Whenever the major awards shows announce their nominees, inevitably there are those actors and craftspeople who don’t get recognized, who perhaps should have.
There are also those nominees who end up being head-scratchers, because one of the snubbed individuals was left off the list in favor of them.
In a sense, it has become a sport, trying to predict who and what will be recognized, and when the lists are released, wondering why and how some individuals got the nod and others didn’t.
The Emmys are no different.
While we try not to throw shade by asking why or how someone might have been nominated, we’re also big on avoiding hypocrisy. If we’re talking about someone who maybe should have been nominated, we will offer a sacrifice — namely, whose nomination that person should have taken. No offense to any of the nominees, but that’s how it goes. We’ll start with the snubs, working our way down to the surpsises.
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Emmy Snubs
It’s pretty stunning that neither Diego Luna nor any of his costars earned a single nomination for what was a spectacular second and final season of Andor.
Luna is one of those actors who has consistently delivered excellent work throughout their entire career, transitioning from a hot young thing to a revered veteran. It’s a crime that the TV Academy chose to ignore him for both seasons of what might end up being his signature work.
His consistent excellence highlights the surprising choice to heavily reward other performances, such as The Last of Us, where the actor only appeared in two episodes, perhaps receiving more nominations than its limited screen time might warrant.
Take Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kate Hudson and the entire team from Running Point. The academy ignored all, but unlike with Luna, I’m not sure there’s anyone here who deserved it more than those whose names were called.
Then there’s The Studio’s Chase Sui Wonders, who was the only one of the leading actors from that show not nominated. Her work throughout the Apple TV+ show’s first season was outstanding — we wrote about it in May — so it came as something of a surprise that she didn’t get a nomination when everyone else did (including six, count ‘em six, nominees for Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series).
Whose spot would we give her? Tough one, but if we had to choose between Wonders’ standout breakout performance and even a consistently excellent turn by Catherine O’Hara (in the same show, naturally), we’d lean towards recognizing the fresh talent.
Similarly, as delightful as it was to see Jeff Hiller recognized for his emotional and hilarious work in Somebody, Somewhere, where’s the love for leading lady Bridget Everett? Whose spot would she take? That’s tough, but as great as Uzo Aduba was in The Residence (and she was amazing), the three seasons of remarkable work that Everett turned in should have earned at least one nod.
That said, we’re hardly upset that three-time winner Aduba is back in the running again. The Residence was a fun show that deserved a second season. Alas.
Emmy Surprises
Some fun surprises were Meghann Fahy getting a nod for Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for the wild Sirens (though Allison Jones not getting a Casting nod for that show was a bit of a stunner), as well as Sam Rockwell’s Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series nod for his impactful, albeit brief, appearance in the third season of White Lotus.
Tramell Tillman’s nod for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Severance brought a smile as well.
Harrison Ford finally getting a nod for his terrific work in Shrinking is also a wonderful sight.
Going back to Rockwell, while we’re fans of his and of every other member of the White Lotus team, it was pretty stunning that seven cast members were nominated, but somehow Leslie Bibb was not one of them.
No offense to Carrie Coon, but it seemed the perennial Emmy favorite received a nod where her costar might have been recognized instead. That said, it was nice to see Natasha Rothwell get recognition for her return to the show, after a scene-stealing turn in season 1 of the series.
As we mentioned earlier, regarding Allison Jones’ snub, we should note that we would not replace any of the other nominees. All five shows recognized in the Limited or Anthology Series category earned their spot, and we would never suggest otherwise. That said, Sirens’ casting was pretty excellent. Next year, Allison!
Final Takeaways
Award nominations always stir debate, and the Emmys are no exception. This year’s list sparked plenty of head-scratching snubs and a few surprising nods. While some beloved performances were overlooked, others earned recognition that brought genuine smiles.
- Diego Luna and his co-stars from Andor received no nominations despite stellar performances, overshadowed in part by The Last of Us’ limited but lauded appearances.
- Chase Sui Wonders was the lone lead from The Studio not nominated, with the author favoring her breakout role over Catherine O’Hara’s steady presence.
- Bridget Everett’s powerful work in Somebody, Somewhere was overlooked, even as Uzo Aduba earned another nod for The Residence.
- Surprising nods included Meghann Fahy for Sirens, Sam Rockwell for a cameo in White Lotus, and Harrison Ford for Shrinking.
- The casting snub of Allison Jones for Sirens stood out, despite the strong slate of nominees in the Limited or Anthology Series category.
The Emmys continue to be a mix of predictable favorites and unexpected choices, with some glaring omissions reminding us that awards are as much about timing and politics as pure talent. Here’s hoping next year’s list smooths out some of these surprises and gives credit where it’s long overdue.
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