Record-setting comedy series nods, multiple-category recognition and some poignant farewells marked the unveiling of the nominations for the 76th Emmy Awards. Emmy winners Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary) and Tony Hale (Veep) joined Television Academy chair Cris Abrego onstage at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on the morning of July 17 for the announcement of nominees in 11 key categories, with the entire list of nominees released to media and posted on Emmys.com immediately afterward.
Television offers "stories that connect us, uplift us, challenge us and of course, always entertain us," Abrego noted. "Today I'm honored to celebrate the outstanding work of our extraordinarily talented and hardworking creative community. This morning's announcements are a testament to their contributions and highlight the incredible programming that has risen to the top of an exceptional year in TV."
The FX drama series Shōgun topped all programs with 25 nominations, while last year's comedy series winner, the same network's The Bear, set a record for the most comedy series nominations in a single year, with 23; the previous high was 30 Rock's 22 noms in 2009.
Shōgun's Hiroyuki Sanada was nominated for lead actor in a drama series, joined by Anna Sawai as lead actress, Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira as supporting actors and Néstor Carbonell as guest actor. Ten performers from The Bear received nominations, including last year's winners Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri as lead actor and supporting actor and actress, respectively.
Also contending for Outstanding Drama Series are Netflix's The Crown and 3 Body Problem, Prime Video's Fallout and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, HBO's The Gilded Age and the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show and Slow Horses.
The seven other shows vying for Outstanding Comedy Series are ABC's Abbott Elementary, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Max's Hacks, Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale and FX's Reservation Dogs and What We Do in the Shadows.
And the five nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series are Netflix's Baby Reindeer and Ripley, FX's Fargo, the Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry and HBO's True Detective: Night Country.
The Shōgun cast members are among 36 first-time performer nominees. Another, Paul Rudd, is also one of several nominees in two categories: for performance in Only Murders in the Building and for narration of National Geographic's Secrets of the Octopus. Other double nominees include Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson, repeating for performance and writing, and Jon Hamm, for performance in Fargo and The Morning Show. And then there is quadruple nominee Maya Rudolph, with nods for performance in the Apple TV+ series Loot, performance and original music and lyrics for NBC's Saturday Night Live and character voice-over for Netflix's Big Mouth.
Some of television's finest received posthumous nominations. Treat Williams was recognized as supporting actor for his role as CBS television executive William Paley in FX's anthology series Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, while Shawna Trpcic was nominated as costume designer for the Disney+ fantasy series Ahsoka.
On a happier note, before announcing the Comedy Series contenders, Abrego informed Ralph that she had been nominated as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary, her third such nod — she won the award in 2022. Ralph reacted with pumped fists and a wide smile. "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "Honey, that never gets old."
The 76th Emmys is scheduled for live broadcast on ABC from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE on September 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will stream the next day on Hulu. An edited presentation of the Creative Arts Emmys is scheduled for broadcast on FXX on September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
