The television world buzzed with anticipation on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, as actors Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song announced the nominees for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. The ceremony, set to be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, promises an exciting night of recognition for outstanding achievements in television programming from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. The main event will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 14, 2025, preceded by the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 6-7. (Deadline, Television Academy)
Apple TV+’s dystopian drama Severance emerged as the frontrunner in the drama categories, securing an impressive 27 nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Drama Series. Close behind was the limited series The Penguin with 24 nominations. Tying for third place with 23 nominations each were The Studio and The White Lotus. Notably, The Studio, an Apple TV+ comedy, matched The Bear’s 2024 record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year. In terms of network dominance, HBO & Max led the pack with a combined 142 nominations, followed by Netflix with 120, and Apple with 79. (Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter)
The drama series landscape features a mix of established favorites and compelling newcomers. Alongside Severance and The White Lotus, nominees for Outstanding Drama Series include Andor, The Diplomat, The Last of Us, Paradise, The Pitt, and Slow Horses. Acting nominations in drama saw recognition for Noah Wyle (The Pitt), Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), Adam Scott (Severance), and Gary Oldman (Slow Horses). On the actress side, Kathy Bates (Matlock) made history as the oldest nominee in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category at 77, joining Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Britt Lower (Severance), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), and Keri Russell (The Diplomat). (ABC News, Deadline)
In the comedy arena, The Studio, Nobody Wants This, and The Pitt made strong debuts, earning nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series alongside returning hits like Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, and What We Do in the Shadows. The comedy acting categories saw Seth Rogen (The Studio), Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This), Jason Segel (Shrinking), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) nominated for Lead Actor. For Lead Actress, Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This) and Uzo Aduba (The Residence) joined Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), and Jean Smart (Hacks). (The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix Tudum)
The Limited or Anthology Series category is set for fierce competition with Adolescence (13 nominations), Black Mirror (10 nominations), Dying for Sex, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (11 nominations), and The Penguin all vying for the top prize. Notable performances in this category include Colin Farrell (The Penguin), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Cooper Koch (Monsters), Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), and Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex). Cooper Koch, at 15, became the youngest nominee ever for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie. (Deadline, IndieWire)
Surprises included the absence of Late Night with Seth Meyers from the Outstanding Talk Series category and The Voice from Outstanding Reality Competition Program, while Survivor made a return. In a unique turn, legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard received their first-ever acting Emmy nominations for their guest appearances on The Studio. Harrison Ford also earned his first Emmy nod for his supporting role in Shrinking. Even the ceremony’s host, Nate Bargatze, received nominations for his comedy special, Your Friend, Nate Bargatze. (Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter)
With a record turnout of voters this year, the stage is set for a captivating 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. Final voting by Academy members will take place from August 18-27, leading up to the highly anticipated ceremonies in September. (Deadline)
