The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Emmy nominations 2021: ‘The Crown,’ ‘The Mandalorian,’ ‘WandaVision’ lead with most nods

July 13, 2021 at 1:12 p.m. EDT
Popular TV hits from streaming services dominated the 2021 Emmy Award nominations on July 13. (Video: Allie Caren/The Washington Post)
9 min

It was a rough morning for network television, as streaming services dominated the new slate of Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday. Netflix’s “The Crown” and Disney Plus’s “The Mandalorian” led the pack with 24 nominations each, and expected nominees “WandaVision” (Disney Plus), “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) and “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus) trailed close behind.

Despite the overall predictability of the 2021 nominations, those who give the list a quick glance might still be able to sense the pandemic’s impact on television. From Television Academy darling “Ozark” to fan favorite “Succession,” many of the other shows we expect come award season were forced to delay production for safety reasons and were therefore ineligible for nominations this time around.

Depending on how you look at it, that could mean the field was less crowded — or that the kinds of shows overlooked in other years stood more of a chance. The academy still favors star vehicles like Kate Winslet’s “Mare of Easttown,” which landed nods in both the limited series and lead actress categories, as well as Olivia Colman’s “The Crown” (which also earned nominations for newcomer Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana, and co-star Josh O’Connor, the on-screen Prince Charles). Hugh Grant was the only actor from “The Undoing” to be nominated, perhaps a surprise given the academy’s affinity for Nicole Kidman in so-called prestige series.

The Emmys made up for a few Golden Globes snubs by recognizing the limited series “I May Destroy You” and creator-star Michaela Coel, but repeated a Globes shocker by also nominating the oft-maligned “Emily in Paris” for outstanding comedy. Those unsettled by the nod can comfort themselves with the love shown to gems like “PEN15” and “The Boys.”

Read on for a list of the 2021 nominees, accompanied by analysis. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 19 on CBS, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.

The Emmy nominations actually reflect some of this year’s best TV (with a few ‘Emily in Paris’-type exceptions)

Nominations for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards

Outstanding comedy series

“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

The Flight Attendant” (HBO)

“Hacks” (HBO)

“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)

“PEN15” (Hulu)

“Cobra Kai” (Netflix)

“Emily in Paris” (Netflix)

“Black-ish” (ABC)

Immediate reaction: Wow. We did not anticipate that the academy would nominate “Emily in Paris” even though the widely mocked Netflix comedy was up for a Golden Globe earlier this year. The other contenders were more in line with our expectations given predictions, but it’s interesting that the only broadcast show given a nod was “Black-ish,” with no love for “Kenan” or the recently canceled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Other musical comedy fans are probably also wondering why Peacock’s “Girls5eva” didn’t make the list.

The 10 best TV shows from the first half of 2021

Outstanding drama series

“The Crown” (Netflix)

“The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Bridgerton” (Netflix)

Pose” (FX)

“This Is Us” (NBC)

“Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

“The Boys” (Amazon Prime)

Immediate reaction: The academy joins Hollywood producers in embracing projects based on (or spinning off) existing intellectual property, though “The Boys” has impressed critics since its 2019 premiere with how it subverted some of the superhero genre’s tropes. The category also honors a few shows that have ended their runs, such as “Pose,” FX’s stirring and groundbreaking drama, and HBO’s recently canceled horror-drama “Lovecraft Country.” Rounding out the list is the Shonda Rhimes-produced “Bridgerton,” and the academy’s (everyone’s?) favorite network drama, “This Is Us.” Our money is on “The Crown,” which had a fantastic and intriguing fourth season.

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

Billy Porter, “Pose” (FX)

Josh O'Connor, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason” (HBO)

Jonathan Majors, “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” (NBC)

Regé-Jean Page, “Bridgerton” (Netflix)

Immediate reaction: There are no big surprises here, but it will still be an exciting race. Billy Porter, who won an Emmy in 2019 for his role as emcee Pray Tell on FX’s “Pose,” is probably the one to beat since the show just took its final bow. But he does have competition in “The Crown’s” Josh O’Connor, who won a Golden Globe for his turn as the Prince of Wales, and Sterling K. Brown, a category favorite, whose character had a pivotal arc on “This Is Us.”

From 'Gossip Girl' to 'Bridgerton,' here are 12 female-forward TV shows to watch

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

Olivia Colman, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Emma Corrin, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid's Tale” (Hulu)

Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment” (HBO)

Mj Rodriguez, “Pose” (FX)

Jurnee Smollett, “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Immediate reaction: Both Colman and Corrin were praised for their performances on “The Crown” last season, though it’s rare to see two actresses from the same series land in the lead drama category. Meanwhile, HBO might be rethinking its decision to cancel “Lovecraft Country,” a clear favorite of the academy’s. But perhaps the most significant nomination is the historic one for “Pose’s” Mj Rodriguez, who is the first transgender woman to land in the lead acting category. Following discourse about the flawed representation in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” (and not to mention years of criticism against the academy for overlooking standout performances by Latinos), it’s particularly notable that Rodriguez is Afro-Latina.

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)

Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish” (ABC)

Kenan Thompson, “Kenan” (NBC)

William H. Macy, “Shameless” (Showtime)

Immediate reaction: Jason Sudeikis seems to be the favorite here, given all the awards “Ted Lasso” has racked up since its premiere. That said, Anthony Anderson had been nominated for “Black-ish” seven times before — could this finally be his year? — while Michael Douglas and William H. Macy both landed nods for the final seasons of their respective shows, the sort of departure the academy likes to honor. SNL veteran Kenan Thompson was also nominated for his work on the sketch series, a category in which he seems to have better odds.

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO)

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant” (HBO)

Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” (ABC)

Allison Janney, “Mom” (CBS)

Aidy Bryant, “Shrill” (Hulu)

Immediate reaction: While we would have loved to see the academy pull a wild card and honor Robin Thede for her hilarious work on “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” this is a solid list. We would have bet money on Smart’s nod for “Hacks,” a long overdue starring role for the 69-year-old actress, who is also nominated in the supporting drama actress category for her work on “Mare of Easttown.” Ross and Janney are favorites in this category, but this year marks the first-ever Emmy nom for Cuoco despite the many seasons she spent on “The Big Bang Theory.” And Bryant — also nominated for supporting actress in a comedy series for the third time — marked her first non-SNL nomination for her Hulu comedy, which wrapped a three-season run in May.

Outstanding limited series

“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)

“Mare of Easttown” (HBO)

“I May Destroy You” (HBO)

“WandaVision” (Disney Plus)

“The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime)

Immediate reaction: “WandaVision” and “The Queen’s Gambit” seem to be the front-runners given how they dominated conversations throughout quarantine, though “Mare of Easttown” certainly caught the public’s attention as it raced toward its twisty finale. “I May Destroy You” and “The Underground Railroad” were favorites among critics, though the latter didn’t dominate broader cultural conversation as much as one might have expected from reading those reviews.

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a movie

Hugh Grant, “The Undoing” (HBO)

Paul Bettany, “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)

Ewan McGregor, “Halston” (Netflix)

Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Leslie Odom Jr., “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Immediate reaction: Jasmine Cephas Jones — who announced the nominees alongside her actor father, Ron Cephas Jones — had the pleasure of reading out the names of not one, but two of her “Hamilton” co-stars. Leslie Odom Jr. has already won a Tony for the role, which might make him the category’s front-runner. But people really do love “WandaVision,” giving Paul Bettany a fair shot.

Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or a movie

Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)

Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)

Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You” (HBO)

Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)

Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic)

Immediate reaction: It was a huge year for women-led limited series, given how much buzz most of these titles received — with the exception of “Genius: Aretha,” which flew under the radar compared with those starring Cynthia Erivo’s competitors. It’s a tight race among the others, whose intense explorations of grief, trauma and mental illness left quite a mark on viewers. The academy loves an A-lister, though, and Kate Winslet is just that.

Outstanding variety talk series

“Last Night Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO)

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS)

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

“Conan” (TBS)

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)

Immediate reaction: For the first time since 2011, Conan O’Brien received his first major category nod — which comes just a few weeks after his adored TBS late-night show took its final bow — so that’s something to celebrate. But will the academy ever recognize poor Seth Meyers for his sharp and hilarious late-night commentary? For the eighth time since his show premiered in 2014, the answer is no. (They might want to take a closer look.) Also snubbed: Showtime’s “Desus and Mero,” which has brought a fresh and edgy energy to late night, and more than rose to the challenge of producing their show in quarantine.

End of a late-night era: 28 years of memorable Conan moments

Outstanding reality-competition program

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)

The Voice” (NBC)

“Nailed It!” (Netflix)

“Top Chef” (Bravo)

“The Amazing Race” (CBS)

Outstanding TV movie

“Sylvie's Love” (Amazon Prime)

“Uncle Frank” (Amazon Prime)

“Robin Roberts Presents: “Mahalia” (Lifetime)

“Oslo” (HBO)

“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (Netflix)

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

Aunjanue Ellis, “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Emerald Fennell, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Madeline Brewer, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Yvonne Strahovsky, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series

Michael Kenneth Williams, “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Tobias Menzies, “The Crown” (Netflix)

John Lithgow, “Perry Mason” (HBO)

Giancarlo Esposito, “The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)

Chris Sullivan, “This Is Us” (NBC)

Bradley Whitford, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

O-T Fagbenle, “The Handmaid's Tale” (Hulu)

Max Minghella, “The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

Rosie Perez, “The Flight Attendant” (HBO)

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO)

Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Cecily Strong, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Aidy Bryant, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, “Hacks” (HBO)

Paul Reiser, “The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)

Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Jeremy Swift, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series

Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)

Yvette Nicole Brown, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)

Bernadette Peters, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (NBC)

Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series

Morgan Freeman, “The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)

Alec Baldwin, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Dave Chappelle, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Daniel Levy, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Daniel Kaluuya, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding guest actor in a drama series

Charles Dance, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Courtney B. Vance, “Lovecraft Country” (HBO)

Don Cheadle, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (Disney Plus)

Timothy Olyphant, “The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)

Carl Weathers, “The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)

Outstanding guest actress in a drama series

Phylicia Rashad, “This Is Us” (NBC)

Claire Foy, “The Crown” (Netflix)

Sophie Okonedo, “Ratched” (Netflix)

Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Mckenna Grace, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or a movie

Kathryn Hahn, “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)

Moses Ingram, “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)

Jean Smart, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)

Julianne Nicholson, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)

Renée Elise Goldsberry, “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Phillipa Soo, “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or a movie

Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)

Paapa Essiedu, “I May Destroy You” (HBO)

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)

Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Anthony Ramos, “Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

Outstanding host for a reality or competition program

RuPaul Charles, “RuPaul's Drag Race” (VH1)

Nicole Byer, “Nailed It!” (Netflix)

Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France and Antoni Porowski, “Queer Eye” (Netflix)

Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, “Top Chef” (Bravo)

Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’ Leary, “Shark Tank” (ABC)

Outstanding variety sketch series

“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

“A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)

Outstanding variety special (live)

“Celebrating America — An Inauguration Night Special” (Multiple platforms)

“The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards” (CBS)

“The Oscars” (ABC)

“The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring the Weeknd” (CBS)

“Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020” (Showtime)

Outstanding variety special (prerecorded)

“Bo Burnham: Inside” (Netflix)

“David Byrne’s American Utopia” (HBO)

“8:46 — Dave Chappelle” (Netflix)

“Friends: The Reunion” (HBO Max)

“Hamilton” (Disney Plus)

“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” (HBO Max)

Find the complete list of nominations, including those that will be awarded during the Creative Arts Emmys, here.