With all eyes on the major Emmy nominees in star-studded contests, let’s not forget that well over 40 familiar faces are popping up in lesser-publicized categories. Most of these winners will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys in two separate ceremonies on September 14 and 15, a week before the primetime telecast on September 22. Check out the complete list of nominations here.
The Best Narrator category is filled with stars, including Emmy mainstays Sir David Attenborough (“Our Planet”), Angela Bassett (“The Flood”), Charles Dance (“Savage Kingdom”) and Liev Schreiber (“The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti”). First-time nominees Juliet Stevenson (“Queens of Mystery”) and Anthony Mendez (“Wonders of Mexico”) round out the contenders. Attenborough is the reigning champion in the category, having prevailed last year for narrating the nature doc “Blue Planet II.”
The Short Form categories are also attracting more and more A-listers. For Best Short Form Actor, previous Emmy champs Jimmy Fallon (“Beto Breaks the Internet”) and Patton Oswalt (“An Emmy for Megan”) contend against perennial nominees Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul Employee Training: Madrigal Electromotive Security”) and Ed Begley, Jr. (“Ctrl Alt Delete”), plus first time competitor Chris O’Dowd (“State of the Union”).
Meanwhile, “Broad City” stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson compete in the Short Form Actress race for “Hack Into Broad City” against Rosamund Pike (“State of the Union”), with “Special” stars Jessica Hecht and Punam Patel rounding out the category.
In the voice-over categories, previous Emmy champs Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein (“Family Guy”) contend against newcomers Kevin Michael Richardson (“F is for Family”) and Eric Jacobson (“When You Wish Upon a Pickle: A Sesame Street Special”).
Beyonce Knowles-Carter returned to the Emmy race with her music special “Homecoming,” which contends for Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). She previously earned bids for her specials “Lemonade” (two), “On the Run Tour” and “Superbowl XLVII Halftime Show.” That Variety Special category is stacked with celebrity producers, including previous winners Wanda Sykes (“Wanda Sykes: It’s Not Normal”) and James Corden (“Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCarthy Live from Liverpool”), multi-nominee Bruce Springsteen (“Springsteen on Broadway”) and first time contender Hannah Gadsby (“Hannah Gadsby: Nanette”).
Corden, Gadsby, Knowles-Carter and Sykes all contend for writing their specials alongside previous winner Amy Schumer (“Amy Schumer Growing”) and multiple nominee Adam Sandler (“Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh”). It was a good morning for Sandler, who also competes for his return to “Saturday Night Live” as Best Comedy Guest Actor. Knowles-Carter had an even better morning, since she also contends for directing and music direction for “Homecoming.”
In addition to their acting bids, “Fosse/Verdon” stars Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams also compete as producers of the Best Limited Series nominee alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. They’re not the only celebrities in the category, with Amy Adams (“Sharp Objects”), Ben Stiller (“Escape at Dannemora”), Robert De Niro and Oprah Winfrey (“When They See Us”) all in the hunt for gold.
After 11 nominations for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (including one this year), Jimmy Kimmel could finally add a trophy to his mantle with the variety special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.'” He competes alongside fellow producers Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux, Norman Lear and Adam McKay, who’s also in the running for producing and directing “Succession.” (Ferrell is also a producer on that series.)
While Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant did not receive acting nominations this year, they are producers on Best TV Movie nominee “Deadwood: The Movie.” Peter Dinklage did receive another bid for “Game of Thrones,” but is also a producer nominee for “My Dinner with Herve.”
PREDICT the Emmys now; change them until September 22
Be sure to make your Emmy predictions today so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions as often as you like until just before winners are announced on September 22. And join in the fun debate over the 2019 Emmys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our television forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
