Apple TV+’s dystopian workplace drama Severance has emerged as the front-runner for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading this year’s nominations with a commanding 27 nods. The nominations, announced Tuesday by the Television Academy, officially kick off the race to the September 14 gala in Los Angeles.
Closely trailing Severance is HBO Max’s gritty The Penguin, a Batman spinoff centered on the notorious Gotham villain, with 24 nominations. Tied in third place with 23 nods each are two satirical hits, HBO Max’s The White Lotus, known for its skewering of the ultra-wealthy, and Apple TV+’s new behind-the-scenes Hollywood farce The Studio.
Severance, praised for its eerie portrayal of office life where employees’ memories are surgically split between work and personal selves, is a strong contender in the drama category. Its lead, Adam Scott, is nominated for Best Actor, facing stiff competition from The Pitt’s Noah Wyle, Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), and Sterling K. Brown (Paradise). Britt Lower also earned a Best Actress nomination, alongside Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us) and Keri Russell (The Diplomat).
Joining Severance in the Best Drama race are Disney+’s Andor, Netflix’s The Diplomat, HBO’s The Last of Us, Hulu’s Paradise, Apple’s Slow Horses, and The White Lotus.
In the limited series category, The Penguin will battle FX’s Dying for Sex, Netflix’s Black Mirror, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and teen drama Adolescence. Rising star Owen Cooper scored a supporting actor nod for his role in Adolescence, while Monsters earned multiple acting nominations for Cooper Koch, Javier Bardem, and Chloe Sevigny.
On the comedy front, The Studio stole the spotlight as the new favorite, with nominations for creator-star Seth Rogen and a star-studded ensemble including Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O’Hara. Returning favorites Hacks (14 nods) and The Bear (13 nods) also performed strongly, with Bear star Jeremy Allen White chasing his third Best Actor win.
Other Best Comedy contenders include ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Apple’s Shrinking, and FX’s What We Do in the Shadows.
The Emmy nominations were unveiled by actors Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song in a livestreamed ceremony. Final-round voting begins mid-August, with the awards night, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, set for September 14.
Written By Rodney Mbua
