The 11 Biggest Snubs and Surprises from the 2020 Emmy Nominations
Let’s face it, it feels deeply weird and borderline deranged to be discussing an awards show right now, amidst an ongoing global pandemic that’s reshaping the world as we know it. But that’s all the more reason to enjoy a little escapism and enjoy the glimpses of normalcy as they come, which is why today’s Emmy nominations came as such a relief.
We still don’t know exactly what the 2020 Emmy Awards are going to look like – the Television Academy hasn’t provided much information as yet. But given that the awards are due to take place on September 20, it’s probably a safe bet that they’ll be held remotely in compliance with ongoing social distancing measures in the US. But rather than get too preoccupied with how the first-ever Zoom Emmys is going to work, let’s talk about the biggest snubs, surprises and triumphs from the 2020 nominations.
Although this year’s nominations represent a huge step forward in terms of diversity, the absence of Latinx women from the acting categories in particular is stark. And there were no lack of strong contenders; some of the most notable Latinx performers omitted from the 2020 nominations include Pose star Mj Rodriguez, One Day At A Time’s Rita Moreno, Euphoria’s Alexa Demie and Barbie Ferreira, and Superstore’s America Fererra. The only Latinx woman nominated for an on-screen performance is The Handmaid’s Tale’s Alexis Bledel, whose grandfather is Argentinian, in the Outstanding Guest Actress category where she won back in 2017.
The most infuriating snub of all this year was Rhea Seehorn, who is somehow still yet to be recognized for the extraordinary, nuanced work she’s doing as the increasingly compromised Kim Wexler—the fifth season of Better Call Saul leaned more heavily on her performance than ever before, and with good reason. Bob Odenkirk has been nominated several times before for his lead performance as Jimmy McGill-turned-Saul Goodman but was overlooked this year despite delivering some of his most emotionally intense work yet.
FX’s ballroom drama didn’t repeat its Best Drama Series nomination from last year, although its breakout star Billy Porter was nominated a second time in the Lead Actor category. Perhaps even more disappointing than the show’s absence from the Drama running is the fact that none of its other cast members, most of whom are trans or non-binary—including Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, and Angelica Ross—were recognized for their performances. Ross's snub especially stung after her character Candy anchored a particularly devastating episode of Season 2.
Despite premiering almost a year ago, Netflix’s remarkable miniseries Unbelievable made enough of a mark to be recognized in the Outstanding Limited Series category. The show, which tells the true story of a young woman who was accused of lying when she reported her rape to the police, was anchored by a trio of powerhouse performances. Kaitlyn Dever played the victim, Marie Adler, while Toni Collette and Merritt Wever took the roles of the cops who ultimately bring her rapist to justice. Collette’s nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category is welcome news, for sure, but we can’t help but be disappointed to see her costars shut out of the acting categories.
On the flip side, the cast of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show made an unexpectedly strong showing in the acting categories for best drama series. Jennifer Aniston earned her first-ever dramatic Emmy nomination, while Steve Carell, Billy Crudup, and Mark Duplass were all also nominated in their respective dramatic categories. Carell was compelling to watch as a Matt Lauer–esque disgraced anchor, while Crudup’s and Duplass’s supporting turns were … just fine. It’s hard to argue that any of these performances is among the year’s most memorable.
Hulu’s buzzy, sexy adaptation of the emotionally intense Sally Rooney novel was left out of the major category, although Paul Mescal (a.k.a. Connell) was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. The show also picked up writing and directing nominations. So although Normal People was far from totally snubbed, its absence from the main series category is still a surprise.
Season 2 of Showtime’s gloriously irreverent comedy, which satirizes Wall Street in the late 1980s, spotlighted Regina Hall’s ambitious and sharp-tongued Dawn Towner. The TV Academy is clearly aware of the show—Hall’s costar Don Cheadle was nominated for the second year running—but still, she didn’t get a nomination.
Apple TV+ was always going to see recognition for its star-studded Morning Show, but Disney+ was a new streaming service that seemed less likely to get awards attention in its first year. So when Star Wars prequel The Mandalorian snagged a prestigious nod in the Outstanding Drama Series category, well, we were surprised. Despite being well reviewed and widely beloved, the show wasn’t seen as a front-runner—much like the Oscars, the Emmys don’t tend to nominate fantasy and sci-fi franchises. Kudos to Baby Yoda nonetheless.
Okay, so technically this is neither a snub nor a surprise, so much as delightful news that must be celebrated! Succession, HBO’s impeccable drama about the dysfunctional family behind a fictional media empire, picked up a handful of awards for Season 1 but drew a lot more buzz in its sophomore run last year. With the 2020 awards, the show might be set for a sweep. Having racked up nominations in every category it was eligible for, it earned a slew of acting nods for almost its entire cast.
Appropriately, given their on-screen father-son power struggle, Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong are facing off in the Outstanding Lead Actor category, while the Outstanding Supporting Actor category features a trio of Succession fellas: Kieran Culkin, Matthew Macfadyen, and Nicholas Braun. Sarah Snook, on the other hand, secured a nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category.
The only dampener on Succession’s sweep is that J. Smith-Cameron’s understated performance as the shrewd, long-suffering Gerri Kellman was overlooked. Admittedly, her category was unusually competitive this year (assuming she was in the running for Outstanding Supporting Actress, rather than Guest), with a total of eight nominees including her costar Sarah Snook. We’ll just go ahead and assume that the Succession sweep will continue for several years to come, meaning that Smith-Cameron—and Gerri—will have plenty more opportunities to get their due.
Critics grew lukewarm over the third season of Hulu’s dystopian drama. Nevertheless, the show was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series for the third time. Some of its supporting players—including Bradley Whitford and Samira Wiley—also earned nods. But star and executive producer Elisabeth Moss, whose consistently astonishing performance has drawn acclaim even when the rest of the show faltered, was squeezed out of a tight dramatic leading actress race.
See the full list of 2020 Emmy nominees here.
The 11 Biggest Snubs and Surprises from the 2020 Emmy Nominations
Let’s face it, it feels deeply weird and borderline deranged to be discussing an awards show right now, amidst an ongoing global pandemic that’s reshaping the world as we know it. But that’s all the more reason to enjoy a little escapism and enjoy the glimpses of normalcy as they come, which is why today’s Emmy nominations came as such a relief.
We still don’t know exactly what the 2020 Emmy Awards are going to look like – the Television Academy hasn’t provided much information as yet. But given that the awards are due to take place on September 20, it’s probably a safe bet that they’ll be held remotely in compliance with ongoing social distancing measures in the US. But rather than get too preoccupied with how the first-ever Zoom Emmys is going to work, let’s talk about the biggest snubs, surprises and triumphs from the 2020 nominations.
Latinx actresses, stars of Unbelievable, and favorites from Better Call Saul were shut out.
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