Emmys 2025 Revelations: Gomez Omitted and Unlikely First-Timers
I suppose I need to walk you through the Emmy nominations since it seems that some of the highlights might have slipped your radar. On July 15 Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song announced the contenders for the 77th annual Emmy Awards, dishing out a blend of expected heavy hitters and eyebrow-raising surprises. Severance topped the charts with an astonishing 27 nominations while The Studio followed close behind with 23. Fan favorites The Last of Us and The Pitt also secured their usual spots in categories like Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, pitting Pedro Pascal against Noah Wyle for TV’s highest honors.
If you were banking on Squid Game’s triumphant return you may have misread the room. Despite making history in 2022 as the first non-English language series nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, its second season failed to earn even a single nod. The Handmaid’s Tale suffered a similar fate when its final season was shut out entirely, proving that commercial success does not always translate to critical acclaim.
Comedy enthusiasts got their share of thrills. Kristen Bell scored her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series with Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, which also joined the jam-packed field for Outstanding Comedy Series. Meanwhile, The Bear remains a comedy powerhouse in its fourth year of nominations. The series starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri shattered the record last year with 23 total nods. White, a back-to-back winner for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, returns to the stage once again and reminded fans in his acceptance speech that “it has instilled a faith that change is possible, if you are able to reach out, you are never really alone.”
Anthology series found fresh recognition too. Rashida Jones became the first performer ever nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work on Black Mirror. Over in Only Murders in the Building land, Martin Short picked up a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, yet his co-star Steve Martin and Selena Gomez were left off the list even as the show amassed eight total nods including Outstanding Comedy Series. That casts a fascinating spotlight on how the Television Academy values individual performances versus ensemble impact.
Bowen Yang continued to break ground by becoming the most nominated Asian male performer in Emmy history, scoring his fourth nod for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series on Saturday Night Live. He adds to his previous nominations in 2024, 2022, and 2021, trailing only Kenan Thompson’s six nods for the long-running sketch show. And in a true curveball, venerable film star Harrison Ford received his first-ever Emmy nomination at age 83 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series on Shrinking.
This year’s list underscores an evolving television landscape where streaming giants, cable stalwarts, and anthology experiments compete for prestige. Will the Academy reward veteran legends or champion fresh talent? Tune in to CBS on September 15 to find out who takes home the gold, and prepare for more unexpected twists next year. That ought to bring you up to speed.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
