Highlights from the Emmy Awards: Notable Wins, Nominees, and Changes

The Emmy Awards celebrated television’s most prominent figures, with a night full of achievements, surprises, and significant changes.

Network Dominance

HBO led the nominations with an impressive tally of 122. Their medical drama, “The Pitt,” topped the list of nominees with 25. Additionally, the final season of HBO’s comedy “Hacks” broke records with 24 nominations in the comedy category.

Apple TV’s Breakthrough

Apple TV secured its highest number of nominations to date. The success was largely due to new series like Vince Gilligan’s “Pluribus” and Katie Dippold’s “Widow’s Bay,” which received 18 and 19 nominations, respectively.

Hostess Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay, known for her role in “Law & Order: SVU,” hosted the Emmys, marking the first time in 15 years that a woman led the ceremony. She expressed her honor at taking on this role during an interview on the “TODAY” show.

Stephen Colbert’s Farewell

Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” concluded its run with nine Emmy nominations, the most in Colbert’s tenure on the program. Despite controversy surrounding the show’s cancellation, it garnered a range of nods, including for outstanding variety series, beating a ten-year winning streak held by “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”

Notable Omissions

This Emmy season saw some notable snubs. Netflix’s “Stranger Things” finale was snubbed in the best drama series category. Other series overlooked include Paramount’s neo-Westerns and HBO’s drama “Industry.” In reality TV, “The Amazing Race” missed a nomination, despite frequent past recognition.

Ariana Madix’s First Emmy Nod

Ariana Madix celebrated her first Emmy nomination for hosting Peacock’s “Love Island USA.” The Bravo star shared her excitement about the nomination when she saw the news on billboards.

Emotional Wins and Tributes

The night paid homage to Rob Reiner, awarding him a posthumous Emmy for his guest acting role in “The Bear,” almost fifty years after his first nomination for “All in the Family.” Wendi McLendon-Covey accepted his award, receiving a standing ovation.

Noah Wyle’s Potential for Emmy History

Noah Wyle, star and producer of “The Pitt,” has a chance to make history by winning in both acting and directing categories for a drama series. Past actors like Telly Savalas and Jason Bateman received similar dual nominations but did not achieve the double win.

TV Academy Hall of Fame Inductees

The Television Academy inducted a new group of icons into its Hall of Fame. Among the inductees were “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, legendary news broadcaster Ed Bradley, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Recognition of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift experienced a mixed year with an Emmy nod for her concert special “The Eras Tour — The Final Show.” Though she missed out on Emmy wins, she made history as the youngest female inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and married in a high-profile ceremony at Madison Square Garden.

Stars with Multiple Nominations

Many stars received multiple nominations, with Jason Bateman leading the charge with four. Other significant nominees included Colman Domingo, Laurie Metcalf, Nick Offerman, and Matthew Rhys, recognized across various categories.

Regulatory Issues and Eligibility

While HBO Max aired the Canadian series “Heated Rivalry,” it was not eligible for Emmys as it is a foreign production. Nevertheless, actor Connor Storrie earned a first nod for his “Saturday Night Live” hosting stint.

Controversial Changes in Emmy Categories

The Emmy ceremony faced backlash for moving certain award categories out of the primary broadcast. Despite objections from major unions, the Television Academy shifted these categories to the Creative Arts event to accommodate more recognition within the televised ceremony duration.

NBC’s Historic Year

The Emmys aired on NBC, commemorating the channel’s 100-year milestone. Highlights from NBC’s history include broadcasting landmark events and series like “Seinfeld” and “Saturday Night Live,” which holds the record for the most Emmy wins.