The 2024 Emmy nominations made waves this week, with The Bear breaking records alongside Carol Burnett, Nava Mau, Steve Martin and more.
This year, FX’s The Bear broke the record for the most nominations for a comedy series, earning 23 nods for the show’s second season. The milestone comes after the series set the record at last year’s ceremony (held in January due to strike delays) for the most awards won by a debut season, at 10.
The show’s network, FX, also had reason to celebrate this week, setting a record for itself with 93 nominations.
Elsewhere on the awards docket, many celebrated their first-ever nomination, including The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas and others broke their own records, while more set new ones.
The 2024 Emmys will be broadcast live on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. Click here for the complete list of nominees.
Read on for more about this year’s noteworthy nominations.
The Bear‘s Business Is Booming
The beloved FX series broke the record for most nominations for a comedy series, clocking 23 nods for the 2024 ceremony. The record was previously held by 30 Rock with 22 nominations in 2009. Actress Liza Colón-Zayas earned her first ever Emmy nomination for her performance in the show.
These noms recognize The Bear‘s season two, though the third season released last month. At the 2023 Emmys, The Bear season one earned 13 nominations and won 10, setting the record for most awards won by a series in its first season. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach all won for their acting categories in 2023.
It Was a Big Day for First-Time Nominees
This year saw dozens of first-time nominees, including some that may come as a surprise. Selena Gomez scored her first acting nomination for Only Murders in the Building, though she was nominated for two Emmys before as a producer on the show. Da’Vine Joy Randolph also received her first Emmy nom for best guest actress in a comedy series for Only Murders. Ryan Gosling landed his first Emmy nom with a best guest actor in a comedy series nod for hosting Saturday Night Live. Lily Gladstone was another first-time nominee for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for Under the Bridge. Other actors who scored their first Emmy nominations include Dakota Fanning, Jonathan Bailey, Naomi Watts, Takehiro Hira, Karen Pittman, Tom Hollander, Greta Lee and Paul Rudd.
Old Faithful, Saturday Night Live
Lorne Michaels’ Saturday Night Live maintained its Emmy dominance, with this year’s nominations adding to its own record as the most Emmy-nominated program of all time. To date, the show has been nominated 341 times — 17 this year — which is nearly a full 200 ahead of Game of Thrones, the second-most nominated series of all time with 159 nominations.
FX Came to Play This TV Awards Season
FX had a lot to celebrate after its record Emmy nominations this week, driven by the year’s two most nominated projects, Shogun and The Bear. The cable network and its Hulu offerings climbed to a best-ever 93 nominations this year, right behind Netflix’s 107 noms and beating HBO, which typically dominates TV awards nominations alongside Netflix. FX’s previous record of nominations in a single year was 56 in 2016, which included The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Other shows that contributed to the network’s tally included Fargo (15), Feud (10), Welcome to Wrexham (6), What We Do In the Shadows (8) and Reservation Dogs (4).
Sofia Vergara Is In Rare Company
Sofia Vergara is only the second Latina woman to be nominated for best lead actress in a limited series, following Anya Taylor-Joy, who won the trophy for her performance in The Queen’s Gambit in 2021. Vergara is nominated for her performance in Griselda, Netflix’s series on the notorious Colombian drug lord of the same name. “Griselda was my first dramatic role ever, and it took us 15 years to bring her to life,” Vergara wrote on Instagram after the nomination. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who was a part of this series.”
Nava Mau Makes Emmy History as First Latina Trans Limited Series Nominee
Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau made Emmy history with her nomination. She scored a nod for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, becoming the first Latina trans nominee in this category. Mau is also only the third trans actress to be nominated in a performing category following Laverne Cox’s 2014 nomination for Orange Is the New Black and Mj Rodriguez’s drama actress nod for Pose in 2021. “I haven’t stopped crying all day. I am humbled and so thrilled for everyone nominated. One day I will catch up to this reality,” Mau wrote on Instagram after the announcement. “I’m at a loss for words.” Netflix’s Baby Reindeer landed 11 total Emmy nominations this year.
Carol Burnett Sets Record
At 91, Carol Burnett is the oldest comedy actress Emmy nominee for best supporting actress for her role in Palm Royale. She joins her fellow nonagenarians Dick Van Dyke, 98, whose special Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic was nominated for four awards this year; Cicely Tyson, who received a nod for guest acting in How to Get Away With Murder when she was 93; and Ernest Borgnine, who was nominated for guest acting in ER in 2009 at 92. Her recognition for the AppleTV+ series marks the actress and comedian’s 25th nod; she’s won seven times. Burnett will be up against Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear), Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary) and Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building).
Steve Martin Breaks His Own Record; Larry David Joins Him
In 2022, Steve Martin became the oldest nominee in the best lead actor in a comedy series category for Only Murders in the Building. After not being nominated last year, he received a nod this year and broke his own record as the oldest nominee for best lead actor in a comedy at 78 years old. Larry David, on the other hand, overtook Michael Douglas as the second-oldest nominee for lead actor in a comedy with his nomination for Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s final season at 77. (Douglas was 76 when he was nominated for The Kominsky Method in 2021.) Martin and David will compete against Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs).
Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis Make History as First Indigenous Women Nominees
Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis not only scored their first Emmy nominations this week but they also made history. The two actresses scored nods for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for Under the Bridge and True Detective: Night Country, respectively. This recognition for Gladstone, of Blackfeet and Nimíipuu heritage, and Reis, of the Seaconke Wampanoag tribe, marks the first time Indigenous women have been nominated for acting Emmys. Previously, late actor August Schellenberg was the only Indigenous actor to receive an Emmy nod for acting (in 2007 for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee). Earlier this year, Gladstone also became the first Native American acting nominee in Oscars history for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon.
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai Becomes First Indigenous Actor in Category
With D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s nomination for best lead actor in a comedy series for Reservation Dogs, he became the first Indigenous actor to be recognized as such. The 2024 Emmy nominees marked a bigger year for the FX/Hulu show, co-created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, than it’s seen in previous years. It was nominated for four awards compared to only one prior nod for sound editing in 2023. In addition to Woon-A-Tai’s recognition, Reservation Dogs also received noms for best comedy series, picture editing for a single-camera comedy series and cinematography for a single-camera series (half-hour).
