Snubs, surprises and changing of the guard in the 2025 Emmy nominations

Every year the Emmy nominations kick off a round of surprises and snubs, as well as a reminder of all the excellent TV you need to catch up on.

While it’s an American-centric awards, it does reveal something about the state of TV at the moment. Here are the interesting points out of this year’s list.

HBO VS NETFLIX VS APPLE

What a difference a few years makes. Apple has only been in the TV game for six years but the tech company is already third on the Emmys rank. It netted 81 nominations this year to HBO/HBO Max’s 142 and Netflix’s 120.

HBO has been the byword for prestige TV since The Sopranos/Sex and the City era more 25 years ago, a reputation it has only cemented at the Emmys since with the dominance of Game of Thrones, Succession and Veep. This year, its most nominated shows include The White Lotus with 23, The Last of Us with 16 and The Pitt with 13.

Apple’s ascent is more remarkable, especially as it’s not among the top three streamers by subscriptions, but it certainly has a good track record, especially lately. It got to its tally through 14 different shows but with two accounting for more than half its nominations – Severance with 27 and The Studio with 23.

Those two shows are the most and third most (tied) nominated series across the Emmys this year, which speaks to not just the quality, but also its talkability. For shows that sit on a streaming service that isn’t as ubiquitous as Netflix or Disney, it’s amazing how much they’ve captured the cultural conversation.

There was also Shrinking, which grabbed seven nods, and Slow Horses with five and the messy but compulsive Presumed Innocent with four. Even though those hauls were lower, what’s significant is that they were in visible categories such as the series and acting ones, for the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Segel and Gary Oldman.

The contrast between Apple and Netflix is particularly telling. If Apple is building its streaming brand on curation and discernment, Netflix’s Emmys nominations tally reflects its emphasis on quantity over quality.

The streamer’s 120 nominations come from 44 different titles across a range of different genres including not just scripted but also reality and documentary. It may be a point of pride with Netflix, at least publicly, but the company throws a lot more spaghetti at the wall than everyone else, somethings are going to stick.

If there’s one Netflix series that rose above the field, it’s Adolescence, its British social drama that won plaudits for its performances, filmmaking and thematic urgency, but also punctuated the culture like nothing else this year.

Expect it to clean up in the limited series races where it’s a lock for directing, and where five of its actors, including Owen Cooper, the youngest ever nominee in his category, are nominated. That’s bad news for The Penguin, which looked really strong to take series and actor for Colin Farrell until Adolescence came along.

WHERE’S RENEE?

Because of the financing behind Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (digital download), the film was not a cinema release in the US but a straight-to-streaming movie which makes it Emmy eligible.

Mad About the Boy was nominated in the TV movie category but Renee Zellweger missed out on an acting nod, which seems like a huge oversight because she is so damn good in that film.

It’s not easy to drop in again on a character you’ve been playing for more than two decades and find them at a different time in their lives, one in which Bridget is still processing her grief and what her life looks like without Mark.

Zellweger so beautifully portrayed those beats while always maintaining Bridget’s innate optimism and warmth. It’s a stellar performance.

Not for nothing, the TV movie and limited/anthology acting nominations are in the same category and every slot went to a series lead. While the likes of Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex, Disney+), Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer, Apple TV+), Cristin Milioti (The Penguin, HBO Max) and Rashida Jones (Black Mirror, Netflix) were undeniable, Meghann Fahy’s nod for Sirens (Netflix) easily could’ve not been.

Fahy is a wonderful performer but Sirens was a silly and inconsequential show, and Fahy has done much better projects.

FIRST TIMERS

There are always feel-good stories on Emmys nominations morning and often they centre around first-time nominees.

One pair this year is Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, who have both been recognised for their rom-com Nobody Wants This (Netflix).

Bell and Brody have been in movies, sure, but they are bona fide TV stars. They’ve been on our screens for two decades and are some of the most recognisable faces on the small screen. It’s kind of wild they’ve never before been nominated.

Perhaps it’s because both their break-out roles were on teen shows, and was therefore never taken seriously even though Bell was absolutely brilliant as the spiky, smart and vulnerable Veronica Mars (she’s a marshmallow!), and went on to anchor The Good Place.

Nobody Wants This is a super-likeable show and they’re both great in it, so it’s wonderful to see them here, even if neither are frontrunners against the likes of Jean Smart or Jeremy Allen White, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

Other first-time nominees this includes Oscar luminaries who have never before had Emmys recognition, including Harrison Ford, who is so good in Shrinking (Apple TV+), and Javier Bardem, who is so good in everything, even in the icky Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix). Bardem’s co-star, Chloe Sevigny, a previous Oscar nominee, also nabbed her first Emmy nod.

Other first-time nominees include the Adolescence gang – how has Stephen Graham never before gotten a nod, this year he has two, one for acting and another for writing – The White Lotus’s (HBO Max) Aimee Lou Wood, Jason Isaacs and Scott Glenn, Zoe Kravitz, Ike Barinholtz, Colin Farrell, Shrinking (Apple TV+) scene-stealer Michael Urie, Severance’s (Apple TV+) Britt Lower, Zach Cherry and fan favourite Tramell Tillman.

But the most fun first-time nominees, at least for acting, must go to directors Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese for playing exaggerated versions of themselves in The Studio (Apple TV+). They’ve both previously been recognised for producing and directing.

Scorsese, in particular, had a memorable turn in the show’s first episode as himself, selling and then losing a Jonestown Massacre project, culminating in the perfectly delivered line, “If there’s one thing I know, it’s furtive”.

THE PITT

The Pitt (HBO Max) has been one of the great TV surprises of 2025. Before the series’ debut, the medical drama was best known for reuniting ER alums Noah Wyle and writer, director and producer John Wells, and for being sued by the estate of Michael Crichton for being an unauthorised ER reboot.

But then it came out and it went off like fireworks. It wasn’t ER, it was very much its own thing and it was outstanding. The series was set in an emergency room, yes, but it was structured more like 24, each episode was one-hour in a 15-hour shift.

It’s a show that other than Wyle has a cast of mostly up-and-comers or journeyman actors, which is probably why among its 13 overall nominations, only two were for performances (Wyle and Katherine LaNasa), even though the likes of Taylor Dearden and Fiona Dourif could’ve and should’ve been recognised.

The series is all about character, and it’s a patient build in that each person reveals to you who they are through actions and over a number of episodes rather than is told to you through some exposition dump.

The Pitt is a strong contender on ceremony night, don’t be surprised if it bests some of its flashier rivals including The White Lotus and Severance.

ANDOR

At first glance, Andor (Disney+) is not short of nominations with its 14 nods including for drama series. But then you look a little closer and realise the rest are all for craft and technical categories, which admittedly included heavy hitters such as writing (Dan Gilroy for that pulsating episode featuring Mon Mothma’s genocide speech to the senate) and directing.

With the exception of Forest Whitaker in guest actor and Alan Tudyk for his voice-over performance of droid K-2SO, the onscreen ensemble was shut-out.

So, no nomination for Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor, the smuggler turned rebellion, no nomination for Stellan Skarsgard as the wily backroom operative Luthen Rael, no nomination for Genevieve Reilly, as the establishment politician reckoning with the morality of silence, and no nomination for Adria Arjona as Bix, the heart of the show.

Creator Tony Gilroy addressed the snubs today, saying he wish they had been recognised, but that “these aren’t great moment-to-moment (performances), these are epic, long-term character studies that they’ve done over 24 episodes. I think the ultimate victory is that these performances will be celebrated and discussed for years to come”.

Andor, especially its second season, was the most potent political drama of the past few years and the fact it managed to do that within the framework of Star Wars is incredible.

SHOULDA BEENS

There are only so many slots and too many excellent shows, so there will always be the ones that missed out, although some are, arguably, more deserving than ones who snuck in – albeit, this year is generally, a pretty strong field with few baffling choices.

But it would be remiss to not mention some of the shows that should’ve gotten some or more love.

Nathan Fielder’s mind-curling show The Rehearsal (HBO Max) missed out on a series nomination, but got nods for writing and directing – in the comedy category which is probably the most likely fit, but it’s so genre-defying, it fits everywhere and nowhere.

It feels like the TV Academy voters, all 25,000 of them, generally don’t know what to do with the mercurial Fielder and his even weirder work because last year, it completely shut out The Curse (Paramount+), even with Emma Stone in the lead.

Industry (HBO Max) is another great drama that got shut out. It’s set in London, following a group of ambitious young people in the high-intensity world of finance. The most reason really kicked it up a gear, and it has great performances from the likes of Marisa Abela, Myha’la and Ken Leung.

Other shows that were left off include crime drama Dark Winds (AMC+), which has a Native American perspective and lead, spy thriller The Agency (Paramount+) and Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max), a gentle dramedy that actually nabbed its first nominations this year for writing and supporting actor but should have been a much bigger presence across its three seasons.

One big surprise was that Squid Game (Netflix), which was previously nominated for the Emmy in drama series for its first season, and won in lead actor for Lee Jung-jae, was completely shut out for its second series.

While the reviews for its second instalment was mixed, there’s no denying the performances were still amazing and its technical wizardry such as production design, was properly impressive. Weird.

DRAMA SERIES

Andor

The Diplomat

The Last of Us

Paradise

The Pitt

Severance

Slow Horses

The White Lotus

COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Hacks

Nobody Wants This

Only Murders in the Building

Shrinking

The Studio

What We Do in the Shadows

LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES

Adolescence

Black Mirror

Dying for Sex

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

TV MOVIE

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

The Gorge

Mountainhead

Nonnas

Rebel Ridge

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Adam Scott, Severance

Noah Wyle, The Pitt

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters

Britt Lower, Severance

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Zach Cherry, Severance

Walton Goggins, The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus

James Marsden, Paradise

Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus

Tramell Tillman, Severance

John Turturro, Severance

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Patricia Arquette, Severance

Carrie Coon, The White Lotus

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise

Parker Posey, The White Lotus

Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus

Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Seth Rogen, The Studio

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Uzo Aduba, The Residence

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Jean Smart, Hacks

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ike Barinholtz, The Studio

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Liza Colon-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Kathryn Hahn, The Studio

Janelle Hames, Abbott Elementary

Catherine O’Hara, The Studio

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

Meghann Fahy, Sirens

Rashida Jones, Black Mirror

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent

Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex

Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Ashley Walters, Adolescence

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Erin Doherty, Adolescence

Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent

Deirdre O’Connell, The Penguin

Chloe Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex

Christine Tremarco, Adolescence

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys

Scott Glenn, The White Lotus

Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt

Joe Pantoliano, The Last of Us

Forest Whitaker, Andor

Jeffrey Wright, The Last of Us

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jane Alexander, Severance

Gwendoline Christie, Severance

Kaitlyn Dever, The Last of Us

Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale

Catherine O’Hara, The Last of Us

Merritt Wever, Severance

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jon Bernthal, The Bear

Bryan Cranston, The Studio

Dave Franco, The Studio

Ron Howard, The Studio

Anthony Mackie, The Studio

Martin Scorsese, The Studio

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Olivia Colman, The Bear

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear

Cynthia Erivo, Poker Face

Robby Hoffman, Hacks

Zoe Kravitz, The Studio

Julianne Nicholson, Hacks

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, Hacks

Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola, The Rehearsal

Hannah Hos, Paul Thureen, Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere

Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez, The Studio

Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms, What We Do in the Shadows

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Dan Gilroy, Andor

Joe Sachs, The Pitt

R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt

Dan Erickson, Severance

Will Smith, Slow Horses

Mike White, The White Lotus

WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali, Black Mirror

Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether, Dying for Sex

Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin

Joshua Zetumer, Say Nothing

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Lucia Aniello, Hacks

James Burrows, Mid-Century Modern

Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal

Seth Rogen, The Studio

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Janus Metz, Andor

Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt

John Wells, The Pitt

Jessica Lee Gagne, Severance

Ben Stiller, Severance

Adam Randall, Slow Horses

Mike White, The White Lotus

DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Philip Barantini, Adolescence

Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex

Helen Shaver, The Penguin

Jennifer Getzinger, The Penguin

Nicole Kassell, Sirens

Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM

The Amazing Race

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Survivor

Top Chef

The Traitors

TALK SERIES

The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Saturday Night Live