burns/Lynn Novick documentary series, but he was so well-suited to it. And while David McCormack and H. Jon Benjamin are superb as two animated father figures, Bluey’s Bandit and Bob’s Burgers’ Bob, respectively, I felt more inclined towards the maternal figures this year. Melanie Zanetti brings a restrained serenity to Chilli that is deeply underrated and John Roberts is really achieving something astonishing as Linda Belcher and I overlook it way too much. Ultimately, though, this is the last year of eligibility for the superb DuckTales reboot by Disney Channel. Considering the vocal performance by Beck Bennett in the series finale genuinely made me guffaw, it’s his time for coronation. Launchpad McQuack is an all-time great Disney character and Bennett was the perfect choice to play him over the past five years. I can think of no worthier performance to carry the baton that was led by Will Arnett’s two consecutive wins as the voice of BoJack on a show that has also since concluded.
Previous Winners: Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman), Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten (The Crown)
Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth (The Mandalorian)
Daniel David Stewart as Nick Corrado (For All Mankind)
Timothy Olyphant is like the Matt Damon of television. Always game to make an appearance in pretty much anything. Always more than welcome to do so. This year, he was a whole ball of fun in the season premiere of The Mandalorian. I was a bit sad when Mando got a team together to rescue Baby Yoda in the season finale and Olyphant was not included. Get that guy on your team! Look at his hair! Everyone else does a solid job in this category, but Olyphant is always at a different level. He had this category locked up in October.
Previous Winners: Michael McKean as Chuck McGill (Better Call Saul), Damon Herriman as Charles Manson (Mindhunter)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano (The Mandalorian)
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Erica Tazel as Dora Freeman (Lovecraft Country)
Ellen Wroe as Sally Ride (For All Mankind)
I felt like the competition was a bit stiffer here than in the previous category. I’m still not fully recovered from the sheer confusion of Julia Louis-Dreyfus popping up in the MCU, but that’s beside the point. Here, we have her, the angelic performance by Tazel, a spot-on Sally Rise casting, and Dawson’s first post-Briarpatch endeavor. Ultimately, though, I’m seizing the opportunity to award Claire Foy, who departed The Crown before I initiated this Emmys tradition. I prefer Foy’s portrayal as Queen Elizabeth to Olivia Colman’s (both are great, though) and it was enchanting to see her unexpectedly appear in the fourth season.
Previous Winners: Carice van Houten as Melisandre (Game of Thrones), Holly Hunter as Rhea Jarrell (Succession)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Aziz Ansari as Dev Shah (Master of None)
Steve Burns as Steve (Blue’s Clues & You!)
Nick Jonas as Himself (Dash & Lily)
Nick Kroll as Edgar Allan Poe (Dickinson)
Dean Winters as Nick (Girls5eva)
You might consider this to be some category muck-about, as Blue’s Clues & You! is more of a children’s/educational program than a comedy. But where else could I put him, huh? What other category, I ask! I knew I wanted to find room somewhere to nominate Steve Burns, who reprised his role as Steve (from the original Blue’s Clues, my most seminal pre-school program) twice in 2020. Yes, he appeared with Joe and this new edition is Josh’s affair. But Steve is the O.G. and the one I grew up with, so he’s the one I’m celebrating here. I originally thought I would be content with simply nominating him, but the more I considered the other options, the more I knew he was the winner. Kroll as Poe is a genius move, Winters is hysterical, Jonas is a treat (especially when he sings a Christmas song), and Ansari’s Dev character is integral to Master of None. But when I really thought about the emotional nature of Steve returning to Blue’s Clues, slipping into the character so easily, maintaining character idyllicism, and lovingly bringing the holidays from Blue Prints, I knew he was the winner. Eccentric? Maybe. But his return was one of the best parts of television in 2020.
(Also, a side-note. I originally had Peter Gallagher for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in these five nominees, but I swapped him out for Aziz Ansari at the last second. Three minutes later, I received a notification that Zoey’s had been canceled. I feel partially responsible.)
(Another update: Lovecraft Country was canceled. I did not ignore that like I did Zoey’s second go. You’ll see.)
Previous Winners: Adam Sandler as Host (Saturday Night Live), Jon Hamm as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Kelli Barrett as Adelaide May (Dickinson)
Cordelia Blair as Nurse Cordelia (Master of None)
Tina Fey as Dolly Parton (Girls5eva)
Marguerite Moreau as Connie Moreau (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers)
Kym Whitley as Judiff (Made for Love)
I will not soon forget the image of Dolly Parton and Sara Bareilles playing one-on-one basketball to think of a new hit pop song. It’s a perfect moment on Girls5eva. And while this category came with equal parts heart, humor, nostalgia, and story, only one character embodied all four in one. That would be Cordelia, the IVF nurse who helps guide Naomi Ackie’s Alicia character to pregnancy in the face of immense difficulties. After all, a gay woman in her late-thirties with no partner is not the easiest target for a baby. But through the soothing assurance and gentle humor of Nurse Cordelia, it really seems like anything is possible. The warmth, naturalism, and care infused into the role by Cordelia Blair was one of the most moving performances I saw on television for the whole year. I like to think she kept in touch with Alicia.
Previous Winners: Toks Olagundoye as Kemi Talbot (Veep), Zosia Mamet as Louisa May Alcott (Dickinson)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel (The Queen’s Gambit)
William Jackson Harper as Royal (The Underground Railroad)
Rahul Kohli as Owen Sharma (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
Evan Peters as Colin Zabel (Mare of Easttown)
Ben Whishaw as Rabbi Milligan (Fargo)
This is such a strong category. This might be the strongest category I’ve ever seen in all my (three) years of doing this. The category was so packed that I had to leave out some of the best supporting players of Fargo (Timothy Olyphant, Glynn Turman) because I didn’t want one show to dominate it when there was a stunning performance in each miniseries. Clooney wouldn’t be winning this year (for real, it probably should’ve been Oliver Jackson-Cohen anyway, lol). When Fargo kicked off, I was so wrapped up in Whishaw as Rabbi; he was my favorite part of the season and I just knew that he’d win this category eventually. But then Owen Sharma kind of stole Bly? At least in a couple episodes. I’d never heard of Rahul Kohli before, so his breakout for me personally made me think that he might have a shot. Then, there was the gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous character arc brought to life by Bill Camp on Gambit and it was hard to imagine anyone unseating him. Then, Evan Peters completely reinvented his whole career and went right up against Kate Winslet in every scene and I thought, Oh shit. Does Peters have a shot here? And if that wasn’t enough, William Jackson Harper as Royal was my favorite part of Underground Railroad. There was such stunning humanity in his scenes. Ultimately, my first instinct is where I land, but anyone could win here and I’d be perfectly content with it.
Previous Winners: George Clooney as Lieutenant Scheisskopf (Catch-22), John Slattery as Fred Schlafly (Mrs. America)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Jessie Buckley as Oraetta Mayflower (Fargo)
Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness (WandaVision)
Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley (The Queen’s Gambit)
T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
Jean Smart as Helen Fahey (Mare of Easttown)
This category is maybe not as strong as the previous, but it’s still a knockout. Just as I had to cut out some Fargo stars, I had to lose some of the stellar supporting turns on Mare. Sorry, Angourie Rice and Julianne Nicholson. Ultimately, I loved what Jean Smart brought to that Pennsylvania community the most. I mean, she was playing Fruit Ninja! What a legend. As for the rest, Kathryn Hahn was obviously the talk of the spring and she seems like the frontrunner to win the actual Emmy. I also enjoyed seeing Jessie Buckley and Marielle Heller pulling off high-quality moments when their respective lanes (manic criminal and pathos-laden addict) are vastly different from the career elements that came before. T’Nia Miller has been the winner for some time, though, and while everyone was great, no one came close to challenge her in the way that I saw happen to Ben Whishaw. The center of Bly was a love story, but the periphery romance-that-wasn’t (grounded in Hannah Grose) brought much of the tragedy’s show to prominence. Without Miller’s performance, though, Hannah might have been as lot on audiences as she was during a fractured timeline.
Previous Winners: Aya Cash as Joan Simon (Fosse/Verdon), Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem (Mrs. America)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael Dorman as Gordo Stevens (For All Mankind)
Rupert Grint as Julian Pearce (Servant)
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip (The Crown)
Wyatt Russell as John Walker (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Michael K. Williams as Montrose Freeman (Lovecraft Country)
What a wacky category. In the context of the category, it makes total sense. These were some of the most detestable, empathetic, and heroic characters television saw all year. But when you actually think about the five actors included, it seems impossible to think that a combination as all over the place as this quintet could happen again. I dig it, though. You know, the thirty-eighth lead on Game of Thrones, Ron Weasley, Kurt Russell’s son, a New Zealander who broke into the mainstream, and an iconic television character actor. I love seeing groups that are all over the place like that. Clearly, though, it’s Gordo’s category. We just might not have the opportunity to properly honor at least one of the Flying Stevenses again. Season two of For All Mankind went as Gordo’s arc did and Dorman gave it his all. Welcome to the pantheon, king.
Previous Winners: Joe Keery as Steve “The Hair” Harrington (Stranger Things), Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca (Better Call Saul)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jodi Balfour as Ellen Wilson (For All Mankind)
Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (The Crown)
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana (The Crown)
Aunjanue Ellis as Hippolyta Freeman (Lovecraft Country)
Sarah Jones as Tracy Stevens (For All Mankind)
Is this category fraud? Who’s to say? I buck the Emmy rules sometimes because Emma Corrin, despite having a large amount of screentime, still felt like a supporting performer. It just really feels like Queen Elizabeth’s story. That last frame of the season gives me pause, but whatever. It’s fine. Emma Corrin deserves the win and her competition in the Best Actress category made me think that it might not be possible, so here she is in supporting. I learned from Shea Serrano, so don’t yell at me. Anyway, even though all of these shows thrive when they focus on the women, I think it really is Corrin who rises above the people who rose above. Forget about whether or not she looked enough like Princess Diana (she did), she brought such warmth and realness to a person who is perhaps etched in memory at this point. But she was a real human being and Corrin never let us forget it.
Previous Winners: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (Game of Thrones), Ruth Wilson as Marisa Coulter (His Dark Materials)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent (Ted Lasso)
Michael Greyeyes as Terry Thomas (Rutherford Falls)
Michiel Huisman as Alex Sokolov (The Flight Attendant)
Danny Pudi as Brad Bakshi (Mythic Quest)
Ray Romano as Herbert Green (Made for Love)
These are all new shows! Crazy. I feel I could’ve made this category just five of the men from Ted Lasso. Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh. There you go. There’s five and they’d all be deserving. Throw in Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas, too. See what I care. Still, though, I didn’t want to go all in on Lasso because it didn’t feel fair to the other categories, especially since the futures of Rutherford Falls and Made for Love are questionable and Michiel Huisman is probably not coming back to The Flight Attendant. This might be those guys’ only shots, whereas Ted Lasso is back for season two in two days! Still, though, it was clear who my winner should be because he’s my favorite character in a show that is led by a fantastic Jason Sudeikis performance as the title character. Roy Kent is the best and he might still be the best without Brett Goldstein, but I really feel like Goldstein makes him an all-timer after even just one season. Plus, the fact that his arc coincided with the real-world retirement of Dustin Pedroia, my favorite athlete to ever live, due to age and knee injuries, made it that much sweeter and sadder. I love everything about Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent. He’s here, he’s there, he’s every-fucking-where.
Previous Winners: Timothy Simons as Jonah Ryan (Veep), William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie Roy (Girls5eva)
Ella Hunt as Sue Gilbert (Dickinson)
Cecily Strong as Various Roles (Saturday Night Live)
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones (Ted Lasso)
Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton (Ted Lasso)
While there are tons of great supporting men on Ted Lasso, there are also superb supporting women. Juno Temple as Keeley and Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca are just the best and they fit into the sensibility of the show so well. Temple was my runaway winner for the majority of the eligibility calendar! It just so happened that, in the final month, Goldsberry flexed on us all. If you thought Jenna Maroney was a wackadoodle, just try Girls5eva and witness Wickie Roy. It’s really quite remarkable all that Goldsberry brings to the character. Narcissism and insecurity at once, incredible physical comedy, an intense vocal range and impression repertoire. She’s often bringing all of that out in the same scene, too! I loved Ella Hunt on Dickinson and I’m glad I could pay tribute to Cecily Strong’s farewell SNL season, but the winner is obvious. Goldsberry, Goldsberry, Goldsberry.
Previous Winners: D’Arcy Carden as Janet (The Good Place), Natasia Demetriou as Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Paul Bettany as Vision (WandaVision)
Colman Domingo as Ali (Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always)
Joel Edgerton as Arnold Ridgeway (The Underground Railroad)
Ewan McGregor as Halston (Halston)
Jason Schwartzman as Josto Fadda (Fargo)
It might seem sacrilegious to include Jason Schwartzman without also featuring Chris Rock, but I really just felt like the latter did not deliver a performance worthy of being included here. I love Chris Rock, but Fargo doesn’t quite land the stunt casting with him for season four. I very nearly gave the award to Schwartzman, too, before I remembered that Colman Domingo’s performance in the first Euphoria holiday special was one of the most breathtaking things I’d seen all year. And while Bettany, McGregor, and Edgerton do all that’s asked of them and more, none of them quite hit the heights that Domingo did.
Previous Winners: Michiel Huisman as Steven Crain (The Haunting of Hill House), Domhnall Gleeson as Billy Johnson (Run)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Thuso Mbedu as Cora Randall (The Underground Railroad)
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)
Victoria Pedretti as Dani Clayton (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)
Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown)
This is an impeccable category. It’s a very real possibility that I’ll be completely in sync with the Emmys on this one and almost likely I’ll have four of the five (the Emmys don’t like horror). Like Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, I am in awe of this category and would feel great about giving the win to any of the women here. Victoria Pedretti is not just one of our best genre performers working; she’s one of our best performers, in general. As Dani Clayton, she continued the warmth and tragedy that she brought to Nell Crain. Elizabeth Olsen showed the entire world what she can do with more screentime for a character who is usually occupying the C-tier in the main MCU films. Thuso Mbedu is the undeniable breakout in this category, as she anchored the entirety of Railroad and never once wavered from the enormity of the challenge. For the longest time, I also felt that Anya Taylor-Joy had this category and there wouldn’t be a close second. Yet, every ounce/fiber/any-cliche-you-can-think-of within Kate Winslet’s leading turn as Mare Sheehan was filled with depth and heartbreak and honesty. From the surface acting talents that flash on screen to the deep sentiments within the character, Winslet was legitimately flawless. It’s one of my favorite television performances of all-time and, at the last second, she took the trophy from ATJ.
Previous Winners: Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon (Fosse/Verdon), Merritt Wever as Ruby Richardson (Run)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Joel Kinnaman as Ed Baldwin (For All Mankind)
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman (Lovecraft Country)
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles (The Crown)
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
I went back and forth on a lot in this category. For one, I endlessly waffled between John Stamos as Marvyn Korn on Big Shot and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson on Falcon. I really wanted to nominate Stamos, but so many of the reaction shots on that Disney Plooos show just left me feeling that Stamos wasn’t actually expressing a human emotion. I love the man, but I couldn’t, in good conscience, nominate him over Mackie. That being said, I still felt that Sebastian Stan stole the show as Bucky on that MCU team-up, even though neither were in true contention to win here. The other element I went back and forth on was the competition between the three Js. Kinnaman was probably always in third, but he had some stellar scenes in season two of FAM. It was always between Majors and O’Connor for me, though. O’Connor as Prince Charles felt revelatory at times, but I ultimately had to celebrate just how much Majors had to do. He’s working across multiple genres throughout Lovecraft and he’s become one of the most thrilling young actors in the industry.
Previous Winners: Kit Harington as Jon Snow (Game of Thrones), Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy (Succession)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Lauren Ambrose as Dorothy Turner (Servant)
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown)
Melissa George as Margot Fox (The Mosquito Coast)
Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison (For All Mankind)
Jurnee Smollett as Leti Lewis (Lovecraft Country)
For a while, I thought Jurnee Smollett counted as a supporting performer, but fuck it, I’m giving trophies to both her and Emma Corrin. Watch me do it, y’all! Jurnee Smollett was easily the best part of Lovecraft and one of the most crucial elements that kept the show from flipping wildly into the wind. She was the dramatic heavyweight on television in the 2020–21 season and I knew she deserved this as early as August of last year. The rest of the women here are great, too. Olivia Colman, predictably so. Melissa George and Lauren Ambrose, surprisingly so (I’m not very high on Servant or Mosquito). An argument can be made that Wrenn Schmidt is actually a supporting performer, but I feel like she has way more to do than Shantel VanSanten. Doesn’t matter, though. Smollett wins every first place vote here.
Previous Winners: Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones), Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Austin Abrams as Dash (Dash & Lily)
Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers)
Billy Magnussen as Byron Gogol (Made for Love)
Rob McElhenney as Ian Grimm (Mythic Quest)
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)
Not the strongest category, but I have admiration for everyone nominated here. Emilio Estevez effortlessly slipped back into Gordon Bombay, that one role he has such an affinity for. And while the male leads of Dash & Lily, Made for Love, and Mythic Quest are all a shit ton of fun, I do feel like their female counterparts were the standouts from these respective seasons. No matter how they fared in the dynamics of their own shows, none of them stood a chance against Jason Sudeikis. In the real world, Sudeikis should probably sweep the television awards circuit. It’s one of the defining performances from the year in television and a perfect vehicle for the one SNL 2000s star who hadn’t yet had one. For so many actors, a mustache or an accent or a pun-based sense of humor or an overarching sweetness could feel tedious or manufactured. Never with Sudeikis. All of those elements are a part of the character’s brilliance and it’s superb evidence for what happens when you really care about bringing someone to life. Give Sudeikis the award for that, if not for every other excellent thing he achieves in the role.
Previous Winners: Rob McElhenney as Mac (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Ted Danson as Michael (The Good Place)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Naomi Ackie as Alicia (Master of None)
Midori Francis as Lily (Dash & Lily)
Cristin Milioti as Hazel Green (Made for Love)
Charlotte Nicdao as Poppy Li (Mythic Quest)
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson (Dickinson)
Last year, Kristen Bell (a true TV veteran) won this category while being nominated against four other women who performed in the first seasons of their respective series. (They were Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jane Levy, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hailee Steinfeld.) I waxed about how this category was in excellent hands going forward, now that Eleanor Shellstrop would be retired. And yet, only one of them is here for the second turn! Granted, Never Have I Ever and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series didn’t air in time to be eligible, but still! Look at how amazing the nominees are here. It’s a testament to the eternal excellence of this category. Jane Levy was a hard cut, since she does remarkable things as Zoey Clarke! But the five nominees here just could not be denied. It’s remarkable overturn and I feel even more confidently that the category is in good hands going forward. Charlotte Nicdao is impossibly funny as the manic, overeager Poppy. Midori Francis was absurdly charming as the Christmas-loving, relatable Lily. Cristin Milioti, much like Jake Johnson, makes everything better and Made for Love was a great vehicle for her. And when I witnessed season two of Dickinson, I didn’t think anyone could ever possibly top the genius work that Hailee Steinfeld brought to that show. I had mentally penciled Steinfeld in as the winner here heading into May. And then season two of Master of None happened. While Lena Waithe was good in the season, Naomi Ackie was life-changing. I felt so many of my worldviews just irrevocably change after watching what she did as Alicia. I couldn’t believe the brand-new emotions I felt witnessing her performance in the fourth episode of the season. It’s one of the most incredible lead performances I’ve ever seen (it’s a good year for television, considering I’ve said that a whole bunch) and the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I had to give her the win. I’ve just never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen anything like Steinfeld’s turn either, but this might be my only chance to award Ackie for Master of None. I had to do it. This is the one nomination I want more than anything at the real Emmys. Naomi Ackie, y’all. She’s for real and she’s unbelievable.
Previous Winners: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Veep), Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)
Outstanding Live Television Event
63rd Annual Grammy Awards
93rd Academy Awards
Chicago Bears–New Orleans Saints Wild Card Game
Election Night in America
Inside the NBA: 2020 NBA Playoffs
This is a new category! If you were wondering what happened to the sixty-second Grammys, fear not. I saw some pretty remarkable television that didn’t fit into any of the preexisting qualifiers, so I wanted to carve out some space for it here. I thought CNN, for its occasional faults, did the best job of covering the 2020 election, even though MSNBC nabbed Steve Kornacki and ABC had Nate Silver. The guys from TNT (Kenny, Chuck, Shaq, and Ernie) were remarkable at covering the bubble playoffs last year. Taylor Swift crushed the Grammys with a gorgeous medley and Steven Soderbergh clutched onto a loose, spraying hose at the Oscars this year. Ultimately, no live television event was as riveting as the Wild Card weekend game between the Bears and the Saints. It may sound plain, especially since neither team would go on to win the title. But this was the game that was also broadcast on Nickelodeon! SpongeBob was in the goal posts! Jimmy Neutron was in the crowd! The end zone had slime cannons! With wholesome coverage by Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, and Lex Lumpkin, it was a really special game of football and I hope they do it again. Also, these main award categories will continue five nominees, per the pseudo-adjacent Emmy rules until we arrive at Limited Series, Drama Series, and Comedy Series, which will each have six.
Previous Winners: Not applicable
Outstanding Reality or Competition Program
Down to Earth with Zac Efron
Hemingway
Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen II
Long Way Up
Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Sorry, Big Jim, but the whales didn’t quite make it this year. Instead, this category belongs to environmentalism, literature, animation, motorcycles, and animal science. Last year, I wrote that the Zac Efron Nature Show was not eligible, due to its premiere date on Netflix. I didn’t think it would have the legs to be as relevant a year later for a nomination, but forget about that. It actually gets the win! Look, seeing Kristen Bell sing and seeing Ewan McGregor sing is always a phenomenal thing. Plus, any opportunity to dive into the Disney parks (with animals, no less) is probably going to qualify. And Ernest Hemingway is one of my all-time favorite writers! But Efron’s show was undeniable. Seeing him learn about science and education in ways that so many of us take for granted was such a pure and sincere treat. I mean, the man said, “Sick!” when he saw wind turbines. May we all be so excited to help protect the world.
Previous Winners: Crikey! It’s the Irwins, The Imagineering Story
Outstanding Variety Special or Television Movie
Euphoria: Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob
Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special
Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American
I went back and forth over whether the Friends reunion should be represented here or whether the Fresh Prince reunion should. While the Fresh Prince one dug deep into some complicated aspects of the show’s legacy and had an actual tear-jerking segment dedicated to James Avery, I just resonated with the Friends one more. I love Friends! I love Fresh Prince, too, but Friends is just a favorite forever. But it didn’t matter because they were both fighting for fifth place. Any time those kids at East High sing holiday songs, I’m gonna go for it, let’s be real. Plus, Nate Bargatze has emerged as one of my favorite stand-ups working today. This competition was always between the two Euphoria specials, though, because it was such a special way to bridge the gap between seasons at a time when a lot more than just a second go-around of Zendaya and neon colors was in question. Of all the year’s pandemic projects from Sam Levinson, Trouble Don’t Last Always was the best. Could’ve been a play. Write that on your 1600 Penn stationery, Aaron Sorkin (curator of the West Wing reunion, running in third for HBO Max reunions in 2020–21).
Previous Winners: Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch
Outstanding Variety Series
The Amber Ruffin Show
Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun
How To with John Wilson
Late Night with Seth Meyers
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Maybe one day an actual talk show will slot into this category as a winner, but not this year. No, Ruffin, Meyers, and Fallon all fall short to the mighty John Wilson. When he’s not letting his producer jump on trampolines with TikTok creators, he’s generating some of the most impeccable New York City footage to exist in the past decade. His show serves as a time capsule to unprecedented insanity, stupidity, and individuality. But the way he framed his camera felt like we were all invited to take part. Even though those Australians learned that anything could be a drum and Oprah interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, John Wilson was always running (or briskly walking with a camera in tow) away with this one.
Previous Winners: Documentary Now!, Middleditch and Schwartz
Outstanding Animated Series
Animaniacs
Bluey
Bob’s Burgers
DuckTales
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse
As you could probably guess by Will Arnett’s aforementioned run of dominance, this was a category that was perpetually crushed by BoJack Horseman. With the final season of the Netflix series ending last January, though, the field was wide open for another show to seize its place. Bluey probably came the closest (Mickey Mouse had a strong first half, Bob’s had a strong back half, and Animaniacs is happy to round it out to five), but this was always meant to honor DuckTales, which wrapped this season. It may mean the field is open once again next year, but it also means that they stuck the landing. Considering I genuinely laughed and felt my eyes begin to water for those aquatic birds, DuckTales is a worthy winner in the third volume of this endeavor. It might be the only show from the 2020–21 season to craft a real series finale. May its memory be a blessing.
Previous Winners: BoJack Horseman, BoJack Horseman
Outstanding Limited Series
Fargo
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Mare of Easttown
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision
This is where the categories pivot to six because of the amount of contenders. I had some trouble deciding what the winner of this one should be because none of the shows were phenomenal, obvious all-timers for me in the way that the previous winners were instantly. They’re all great and some are even fantastic, but there just wasn’t that clear standout. I could’ve given it to Fargo, which impressed me the most in its latter half of season four. I could’ve given it to Bly, which was a worthy and emotional follow-up to Hill House. I could’ve given it to Railroad, which was about as stunning a work of art as you’ll ever see and a clear example of where we’re at with what television can be in 2021. Ultimately, though, I was deciding between Mare, Gambit, and WandaVision. Those are the shows that I felt had a truly complete and compelling vision that would leave me proud to have named one a winner. And while I love the novelistic storytelling of the first two, I ultimately landed on WandaVision, which was a daring foray for the MCU to take when it first journeyed to television. The loving craft with which it recreated some of my favorite sitcoms of all-time was just so impressive and I loved the week-to-week, Lost-esque experience of the series. I have so many fond memories associated with the release of WandaVision and I just ultimately felt like it was one of the defining shows of the year. It gets the win here because even if it didn’t have the best performances or the best writing or the most consistent heft, it was a remarkable sum of all solid aspects.
Previous Winners: The Haunting of Hill House, Run
Outstanding Drama Series
Big Shot
The Crown
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
For All Mankind
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
The 2020–21 television year is a unique one because so many of the shows that are nominated are new, as the previously eligible ones were all delayed by COVID and thusly pushed back. It does give us the opportunity to anoint a new winner and a successor to the lineage of prestige television drama, though! Could it be Big Shot? No. But it could be two other, more genre Disney Plooos programs! Falcon and Mandalorian both delivered reliably solid seasons in the face of some big-budget uncertainty. Maybe it could be Lovecraft Country? The HBO drama-horror show that ultimately wound up feeling like a series of collected vignettes has a compelling argument! Really, though, it came down to The Crown v. For All Mankind for me. I’ve always enjoyed The Crown, but its fourth season is when I felt like it was truly one of the best things on television. For a while, I was prepared to give it the crown in the wake of a delayed Succession (someone had to be the successor). But the last three episodes of FAM’s second season might be the best stretch from any show eligible for these Emmys. I was truly blown away and roped into love for a series that has a (hopefully) long future ahead of it. I’m so happy to be on this ride and inordinately delighted to add FAM to the pantheon already.
Previous Winners: Game of Thrones, Succession
Outstanding Comedy Series
Dash & Lily
Dickinson
Girls5eva
Master of None
Mythic Quest
Ted Lasso
Stacked category we have here! Too bad Ted Lasso wrapped this one up back in the late summer of 2020. No shame in losing to a legend, though! Dickinson? One of the greats. Girls5eva? So fucking funny. Dash & Lily? Probably a yearly tradition for me now. Master of None? Maybe not even a comedy, but beautiful. Mythic Quest? Made the leap. But Ted Lasso? Ted Lasso is the best comedy I’ve seen since The Good Place and The Good Place won this award a year ago. It blends humor that is exactly the kind that I love to laugh at with heartful characters and a story arc that is beyond investing. It was my second favorite show of 2020 and while all these shows are great, none really come close to unseating Ted Lasso. Apple should be very proud of themselves for this two-fer feat. Really, though, they should be the proudest of creating a space where something as pure and cheerful and profound as Ted Lasso can exist. Maybe it’s indicative of where my taste has been heading for a while. If so, so be it. The world is better for having Ted Lasso in it.
Previous Winners: Veep, The Good Place
And there you have it. It was a great year for television and it’s exciting to see such fresh blood join the echelons that have been typically dominated by shows in their farewell seasons. The future of television seems as bright as it’s been since The Americans road the train off the air and I can’t wait for the next year in store, too. Who’d be your winners?
Most Nominations
The Crown, For All Mankind (11)
Lovecraft Country (9)
Dickinson, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ted Lasso (8)
Fargo, Master of None, WandaVision (7)
Girls5eva, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Queen’s Gambit (6)
Dash & Lily, The Mandalorian, Mare of Easttown, Mythic Quest, The Underground Railroad (5)
How To with John Wilson, Made for Love (4)
The Amber Ruffin Show, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, Bluey, Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (3)
Animaniacs, Bob’s Burgers, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, DuckTales, Hemingway, Long Way Up, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Servant (2)
63rd Annual Grammy Awards, 93rd Academy Awards, Big Shot, Blue’s Clues & You!, Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints Wild Card Game, Election Night in America, Euphoria: Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob, The Flight Attendant, Friends: The Reunion, Halston, High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special, Inside the NBA: 2020 NBA Playoffs, Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen II, Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, The Mosquito Coast, Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American, NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, Rutherford Falls, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (1)
Most Wins
For All Mankind (4)
The Crown, Ted Lasso (3)
DuckTales, Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always, Fargo, Girls5eva, How To with John Wilson, Lovecraft Country, Master of None, WandaVision (2)
The Amber Ruffin Show, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, Blue’s Clues & You!, Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints Wild Card Game, Dickinson, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Mandalorian, Mare of Easttown (1)
Nominations by Network
Netflix (42)
Apple TV+ (37)
Disney Plooos (30)
HBO (22)
Peacock (10)
NBC (9)
FX (7)
HBO Max (6)
Amazon (5)
Disney Channel, Fox, Hulu, Nickelodeon, PBS (2)
ABC, CBS, CNN, TNT, YouTube (1)
Wins by Network
Apple TV+, Netflix (8)
HBO (7)
Disney Plooos, Peacock (3)
Disney Channel, FX, Nickelodeon (2)
