Apple TV+ series Severance is expected to lead the charge when nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards are announced Tuesday morning, potentially joining the ranks of recent Emmy powerhouses like Succession and Shogun.
The dystopian workplace drama has drawn widespread acclaim and audience support for its second season, positioning it as a likely frontrunner across major categories. Lead actors Adam Scott and Britt Lower are expected to earn nominations for their dual-role performances, while Tramell Tillman and director Ben Stiller are also likely contenders. The show received 14 nominations in 2023, winning two.
Its path may be eased by the absence of FX’s Shogun, which led all nominees last year with 25 and is not eligible this cycle due to production delays.
Other top contenders include HBO’s The White Lotus, which continues to dominate supporting acting categories with its ensemble cast. The resort-set drama’s third season, filmed in Thailand, featured performances by Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, and Sam Rockwell.
HBO Max’s The Pitt, a new medical drama starring ER alum Noah Wyle, is also expected to be a strong contender. Wyle, a five-time Emmy nominee for ER, could face off with Scott in the lead actor category.
Apple TV+ is also eyeing comedy nods for The Studio, a Hollywood satire co-created by and starring Seth Rogen. The show could challenge previous winners like Hacks and The Bear. Rogen is seen as a potential triple nominee for acting, writing and directing. Guest stars Zoë Kravitz, Martin Scorsese, and Ron Howard may also draw attention.
Hacks, with Jean Smart aiming for a fourth consecutive win in the lead comedy actress category, and The Bear, which earned a record 23 comedy nominations last year, remain strong contenders despite a mixed reception to the latter’s third season.
In the limited series category, Netflix’s British crime drama Adolescence is widely expected to perform strongly. Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper, who stars as a teen accused of murder, is among the favorites for an acting nomination.
Despite declining viewership across the awards landscape, some titles still reach wide audiences. Warner Bros. Discovery says The Pitt averaged 10 million viewers per episode—a notable figure in the fragmented streaming era, though still far from the 30 million who tuned in for ER during its peak on NBC.
Network TV’s Emmy presence continues to dwindle, but ABC’s Abbott Elementary remains a strong player in comedy categories. CBS could also return to the spotlight with Matlock, as Kathy Bates is a frontrunner in the lead comedy actress race. A win would mark the first for a network performer in that category since 2015.
Emmy nominations will be livestreamed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Emmys.com/nominations. Earlier announcements for reality and talk categories will air on “CBS Mornings” around 7:45 a.m. Eastern.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Comedian Nate Bargatze will host. AFP
