HBO's "Watchmen," a kaleidoscopic portrait of American racial trauma and white supremacy, dominated the list of nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards, the first major entertainment industry honors to unfold amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The nine-episode limited series, an ambitious adaptation of a landmark 1980s graphic novel about masked crusaders, leads the pack of contenders with a total of 26 nominations, including recognition for actors Regina King and Jeremy Irons.
Amazon's fizzy period comedy "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is the second-most nominated series, with 20 nods, followed by Netflix's downcast crime thriller "Ozark" with 18. Netflix, for its part, broke the record for the most single-year nominations of any network or platform with a staggering 160.
The nominees across the major acting categories were notably diverse, a potential sign that the Television Academy — the organization that puts on the Emmys — was embracing calls for more inclusion and representation in media amid nationwide protests over systemic racism.
"This year, we are also bearing witness to one of the greatest fights for social justice in history. And it is our duty to use this medium for change," Frank Scherma, the Television Academy chairman and CEO, said in a video message introducing the nominees.
Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, two relative newcomers to the streaming wars, picked up their first Emmy nods. Disney "The Mandalorian," a "Star Wars" spin-off, received a surprise best drama nominations, while Apple's "The Morning Show" landed nods for stars Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell.
The nominations were announced via livestream by comedian Leslie Jones, who was joined by presenters Laverne Cox ("Orange is the New Black"), Josh Gad ("Frozen") and Tatiana Maslany ("Perry Mason," "Orphan Black"). Cox, Gad and Maslany appeared in video chat screens.
The nominees for best drama series are "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "Killing Eve," "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Mandalorian," "Ozark," "Stranger Things" and "Succession." ("NBC's "This Is Us" and the final season of Showtime's "Homeland" were among the drama series locked this year.)
The nominees for best comedy series are "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Dead to Me," "The Good Place," "Insecure," "The Kominsky Method," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Schitt's Creek" and "What We Do in the Shadows." (The farewell season of ABC's hit sitcom "Modern Family" was left out of the running.)
The nominees for best limited series are “Little Fires Everywhere," “Mrs. America," “Unbelievable," ”Unorthodox," and "Watchmen." HBO is favored to win the category, but "Mrs. America" — a chronicle of the debate over the Equal Rights Amendment and the rise of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly — could stage an upset.
The virtual Emmy Awards, hosted by late-night emcee Jimmy Kimmel, will be presented Sept. 20 on ABC.
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