Our Opinions on the 2021 Emmy Nominations

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The nominations for the 2021 Emmys are out and at first glance, we have to say we’re pleasantly surprised by how well-rounded it is. Of course there’s no perfect set of nominees and everyone’s going to think someone got snubbed or inappropriately rewarded. That’s just science. So let’s all get deep in the weeds and argue over the picks, shall we? It’s a tradition!

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VARIETY TALK SERIES

Conan (TBS)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Well fuck Samantha Bee, we guess. We’re not fans of late night talk shows  generally, but they should give Conan a lovely parting gift.

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COMPETITION PROGRAM

The Amazing Race (CBS)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

We’ll always root for Drag Race, of course.

REALITY SHOW HOST
Nicole Byer (Nailed It!)
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness (Queer Eye)
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary (Shark Tank)
Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons (Top Chef)

But we think Nicole Byer should take this one rather than Ru, who’s been phoning it in all year.

UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
Becoming (Disney+)
Below Deck (Bravo)
Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked (VH1)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)

Untucked, of course.

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LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)
Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish)
Jean Smart (Hacks)

JEAN GODDAMN SMART, PEOPLE. Or the gays riot.

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LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (Kenan)

We don’t see how Sudeikis doesn’t take this. Seems like the right choice to us.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Aidy Bryant (SNL)
Kate McKinnon (SNL)
Cecily Strong (SNL)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)
Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)
Rosie Perez (The Flight Attendant)

These are some good damn picks. We’d love to see Hannah Einbinder take it, but Cecily Strong is deserving of some love.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks)
Kenan Thompson (SNL)
Bowen Yang (SNL)
Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)
Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method)

Boy, the Academy REALLY loves Ted Lasso, it seems. We realize SNL gets over-nominated, but we’d love to see Bowen Yang take this one.

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Adams (Hacks)
Yvette Nicole Brown (A Black Lady Sketch Show)
Bernadette Peters (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)
Issa Rae (A Black Lady Sketch Show)
Maya Rudolph (SNL)
Kristen Wiig (SNL)

Honestly… no choice? They all sound good to us.

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin (SNL)
Dave Chappelle (SNL)
Morgan Freeman (The Kominsky Method)
Daniel Kaluuya (SNL)
Daniel Levy (SNL)

Ditto.

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COMEDY SERIES

Black-ish (ABC)
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Pen15 (Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

ANYTHING but Emily in Paris, please. It’s great that Pen15 got a nod here. We haven’t quite gotten on the Ted Lasso love train, but we’re wondering if all of these noms will really pan out for the show. As for our choice, we’d have to go with Hacks.

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LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Paul Bettany (WandaVision)
Hugh Grant (The Undoing)
Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton)

LOVE this for Paul Bettany! Hugh and Ewan were charming and their usual competent selves in series we found pretty problematic. Hamilton is over-praised and over-rewarded. You heard us.

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LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)
Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit)
Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)

Holy shit, what a tough lineup. Thrilled for Michaela Coel and Elizabeth Olsen. We think Cynthia and Anya can safely sit this one out.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton)
Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton)
Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)
Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)
Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit)
Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)

Making the gays pick between Jean Smart and Kathryn Hahn is homophobia.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
Jonathan Groff (Hamilton)
Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)
Paapa Essiedu(I May Destroy You)
Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit)

Evan Peters, for sure. He was just the right level of charming to break the audience’s hearts.

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LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

I May Destroy You (HBO)
Mare of Easttown (HBO)
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon)
WandaVision (Disney+)

Another amazing lineup. We think this one comes down to a showdown between Mare of Easttown and The Underground Railroad. But who knows? Maybe WandaVision will rally.

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LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Uzo Aduba (In Treatment)
Olivia Colman (The Crown)
Emma Corrin (The Crown)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Mj Rodriguez (Pose)
Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)

MJ Rodriguez, making some damn history. This is a great lineup, but we really hope it goes to her.

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LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country)
Josh O’Connor (The Crown)
Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason)

We thought Jonathan Majors was fantastic in Lovecraft Country, which really deserves some love now that it’s been cancelled.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country)
Gillian Anderson (The Crown)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
Emerald Fennell (The Crown)
Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)

We love the ladies from The Crown and Aunjanue was pretty amazing in Lovecraft Country, but since we don’t watch The Handmaid’s Tale, we feel like we can’t weight in on this one.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael K. Williams (Lovecraft Country)
John Lithgow (Perry Mason)
Tobias Menzies (The Crown)
O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)

Too much here we haven’t seen or don’t watch.

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Alexis Bledel (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Claire Foy (The Crown)
Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Sophie Okonedo (Ratched)
Phylicia Rashad (This Is Us)

Hunh. This feels like it’s missing some people.

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Don Cheadle (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Charles Dance (The Crown)
Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian)
Courtney B. Vance (Lovecraft Country)
Carl Weathers (The Mandalorian)

Ditto, although Charles Dance and Timothy Olyphant were both great.

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DRAMA SERIES

The Boys (Amazon)
Bridgerton (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Pose (FX)
This Is Us (NBC)

Kind of amazed to see The Boys here. If Lovecraft Country were to win this (which doesn’t seem likely), it would be a slap in the face to HBO for canceling it. Our pick? For All Mankind, which was completely snubbed.

MADE-FOR-TELEVISION MOVIE
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (Netflix)
Oslo (HBO)
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Prime)
Uncle Frank (Amazon Prime)

Pass.

OUTSTANDING PERIOD COSTUMES

Bridgerton • Diamond Of The First Water • Netflix 
Ellen Mirojnick, Costume Designer
John W. Glaser III, Costume Designer
Sanaz Missaghian, Costume Supervisor
Kenny Crouch, Costume SupervisoR

The Crown • Terra Nullius • Netflix 
Amy Roberts, Costume Designer
Sidonie Roberts, Assistant Costume Designer
Giles Gale, Costume Supervisor

Halston • Versailles • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series
Jeriana San Juan, Costume Designer
Catherine Crabtree, Assistant Costume Designer
Cailey Breneman, Assistant Costume Designer
Anne Newton-Harding, Costume Supervisor

The Queen’s Gambit • End Game • Netflix 
Gabriele Binder, Costume Designer
Gina Krauss, Assistant Costume Designer
Katrin Hoffmann, Assistant Costume Designer
Nanrose Buchmann, Assistant Costume Designer
Sparka Lee Hall, Costume Supervisor

Ratched • Pilot • Netflix 
Lou Eyrich, Costume Designer
Rebecca Guzzi, Costume Designer
Allison Agler, Assistant Costume Designer
Betsy Glick, Costume Supervisor

We think we might have to give this to Ratched, even though we hated the series.

OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES

The Handmaid’s Tale • Nightshade • Hulu 
Debra Hanson, Costume Designer
Jane Flanders, Costume Supervisor
Darci Cheyne, Assistant Costume Designer

Lovecraft Country • I Am. • HBO 
Dayna Pink, Costume Designer
Zachary Sheets, Costume Supervisor
Terry Anderson, Assistant Costume Designer

The Mandalorian • Chapter 13: The Jedi • Disney+ 
Shawna Trpcic, Costume Designer
Julie Robar, Costume Supervisor
Sara Fox, Assistant Costume Designer

The Umbrella Academy • The Frankel Footage • Netflix
Christopher Hargadon, Costume Designer
Heather Crepp, Assistant Costume Designer William Ng, Assistant Costume Designer
Jane Fieber, Costume Supervisor

WandaVision • Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience • Disney+
Joseph Feltus, Assistant Costume Designer
Daniel Selon, Assistant Costume Designer
Virginia Burton, Costume Supervisor

Ooh, this one’s tough. We’d be happy with The Mandalorian, Lovecraft Country or WandaVision taking this one.

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES

black-ish • Our Wedding Dre • ABC 
Michelle R. Cole, Costume Designer
Juliann M. Smith DeVito, Costume Supervisor

Euphoria • F**k Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob • HBO
Heidi Bivens, Costume Designer
Devon Patterson, Costume Supervisor
Angelina Vitto, Assistant Costume Designer

Hacks • There Is No Line (Pilot) • HBO Max 
Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Kathleen Felix-Hager, Costume Designer
Karen Bellamy, Costume Supervisor

I May Destroy You • Social Media Is A Great Way To Connect • HBO 
Lynsey Moore, Costume Designer
Rosie Lack, Assistant Costume Designer
Debbie Roberts, Costume Supervisor

Mare Of Easttown • Miss Lady Hawk Herself • HBO
Meghan Kasperlik, Costume Designer
Francisco Stoll, Costume Supervisor
Taylor Smith, Costume Supervisor
Laura Downing, Costume Supervisor
Jennifer Hryniw, Assistant Costume Designer

The Politician • New York State Of Mind • Netflix
Claire Parkinson, Costume Designer
Lily Parkinson, Assistant Costume Designer
James Hammer, Assistant Costume Designer
Laura Steinmann, Costume Supervisor

Pose • Series Finale • FX Networks • FX 
Analucia McGorty, Costume Designer
Michelle Roy, Assistant Costume Designer
Linda Giammarese, Costume Supervisor

This one’s tough, but we think it comes down to Pose and Euphoria.

Your thoughts, kittens? We know you must have some.

[Photo Credit: emmys.com]

• Emmy Awards
• Emmy Awards 2021