Emmy Nominations 2023: Biggest Surprises and Snubs

Nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards have been announced, and while there were many contenders, as always when it comes to awards shows, there were some surprises and snubs that shocked fans. Many fan-favorite shows, such as Abbott Elementary and The Last of Us, were nominated for a whole lot of awards, while others, like House of the Dragon, were particularly shut out. But that’s just the beginning.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises to come out of the nominations is that Amazon Freevee’s underrated hidden-camera series Jury Duty , including Outstanding Comedy Series, and James Marsden also managed to receive a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The show definitely has gotten the reception it should be getting, especially being a Freevee show, but it seems the Academy has shown interest. As noted above, The Last of Us also received a decent amount of nominations, 24 to be exact, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, which is pretty impressive for being a freshman series.

Another pleasant surprise from the Emmys is the fact that Elton John is one step closer to securing an EGOT. The legendary performer received a nomination for Outstanding Variety Special for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, one of three for the special. It marks the icon’s first Emmy nomination, and if he takes it home, he will be the latest EGOT winner, as he already has a Tony, two Oscars, and six Grammys.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest snubs is the House of the Dragon. While the HBO series did receive multiple nominations, the actors themselves were not nominated, which is definitely a surprise considering how character-driven the Game of Thrones prequel is. Sticking to the theme of casts, Steve Martin is the only main cast member from Only Murders in the Building to be nominated, completely shutting out both Selena Gomez and Martin Short. In 2022, both Martin and Short were nominated, with Gomez again getting the short end of the stick, and it seems like that same thing has happened, with Short now included.

Another snub is the fact that shows like What We Do In the Shadows, Yellowstone, 1923, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, just to name a few, were left off of some major nominations, while no Saturday Night Live cast members were nominated. Of course, there are still a lot of great nominations, and it can’t be perfect, but it is going to be sad to not see some of these shows and stars included. Fans will have to tune in on September 18 on Fox to see how it all goes down, that is, if the Emmys aren’t canceled due to the strike.