This year’s Emmy nominees for Best Special Class Program are four live television events that represent all four of the major networks (NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS). But which one has the best chance of winning? This category could be anyone’s game.
The “70th Annual Tony Awards” may have aired on CBS last year, but the ceremony hosted by James Corden is still remembered as the best Tony telecast in recent years and is even more noteworthy for its cultural significance. The show included a sweep by “Hamilton” (11 wins out of a record 16 nominations). And it took place soon after the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Florida, so it also featured heartfelt tributes to the gay community. While this year’s ceremony with Kevin Spacey hosting may be a little fresher in people’s minds, this nominated telecast is still available for digital download. And perhaps most importantly, the Tonys have a great track record in this category, with seven wins in 10 previous nominations. It has three other nominations this year: Best Variety Special Writing, Best Variety Special Lighting Design/Direction, and Best Technical Direction.
Also nominated is NBC’s most recent live television musical production, “Hairspray Live!” It may have experienced some technical mishaps when it first aired back in December, but the telecast was still, for the most part, well-received. A lot of those glitches were improved when “Hairspray Live!” was released on DVD and digital download, so they probably won’t be a factor for voters discovering it after the fact. And while the Tonys have won seven times, the last two awards have gone to televised musicals: “Sweeney Todd (Live from Lincoln Center)” in 2015 and “Grease: Live” in 2016. Plus “Hairspray” is the most nominated program in this category with six other bids: Best Variety/Nonfiction/Reality Costumes, Best Multi-Camera Hairstyling, Best Variety Special Lighting Design/Direction, Best Multi-Camera Makeup, Best Variety/Nonfiction Production Design, and Best Technical Direction.
While the chaos that took place at the end of “The Oscars” back in February may have been the talk of the town — “La La Land” was mistakenly named Best Picture, but it was really “Moonlight” that had won — the ceremony that Jimmy Kimmel hosted this past year was still praised as the best Oscars telecast in recent years. It was so well received, in fact, that Kimmel and producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd will be returning for next year’s telecast. Like the Tonys, the Oscars are nominated for the 11th time, but the Oscars have yet to win this category. It has five other nominations: Best Variety Special Directing, Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media, Best Variety/Nonfiction Production Design, Best Variety Sound Mixing, and Best Technical Direction.
The “Super Bowl LI Halftime Show” that Lady Gaga headlined on FOX back in February of this year received quite a bit of acclaim as well, thanks to her high-flying acrobatics and showmanship. In fact, it’s the Emmys’ favorite Halftime Show ever with a record six nominations. It’s also up for Best Variety Special Lighting Design/Direction, Best Music Direction, Best Variety/Nonfiction Production Design, Best Variety Sound Mixing, and Best Technical Direction. But no Halftime Show has won this category despite two previous nominations.
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