Welcome to the year of “Ted Lasso.”
After “Schitt’s Creek” swept the comedy awards at the 2020 Emmys, the Canadian show’s ending paved the way for an almost brand new category, with 75% of the outstanding comedy nominations going to first-time nominees: “Cobra Kai,” “Emily in Paris,” “Hacks,” “Pen15,” “Ted Lasso” and “The Flight Attendant.”
But it was “Ted Lasso,” the Apple TV+ comedy starring Jason Sudeikis as an American college football coach hired to lead British soccer club AFC Richmond, that dominated the comedy nominations Tuesday, racking up 20 nods, including outstanding comedy, lead actor in a comedy and six supporting actor and actress nominations for Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed and Jeremy Swift.
On the drama side, “The Crown” and “The Mandalorian” tied for the most nominations with 24 each, followed by “The Handmaid’s Tale” with 21. “Bridgerton,” “Lovecraft Country” and “The Boys” were newcomers to the category, which was rounded out by “Pose” and “This Is Us.”
“This nomination only exists because of Josh [O’Connor] and all my family on ‘The Crown,’” star Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana, said in a statement. “Every part of my involvement in telling this story has felt like a dream I don’t want to wake up from — I’m so happy and so honored by the recognition.”
Mj Rodriguez made history as the first trans actor nominated for an Emmy in a leading role for her turn as Blanca Evangelista in FX’s “Pose,” while Courteney Cox finally earned her first nomination for “Friends” after famously being the only star snubbed during the sitcom’s original run.
The limited series category proved to be one of the most competitive, with “I May Destroy You,” “Mare of Easttown,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Underground Railroad” and “WandaVision” all earning nominations.
“WandaVision,” in fact, earned a whopping 23 nominations, behind just “The Crown” and “The Mandalorian.” Among its recognitions were for outstanding limited series, lead actor in a limited series or movie for Paul Bettany, lead actress in a limited series or movie for Elizabeth Olsen and supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for Kathryn Hahn.
Combined with the five nominations for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Marvel racked up 23 nods in total, while Amazon’s “The Boys,” a dark take on antihero superheroes, was recognized in five categories, including best drama.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and related production delays, a number of perennial favorites like “Ozark” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” are ineligible this year. In the comedy series, only 68 shows were up for nominations, down from 111 the year before, with drama series falling from 197 to 133.
The 2021 Emmys will air on Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The awards will return as a live, in-person show at the Microsoft Theatre with a limited audience of nominees and their guests.
