By Lynn Elber

Watchmen, cloaked in superhero mythology and grounded in real-world racism, received a leading 26 nominations Tuesday for the prime-time Emmy Awards.

The series, which captured America’s unease as it faces racial clashes, was nominated as best limited series and received bids for cast members including Regina King and Jeremy Irons.

King was part of a vanguard of actors of color who showed that TV academy voters took heed of the calls for change.

The Amazon comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the second most-nominated series with 20, followed by Netflix's Ozark with 18.

“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, chairman, and CEO of the Television Academy said at the outset of the presentation.

The nominations, typically unveiled with fanfare at the TV academy’s Los Angeles headquarters, were announced online Tuesday by Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) and presenters Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Josh Gad (Frozen) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black). Cox, Gad, and Maslany appeared on by video feeds.

Among the honorees whose nomination collided with current events: Brad Pitt earned a nod for a guest appearance playing Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday Night Live.

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; What We Do in the Shadows

The nominees for best drama series are: Better Call Saul; The Crown; Killing Eve; The Handmaid’s Tale; The Mandalorian; Ozark; Stranger Things; Succession.

In addition to Watchmen, the nominees for best limited series are: Little Fires Everywhere; Mrs. America; Unbelievable; Unorthodox.

The nominees for drama series actress are: Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show; Olivia Colman, The Crown; Jodie Comer, Killing Eve; Laura Linney, Ozark; Sandra Oh, Killing Eve; Zendaya, Euphoria.

The nominees for drama series actor are: Jason Bateman, Ozark; Sterling K. Brown, This is Us; Billy Porter, Pose; Jeremy Strong, Succession; Brian Cox, Succession; Steve Carell, The Morning Show.

The nominees for lead actor in a comedy series are: Anthony Anderson, black-ish; Don Cheadle, Black Monday; Ted Danson, The Good Place; Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method; Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek; Ramy Youssef, Ramy.

The nominees for lead actress in a comedy series are: Christina Applegate, Dead to Me; Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me; Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek; Issa Rae, Insecure; Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish.

The nominees for best TV movie are: American Son; Bad Education; Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones; El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend.

A high energy Jones kicked off the announcement Tuesday morning by appearing on a virtual set and joking that she was told there would be many others on set to announce the nominees and that she was locked in a studio with only a cameraman.

The Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be presented on Sept. 20 on ABC.

Share:
More In Culture
Bitcoin Sees Dip After Concerns of New COVID Variant
Bitcoin has officially entered bear market territory. The cryptocurrency is down 20% from an all-time high of nearly $69,000 dollars, which it hit earlier this month. Experts mark the new potentially vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant as the reason for the dip. Patrick McConlogue, CEO of Overlin, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Stocks Close Lower On Convers Over New COVID-19 Variant
U.S. markets were open for an abbreviated session on the day after Thanksgiving, and the day saw a market meltdown. The Dow dropped more than 900 points for its worst day of the year. Matt Orton, Chief Market Strategist at Carillon Tower Advisers, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
National Dog Show Crowns Its First Back-to-Back Best in Show Winner
For the first time in the National Dog Show's 20-year-history on NBC, a canine was crowned Best in Show for the second year in a row. Claire, a Scottish deerhound, was the repeat winner, and David Frei, expert analyst and host of the National Dog Show Presented by Purina, joined Cheddar to discuss the historic victory. "It's never happened in the 20 years that we've done this show," he said. "She looks great right now. She's at the top of her game, she's the number three show dog in the country, and has become the top winning Scottish deerhound of all time, breaking her grandmother's record."
Debunking the Demise of Black Friday
Lucien Etori, VP, executive strategy director at R/GA., joined Cheddar News to discuss how retailers are handling supply chain disruptions this shopping season, and how retailers are building better experiences for customers during these ongoing issues.
Food Banks Grapple with Supply Chain Shortages This Thanksgiving
From supply chain shortages to high food costs, food banks are scrambling to serve their communities this Thanksgiving. According to Feeding America, while demand from the beginning of the pandemic has gone down, one in eight people in the U.S. may experience food insecurity this year. Anna McGovern, chief supply chain officer with Food Bank for New York City, joins Cheddar News to discuss the impact of inflation and supply chain issues.
Companies and Consumers Preparing for Black Friday & Cyber Week
The biggest shopping day of the year is approaching - Black Friday - and the following week is known as Cyber Week, the biggest time of the year for online shopping. But for many companies and consumers, the holiday shopping season is already underway. Retailers have been getting creative in their attempts to lure customers amid ongoing supply chain issues, inflation, and the pandemic that could impact sales. Lionesque Group CEO and founder Melissa Gonzalez joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More