Emmy Awards: How to watch, who is nominated and why Heated Rivalry is missing
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Beef, Hacks, Pluribus and The Pitt are a few of the TV shows nominated at this year’s Emmy Awards, which take place on Monday in Los Angeles.
Widow’s Bay, DTF St Louis, Slow Horses, The Bear and Abbott Elementary are also competing for prizes at the ceremony, which is seen as the US television industry’s most prestigious event.
Actors nominated for trophies include Zendaya, Noah Wyle, Sarah Snook and Colman Domingo, while Matthew Rhys, Carey Mulligan and Jack Lowden are among the British nominees.
But several big shows are not represented – viral sensation Heated Rivalry is not eligible for the Emmys, while there is a weaker presence for the final series of Euphoria and Stranger Things.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Emmy Awards.
Which TV shows are the frontrunners?
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The Emmys split their nominations into three overarching categories: comedy, drama and limited or anthology series.
Best drama is generally seen as the night’s most prestigious prize, and last year’s winner The Pitt is back to defend its title following its second series.
The acclaimed medical drama also has eight individual acting nominations, including one for its star, Noah Wyle.
Other dramas nominated include Pluribus, Slow Horses, The Diplomat and Game of Thrones prequel A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms.
Over in the comedy categories, Hollywood satire Hacks is predicted by many to continue its hugely successful Emmys streak following its fifth and final season.
The show’s expected wins could include acting prizes for its two stars, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.
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Smart already has four Emmys for Hacks, having never lost for her performances in the previous four seasons. Another win would bring her total Emmy tally to eight, tying the record held by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.
Possible challengers in the comedy categories include Widow’s Bay, Shrinking, Abbott Elementary and Nobody Wants This.
Elsewhere, the second season of Netflix’s Beef could be a strong contender in the limited or anthology series category, and win acting prizes for its stars Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac.
But it faces strong competition from shows such as All Her Fault, The Beast in Me and DTF St Louis, which had a particularly strong showing at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys.
British nominees alongside Mulligan include Riz Ahmed (Bait), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), Kate O’Flynn (Widow’s Bay) and Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden (both for Slow Horses).
And many are keeping a particularly close eye on Welsh star Matthew Rhys, who is nominated in two different lead actor categories – for comedy Widow’s Bay and limited series The Beast in Me.
Why isn’t Heated Rivalry nominated?
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The buzziest show of the last year, Heated Rivalry, starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, is missing from this year’s Emmy nominations.
The ice hockey romance did not qualify because it is a fully financed Canadian production, without the US involvement needed to be recognised at the Emmys.
Its ineligibility puzzled many who remember Schitt’s Creek, a show more Canadian than maple cream cookies, dominating the Emmys in 2021.
But that qualified because of its financial and broadcast partnerships in the US, including creator and star Dan Levy’s own American-based production company.
Heated Rivalry will instead be eligible to compete for the next International Emmys, which take place in New York in November.
Meanwhile, two other viral shows popular with younger audiences that were eligible for the US ceremony had a weaker-than-expected showing in the nominations list.
The final series of Stranger Thingsis absent in the top categories this year, scoring only seven nominations in technical categories.
And despite its star-packed cast, Euphoria‘s last season managed only one acting nomination for former winner Zendaya.
What changes have been made to the ceremony?
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Two categories have been merged this year – best talk series and best scripted variety series are now combined in a single category: outstanding variety series.
That means chat show hosts such as Jimmy Kimmel will compete against topical variety shows such as Saturday Night Live and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.
Some other categories were also moved out of the telecast this year and have already been handed out, in an effort to revitalise the ceremony and leave more time for entertainment.
For example, best supporting actor and actress in a limited series, usually awarded during the main ceremony, were moved to the earlier Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies this year.
The total number of trophies awarded on the big night has been reduced from 26 to 19, a move the Academy said was intended to leave room for more musical performances, comedic sketches and unexpected acceptance speeches.
How to watch the Emmy Awards
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The ceremony will begin at 17:00 PT / 20:00 ET on Monday, taking place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
US viewers can watch the Emmy Awards live on NBC or on streaming service Peacock.
In the UK, it will start at 01:00 BST on Tuesday morning, but no British broadcaster is scheduled to show it live.
However, there will be overnight coverage on the BBC News website throughout the red carpet and ceremony.
Who has already won?
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Winners at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys included DTF St Louis stars Linda Cardellini and David Harbour, who won best supporting actress and actor in a limited series.
Betty Gilpin (Widow’s Bay), Ernest Harden Jr (The Pitt), Shailene Woodley (Paradise) and the late Rob Reiner (The Bear) all won prizes for their guest acting roles, while British star Julie Andrews won best voiceover performance for Bridgerton.
Other British winners included Alan Cumming, who won best reality host for the US version of The Traitors.
Remarkably Bright Creatures, a drama starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman about a perceptive octopus who observes the staff in his aquarium, won best movie.
South Park won best animated series, Mr. Scorsese took best docuseries, Love on the Spectrum won best unstructured reality programme, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny won best variety special.
Who is hosting the ceremony?
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US actress Mariska Hargitay, star of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, will host this year’s Primetime Emmys ceremony.
Her hugely successful crime series, known as SVU, has been running since 1999, and continues to be popular with younger audiences who have discovered it on streaming services.
Hargitay has been Emmy nominated eight times herself for playing detective Oli
SVU is one of the longest-running TV dramas of all time and is set to reach its 600th episode when its 28th season airs this autumn.
And at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, Hargitay also won two prizes for her documentary My Mom Jayne, about her actress mother Jayne Mansfield, who died in a car accident when Hargitay was three.
“Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career,” Hargitay said in a statement.
“It’s my great honour to host the 78th Emmy Awards and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers.
“Whether it’s an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us.”
The Pitt leads Emmy nominations, but Stranger Things snubbed in top categories
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