Streaming networks like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video have long made their mark at the Emmy Awards, but with this year’s Emmy nominations, it’s the comedies that made headway.
Netflix leads with the most nominations for a streaming service with 117 nominations. (HBO leads for overall nominations with 137.) Amazon has 47 nominations, more than doubling its number from last year while Hulu received 20 nominations, down slightly from last year’s number of nominations.
Game of Thrones is the most-nominated series overall at 32 while the second-highest is Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, last year’s outstanding comedy series winner. Ava DuVernay’s Netflix limited series, When They See Us, grabbed 16 nominations while Russian Doll received 13 nominations. Fleabag, which streamed on Amazon in the U.S., received 11 nominations. Despite being ineligible for outstanding drama series, The Handmaid’s Tale received 11 nominations because three episodes from season 2 are eligible for individual awards. Our Planet received 10 nominations while Beyoncé’s Netflix special Homecoming received six nominations.
But streaming’s Emmy chances for major categories largely reside in the comedy categories.
Russian Doll, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel all received outstanding comedy nominations—but they’ll be competing against multi-year winner Veep, which ended its seven-season run earlier this year, Barry, The Good Place, and the CBC/Pop TV series Schitt’s Creek. The stars of those respective series, Natasha Lyonne, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Rachel Brosnahan, are competing for lead actress, which also includes Dead To Me‘s Christina Applegate.
Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin are both up for lead actor and supporting actor, respectively, for The Kominsky Method. Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, Alex Borstein, Rufus Sewell, and Jane Lynch are all nominated for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Fiona Shaw (who’s also nominated for Killing Eve this year), and Kristin Scott Thomas are all nominated for Fleabag. And Betty Gilpin received a supporting actress nomination for GLOW.
The drama categories are largely stacked toward Game of Thrones—acting nominations account for 10 of the series’ 32 nominations—but Ozark, Bodyguard, and House of Cards all made an appearance. Ozark is up for outstanding drama series while stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney both received acting nominations. Bodyguard was nominated for drama series (while star Richard Madden was left out of the lead actor in a drama race). Previous Netflix powerhouse House of Cards didn’t get a series nomination but did for Robin Wright and Michael Kelly for its final season. The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Cherry Jones and Bradley Whitford received guest acting nominations, as did Kumail Nanjiani for CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone.
But streaming also has some strong potential for wins in the limited series and TV movie categories. Out of When They See Us‘ 16 nominations, eight of them are for acting. (Aunjanue Ellis and Niecy Nash for lead actress; Jharrel Jerome for lead actor; Marsha Stephanie Blake and Vera Farmiga for supporting actress; and Asante Blackk, John Leguizamo, and Michael K. Williams for supporting actor.) It’s also up for best limited series against Sharp Objects, Chernobyl, Escape At Dannemora, and Fosse/Verdon.
Joey King and Patricia Arquette are both nominated for Hulu’s The Act while Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw were both nominated for A Very English Scandal. Netflix’s choose-your-own-adventure special, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, is up for TV movie.
The reality and variety categories also include several streaming names like Nailed It! for competition program, Queer Eye and Tidying Up With Marie Kondo for structured reality program (Kondo is also nominated for reality program host), Somebody Feed Phil for unstructured reality program. Netflix is almost completely competing with itself for pre-recorded variety special between Hannah Gadsby: Nanette, Homecoming, Springsteen on Broadway, and Wanda Sykes: Not Normal. Other familiar titles include Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, and I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman.
You can find the full list of Emmy nominations on the Emmys website.
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