The release of the nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards has everyone in the TV world talking. The nominees for this year, which were announced on Tuesday, July 15, illustrate a changing environment where popular series and new hits share the spotlight. Apple TV+ has become a big factor, with its hit series Severance and the upcoming comedy hit The Studio leading the way in their own categories.
Important Points from the 2025 Emmy Nominations
The 2025 Emmy nominations indicate a change in who has power in the industry, with streaming services still being very important. Apple TV+ got a record-breaking 81 nominations for 14 shows. Severance, the dystopian workplace thriller, got an astonishing 27 nominations, making it the most nominated show of the year. Seth Rogen's new comedy, The Studio, was the most-nominated rookie comedy series with 23 nods, tying The Bear's previous record for a comedy series in a single year.
Apple's head of Worldwide Video, Zack Van Amburg, said he was excited by the praise their shows had gotten. He said, "Severance and The Studio have gone above and beyond our wildest dreams by getting the most nominations for both drama and comedy series." Apple TV+ did quite well, which is a big deal for the platform. It also got nominations for Shrinking and Slow Horses.
Nominees for Outstanding Drama Series and an Analysis
There are a lot of great shows up for Outstanding Drama Series, including some old favorites and some new ones that are really interesting. The candidates are Andor (Disney+), The Diplomat (Netflix), The Last of Us (HBO), Paradise (Hulu), The Pitt (HBO), Severance (Apple TV+), Slow Horses (Apple TV+), and The White Lotus (HBO).
Best Actor or Actress in a Drama Series
Adam Scott was nominated for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Mark Scout in Severance. Britt Lower was nominated for Lead Actress for her role as Helly R. Pedro Pascal for The Last of Us and Kathy Bates for Matlock also got nods in these areas. Many people have appreciated the performances in Severance, especially the subtle direction by Ben Stiller and Jessica Lee Gagné and the complicated writing by Dan Erickson. They all helped create a distinct and frightening atmosphere that voters liked.
Dan Erickson, who was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Severance, joked, "I can't even begin to say how excited I am to go back to the Emmys and see if the sunglasses I left in the bathroom three years ago are still there."
Actor or Actress in a Drama Series
Severance also got a lot of nods for supporting actors and actresses. For supporting actor, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, and John Turturro were nominated. For guest actress, Patricia Arquette, Jane Alexander, Gwendoline Christie, and Merritt Wever were nominated. The White Lotus kept up its record of winning a lot of supporting categories. Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, and Sam Rockwell were nominated for Supporting Actor, and Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, and Natasha Rothwell were nominated for Supporting Actress.
Natasha Rothwell, who was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series for The White Lotus, said she was happy. "I'm so happy, overwhelmed, and over the moon." It is an honor to be nominated among such amazing women.
Nominations and Analysis for Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC), The Bear (FX on Hulu), Hacks (HBO), Nobody Wants This (Netflix), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), Shrinking (Apple TV+), The Studio (Apple TV+), and What We Do in the Shadows (FX on Hulu) are all nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series
Seth Rogen was nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his part in The Studio, a show he co-created and for which he was also nominated for directing and writing. Jason Segel was nominated for "Shrinking," while Jeremy Allen White was nominated for "The Bear." Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary and Jean Smart for Hacks are two of the nominees for Lead Actress.
Seth Rogen, who co-created The Studio and is up for an award, said he was surprised. "My ego is in shock." It's really validating in a manner that I'm not used to being validated.
Best Supporting Actor or Actress in a Comedy Series
The Studio did quite well in the supporting categories. Ike Barinholtz was nominated for Supporting Actor, and Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O'Hara were nominated for Supporting Actress. Harrison Ford got his first-ever Emmy nomination for his portrayal as a supporting actor in Shrinking. Jeff Hiller for Somebody Somewhere is another significant nominee.
Kathryn Hahn, who was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, was quite happy. "I'm so happy to be nominated for this role in The Studio with these people."
Guest Actor or Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series
The Studio won five out of six nominations for Guest Actor in a Comedy, featuring first-time acting accolades for filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard, as well as Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, and Anthony Mackie. The series also nominated Zoë Kravitz for Guest Actress. Severance and The Last of Us both got a lot of guest acting nominations in drama.
Analysis of the Nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Adolescence (Netflix), Black Mirror (Netflix), Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix), and The Penguin (HBO) are all nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The Penguin has the most nominations in this category, with 24.
Colin Farrell was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal in The Penguin. In this category, Jake Gyllenhaal was nominated for Presumed Innocent and Brian Tyree Henry was nominated for Dope Thief. Voters have been drawn to these limited series because of their visual storytelling and character development. This is a good year for stories that stand on their own.
The Most Notable Emmy Snubs of 2025
Many people were happy about their nominations, but the Emmy announcements usually make some people sad because they missed out on outstanding series and performances. Disney+'s Andor didn't get much acting accolades this year, which was a big snub. Even though it got 14 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, crucial performances by Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, and Genevieve O'Reilly were not nominated for acting awards. The only actor who was nominated for a guest role on the show was Forest Whitaker.
Renée Zellweger for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Elisabeth Moss for The Handmaid's Tale were also surprisingly left out. Fans also noticed that Steve Martin was not on the ballot for Lead Actor in a Comedy for Only Murders in the Building, even though Martin Short was.
Emmy Nominations That Came Out of Nowhere and Stars That Shone
There were several nice surprises among the predicted contenders, both in terms of names and shows. Harrison Ford's first Emmy nomination for Shrinking was a big deal because it was a big deal for the seasoned actor's career. Nobody Wants This also got Kristen Bell and Adam Brody their first Emmy nominations. Many reviewers and fans were happy that Jeff Hiller won for Somebody Somewhere because they liked how he acted from the heart.
The impressive cast of Severance included breakout performers like Zach Cherry and Tramell Tillman, who also got well-deserved supporting honors. These surprises show that the Television Academy is open to recognizing emerging talent and great performances on a variety of media.
A Voice of Distinction: Julie Andrews' 2025 Emmy Nomination
Julie Andrews, who is famous for her voice work, has been nominated for an Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance award for her performance as Lady Whistledown in Netflix's Bridgerton. This is her fourth nomination in this category for the Bridgerton franchise, which shows how much her narration has affected the series. The fact that she keeps getting nominated for Emmys shows how much of an impact she has had on TV.
Apple TV+ is the best in streaming and network performance.
The nominees for the 2025 Emmys show how much things have changed in television, with streaming services having a big impact. Apple TV+ has the most nominations of any network or studio, with an impressive 81. This was thanks to the success of Severance and The Studio. This performance puts Apple TV+ in the running with long-established powerhouses like HBO and Max in the world of high-end television.
HBO and Max also did well, with The Penguin, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and Hacks getting a lot of nominations. With shows like Adolescence, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and Black Mirror, Netflix stayed in the game. Andor also got nominations on Disney+.
Writing, directing, and other important craft categories
The Emmys not only honor the best shows and actors, but they also honor the hard work that goes into making television. Severance got a lot of nominations in craft categories, such as Outstanding Directing for Ben Stiller and Jessica Lee Gagné and Outstanding Writing for Dan Erickson. Seth Rogen also got nominations for directing and writing for The Studio. These nominees show how much labor goes into shooting, editing, and production design to make these stories come to life. The visual style of Severance, for example, is very important to its story. The show's themes of power and identity are strengthened by its exact framing and stark color palettes.
The Growth of "Severance" and "The Studio"
Severance's rise to fame at the Emmys shows how unusual its premise and execution are. The second season of the show added more depth to its complicated world by looking at how its main idea affected people's minds through strong performances and a unique visual style. The Studio also rapidly caught people's attention with its incisive parody of the entertainment industry, which voters liked because of its funny timing and behind-the-scenes jokes. Both series stand apart in a crowded television landscape because of the creative decisions they made, such as their unique writing styles and the way they directed their actors.
Historical Context: Looking at 2025 in relation to past years
The 2025 Emmy nominations show that streaming services are still taking on traditional networks. HBO has always been a powerful player, but the rise of Apple TV+ and other platforms demonstrates that the market is becoming more competitive and less unified. The fact that The Bear tied the record for most comedy nominations in a single year shows how much better and more recognized emerging comedic voices are getting. This year's nominees also follow the trend of some series, like The White Lotus, always getting more than one actor nomination. This suggests that voters really admire their ensemble casts.
A look into how the Emmy nominations work
There are more than 26,000 members of the Television Academy who are in charge of the Emmy nominations. They are split into 31 peer groups. These groups of peers vote on nominations and winners in categories that are relevant to their field. Actors vote on performances, while directors vote on how to direct. Everyone, no matter what their peer group is, can vote in the main program categories, such as Outstanding Drama Series or Comedy Series. Between June 1 of the year before the ceremony and May 31 of the ceremony year, programs and performers must put themselves up for consideration. The system is meant to get peer recognition, but there are sometimes debates about possible biases, like a perceived predilection for shows concerning the entertainment industry or a tendency to favor programs that have already been recognized.
When and where to see the 77th Emmy Awards
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be shown live on Sunday, September 14, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. CBS will show the event live, and Paramount+ will let you watch it live and on demand. The event will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which celebrate artistic and technological achievements, will take place on Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, before the main event. These awards honor a wide range of categories that help make television shows better overall.