The 2021 Emmy Awards nominations are in and before any trophy is handed out, history has already been made. Actors Mj Rodriguez, Jurnee Smollett, and Johnathan Majors have landed Emmy firsts ahead of the annual program. The full list includes 44-first-time performer nominees total among the Lead, Supporting, Guest and Short Form categories.
“Television has provided a lifeline for so many around the globe this year, delivering a constant source of entertainment, information, and inspiration during some of our most difficult days,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma in a statement.
“We are thrilled to honor the diversity of storytelling in television today by recognizing talented artists, programs, producers, directors, and craftspeople throughout our industry and celebrating their commitment to this extraordinary medium.”
With a nomination for her role as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista in the FX drama Pose, Rodriguez becomes the first transwoman to be nominated in the leading actress category. If she wins, Rodriguez would be the first transgender person to take home an acting Emmy. With her co-star, Billy Porter, also being nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Pose could score another first: a Black lead actor and a Black lead actress from the same drama series have been nominated in the same year.
Pose is one of two shows to earn the double category nominations. Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors are also both nominated in lead acting categories for Lovecraft Country. According to Deadline, the thrilling series has not been renewed for a second season by HBO. Still, the show lead by showrunner Misha Greene earned over a dozen Emmy nominations.
The annual primetime television event handed out dozens of nominations celebrating Black talent on the silver screen. Michaela Coel earned her first recognitions for I May Destroy You collecting nine nominations total including Lead Actress, Limited Series, Movie or Anthology.
Netflix hit series Bridgerton‘s breakout star Regé-Jean Page earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series alongside Majors and This Is Us’s Sterling K. Brown. Kenan Thompson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his new sitcom, Kenan. Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross also scored nominations for their roles in Black-ish.
On the comedy scene, A Black Lady Sketch Show and The Amber Ruffin Show earned writing nominations with Ashley Nicole Black competing against herself as a writer on both shows. ABLSS itself earned five nominations total including Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for both Issa Rae and Yvette Nicole Brown, and Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.
Uzo Aduba, Trevor Noah, Ru Paul, Leslie Odom Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Barry Jenkins, and more are all nominated for gold trophies. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sunday, September 19 on CBS and Paramount+ and hosted by comedian and actor Cedric The Entertainer.
Read the full list of nominees below:
Outstanding Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Mandalorian
Lovecraft Country
Pose
The Handmaid’s Tale
This Is Us
Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Pen15
Emily in Paris
Hacks
Ted Lasso
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Billy Porter, Pose
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country
Mj Rodriguez, Pose
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Kenan Thompson, Kenan
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant, Shrill
Jean Smart, Hacks
Allison Janney, Mom
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
Outstanding Limited Series
Mare of Easttown
I May Destroy You
WandaVision
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
Outstanding Television Movie
Uncle Frank
Sylvie’s Love
Oslo
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on The Square
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit
Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Charles Dance, The Crown
Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mckenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale
Claire Foy, The Crown
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Sophie Okonedo, Ratched
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Dan Levy, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Jane Adams, Hacks
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Conan
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Outstanding Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye
Nicole Byer, Nailed It!
Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons, Top Chef
Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary, Shark Tank