written by Jordan Moreau & Michael Schneider, Variety
Emmy voters sure know how to take a bite of the Apple. As the Television Academy unveiled nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards on Tuesday, Apple TV+’s hits “Severance” and “The Studio” led the tallies for both drama and comedy series, respectively.
HBO Max, meanwhile, led the overall network tally at 142 — thanks to shows including “The Penguin” (the most in limited/anthology), “The White Lotus,” “The Last of Us” and “Hacks.” That’s up from the outlet’s previous best, 140 in 2022.
But “Severance,” which scored 27 noms, and “The Studio,” which landed 23 noms, were undeniable. In particular, “The Studio” has now earned the most comedy nominations in a single year, ever — tying Season 3 of “The Bear,” which earned 23 nods in 2024 (winning 11, which also was a record for most Primetime Emmys won by a comedy series in a single year).
HBO Max’s massive tally puts it back on top, a place where it has spent the majority of the last two decades. In more recent years, it has battled Netflix (which led in 2024) for the top spot. Netflix still holds the record for most noms ever for a network/platform (160 in 2020) and is tied for most wins (44 in 2021, which CBS did in 1974).
Among performers, making history Tuesday was “Matlock” star Kathy Bates, who at 77 is now the oldest woman nominated in the lead drama actress category.
In drama, last year’s winner, FX’s “Shogun,” wasn’t eligible this time out (but will be back in future years). That leaves “Severance” (which has previously won two Emmys, in 2022 for music composition and main title design); HBO Max’s “The Last of Us” (which landed eight Emmys in 2023, including for guest stars Nick Offerman and Storm Reid); HBO Max’s “The White Lotus,” which has won 15 Emmys over its lifespan (including limited series in 2022); Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” which landed its first Emmy in 2024 (for writing, via showrunner Will Smith); Netflix’s “The Diplomat” (which previously had just one nom, for star Keri Russell in 2023); Hulu freshman “Paradise” and the HBO Max newcomer “The Pitt.” Can “The Pitt” finally get an Emmy for star Noah Wyle, who earned five noms but no win during his “ER” stint.
On the comedy side, incumbent winner “Hacks” (HBO Max) is looking to repeat, having won last year for in 2024 for outstanding series, writing and lead actress Jean Smart. Looking to redeem itself is FX’s “The Bear,” which won outstanding comedy in 2023 and has won 21 Emmys total — last year, that included stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edibiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colon-Zayas, as well as creator Christopher Storer for directing.
ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” is looking to win more for broadcast; past victories include star Quinta Brunson as lead actress in 2023, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as supporting actress in 2022. Across the Disney hall, Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” has won seven Emmys all together, but is hoping to capitalize on the momentum after stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez all finally got nominated together in 2024.
Other contenders include Apple TV +’s “Shrinking,” which is looking for its first Emmy win, newcomer “The Studio,” starring Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn and perennial Emmy fave “What We Do in the Shadows,” ending its run with a total of 35 noms (but just one win).
In limited or anthology series, last year Netflix won with “Baby Reindeer,” and it’s hoping to lead the category again this year with another surprise hit from the U.K., “Adolescence.” It faces tough competition via HBO Max’s “The Penguin,” FX’s “Dying for Sex,” Netflix’s “Black Mirror” (a former TV movie victor) and Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
And in the reality competition field, Peacock’s “The Traitors” is looking to once again win, as it did in 2024, but it faces 10-time winner “The Amazing Race” (which last took the category in 2014), as well as five-time winner “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” 2010 winner “Top Chef” (Bravo) and CBS’ “Survivor” (which surprisingly has never won since the reality competition Emmy began on 2003).
In the forever shrinking talk series competition, there was room for just three nominees this year: “The Daily Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” That pushed out last year’s fourth nominee, “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
As far as rule changes, the Television Academy kept major shifts to a minimum this year. The most significant adjustment came in the guest acting categories, where the org decided that performers who had previously been nominated or won in a lead or supporting category could no longer shift to one of the guest fields in the same role in future years.
That change has been dubbed the “Queen Elizabeth rule” by some pundits (including Variety) because of “The Crown” star Claire Foy. Foy won the lead drama actress Emmy in 2018 for starring as Queen Elizabeth on the show’s first two seasons. After she left, Foy guest starred as the younger Elizabeth in flashbacks, earning her a guest Emmy win in 2021 and a nom in 2024. That can no longer happen under the revived eligibility rules.
Also new this year: A shift in the directing races, where “an eligible individual or the identical team may now enter multiple achievements per category if the achievements are for different programs.” Per the Academy, directors could previously only submit only one entry per category.
Stars Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Brenda Song (“Running Point”) helped TV Academy chair Cris Abrego announce this year’s major Emmy nominations on Tuesday morning from the Academy’s Wolf Theatre. (Much to nearly everyone’s chagrin, CBS was given permission to break the news of two categories at 4:47 a.m. PT in order to hit the East Coast feed of “CBS Mornings.”)
In 2025, the Television Academy received 228 total submissions across drama, comedy, and limited or anthology series. Across the 15 program categories, there are exactly 600 total series in contention. This year’s nominations-round voting took place between June 12 and June 23.
The 77th Emmy Awards will be hosted by Nate Bargatze and broadcast live Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, as well as stream live and on demand via select packages on Paramount+.
See the full list of IA nominees below.
Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or More)
Pachinko • Chapter Thirteen • Apple TV+ • Media Res / Blue Marble Pictures in association with Apple
Ruth Ammon, Production Designer
Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
Hacks • A Slippery Slope • HBO | Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Rob Tokarz, Production Designer
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Series
Hacks • Heaven • HBO | Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Kathleen Felix-Hager, Costume Designer
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
The Penguin • A Great Or Little Thing • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Acid and Tender Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Dylan Clark Productions, Chapel Place Productions, Zobot Projects, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television Helen Huang, Costume Designer
Outstanding Picture Editing For A Drama Series
The Last Of Us • Through The Valley • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Timothy A. Good, ACE, Editor
The White Lotus • Amor Fati • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures
John M. Valerio, ACE, Editor
Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program
Pee-wee As Himself • HBO | Max • HBO Documentary Films presents an Elara & First Love Films production
Damian Rodriguez, Editor
Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode
The Penguin • Bliss • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Acid and Tender Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Dylan Clark Productions, Chapel Place Productions, Zobot Projects, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television
Michelle Rose, Overall VFX Producer
Outstanding Stunt Coordination For Drama Programming
Lioness • Paramount+ • 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions, Cinestar Pictures, Blossom Films, MTV Entertainment Studios
Wade Allen, Stunt Coordinator
