The Studio led the way in the Emmys’ comedy categories with 23 nominations.Apple TV+/Supplied
Awards show accolades should always be accompanied by a healthy dose of skepticism, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy tuning in. It’s fun to bet in a pool, see which stars hit or miss on the red carpet and find out what pop culture dictates we should be consuming.
And given the tense political climate, it’s always interesting to see which winners use an event as a platform for their beliefs, be it Patricia Arquette making the case for equal pay, or Viola Davis quoting Harriet Tubman.
Emmy nominations 2025: Surprises and snubs in a big year for Canadian talent
The 77th Emmy Awards arrive Sunday, and while nobody can forecast whose speeches will make headlines or which moments will dominate the discourse, here are some things to watch for on TV’s big night.
An everyman host
The night’s emcee is comedian Nate Bargatze, who is coming off one heck of a year. In 2024 he was named the highest-grossing stand-up comic in the United States and drew record attendance at several arenas. In May he released a book, Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind, and he has big touring plans for the foreseeable future.
Bargatze’s deadpan delivery and family-friendly comedy style make him a smart and safe choice. No one is expecting controversial jokes or contentious topics from the comic, making him the welcoming Everyman these Emmys need to help keep politics at bay.
Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, Nate Bargatze, Jesse Collins and Cris Abrego attend the 77th Primetime Emmys Press Preview at Peacock Theater, Sept. 11.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
A Canadian presence
At the 2020 Emmys, the homegrown Schitt’s Creek swept the comedy categories and took home nine awards, making it a memorable ceremony for proud Canadian viewers. This year, it’s The Studio that’s expected to win big: With 23 nods, the series is the most-nominated first-year comedy ever. While the series itself is not Canadian, it features the work of several Canadians, including co-creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, plus Catherine O’Hara and Sarah Polley.
Last weekend the series won nine creative Emmys, including one for guest star Bryan Cranston (his first since Breaking Bad). Now, O’Hara is vying for supporting actress, while Rogen and Goldberg are in contention for directing. Rogen is also nominated for writing and acting.
How Apple TV+’s The Studio channels Canadian childhood friends Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s rise in Hollywood
Other notable Canadians to keep an eye on Sunday night include Quebec City’s Jessica Lee Gagné, who is up for directing and cinematography for Severance, and Toronto’s Graham Yost, an executive producer of drama nominee Slow Horses.
Colbert’s last chance
The biggest upset at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be if The Late Show with Stephen Colbert doesn’t finally win outstanding talk series (Jon Stewart and John Oliver consistently win the category). This is Colbert’s last shot at the prize with the title, after CBS cancelled his series in what many pundits feel was a move to appease the Trump administration and close parent company Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The apparent injustice of it has led other late-night performers, including Jimmy Kimmel, to ditch their own Emmy campaigns to support Colbert’s.
The show’s creative Emmy win for outstanding direction for a variety series has supporters feeling hopeful heading into Sunday night.
Some serious comedy
The lines between comedy and drama continue to blur as more complex series emerge. The Bear, which most agree is anything but a comedy, is still once again nominated for outstanding comedy series. Comedy purists will be pleased to know, however, that the other seven nominees – Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, The Studio and What We Do in the Shadows – offer much more traditional laughs.
William Davis, left, and Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary.Gilles Mingasson/The Associated Press
History in the making?
Every Emmys, a few nominations set records, and this year’s list is no exception. Kathy Bates became the oldest nominee for outstanding drama actress with her Matlock nod, while Adolescence star Owen Cooper is now the youngest nominee for supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or movie.
Bella Ramsey has made history as the first openly non-binary performer to earn more than one Emmy nomination, thanks to their work on The Last of Us. Meanwhile, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri is the first woman ever to be nominated for both lead acting and directing in a comedy series in the same year.
Another fun tidbit is that Harrison Ford received his first Emmy nomination, for his supporting comedy work in Shrinking. At 83 years old, that makes him the oldest first-time acting nominee in Emmy history. He isn’t the oldest ever nominee in the category, though: That record belongs to Alan Arkin, who was 86 when he was nominated for The Kominsky Method in 2020.
Harrison Ford, left, and Jason Segel in a scene from Apple TV+’s Shrinking.Beth Dubber/The Associated Press
The critics’ choices
The TCA Awards, which are voted on by more than 220 members of the Television Critics Association, are a good indicator of who and what may win at the Emmys. The big story at this year’s ceremony in August was new drama The Pitt, which took home program of the year, outstanding achievement in drama, outstanding new program and individual achievement in drama for star Noah Wyle. (The TCA Awards don’t split acting categories by gender.)
From The Pitt to Pulse, Canadian showrunners are giving Americans a taste of their own medicine
In addition, Kathy Bates won a career achievement award, Adolescence won the “movies, miniseries and specials” category and The Studio won for best comedy.
Your next binge watch
Need recommendations for something new to watch? Look no further than this year’s crop of nominees. They tell us that The Studio, Severance, Shrinking and Slow Horses are safe bets at AppleTV+ (where good shows seem to start with the letter S).
Elsewhere, Netflix’s Adolescence is a tough but must-see series for any parent. Matlock (CBS) and Abbott Elementary (ABC) are network television shows still worth watching. The Pitt, The Penguin, Hacks, The Last of Us and The White Lotus are some of the top programs on Crave, and Disney+’s Andor is arguably the best recent Star Wars spinoff series to hit that streamer.
Catch the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 14, on CTV.
