HBO drama “Succession,” the story of a cutthroat fight for control of a family’s media empire, led the nominees for television’s Emmy awards on Wednesday with 27 nods for its final season. The two-time best drama winner was followed by fellow HBO show “The Last of Us,” a dystopian video game adaptation that earned a second-best 24 nominations. “Succession,” a stylish satire on wealth and hypocrisy that was moved to the drama category this year, also captured acting nods for Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
In a nod to its success, the program has already won the top Emmy award for Best miniseries or TV movie this year and a Golden Globe for best television series – drama. Its cast will also vie for the best actor in a drama award, with Brian Cox — who portrays patriarch Kendall Roy — competing against his TV sons Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin. Sarah Snook, who plays another member of the Roy clan, is considered a favorite for the best drama actress prize.
The nominations were announced as Hollywood was in the throes of labor tensions that may delay the Emmys ceremony beyond its expected September date. Film and TV writers left the job two months ago, while actors may strike as soon as Wednesday evening.
During the announcement, Emmys host Yvette Nicole Brown quickly addressed the issues, noting that both sides must remain focused on reaching an equitable agreement in the ongoing guild negotiations. The Television Academy’s CEO, Frank Scherma, made a similar point to the livestream audience in his speech.
“We hope the ongoing discussions between the TV Writers Guild and the other television production companies will come to an equitable and swift resolution,” he said. Despite the uncertainty, most of the show’s producers and stars were upbeat about the news. “I am incredibly proud and honored to be part of this remarkable group of nominated actors, directors, producers, and shows,” said Snook.
The multiple-Emmy-winning “Ted Lasso” dominated in the comedy categories with 21 nods. It will compete for the best comedy series award against Abbott Elementary, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, Jury Duty, and Wednesday.
Netflix’s “Dahmer – Monster” and “Beef” scored nods in the limited series category. At the same time, Disney’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was relegated to the drama race after winning a previous limited series Emmy this year. “The Crown,” “Better Call Saul” and “Yellowjackets” were among the other nominations in that field.
Streaming services accounted for the largest share of nominations, with HBO, Netflix, and Amazon each landing 103 nods. The prestigious television honors were first awarded in 1949, with broadcaster CBS leading the way until it was eclipsed by ABC’s “All in the Family” in 1976. Since then, the number of nominations has grown to record highs yearly. In 2022, it hit a new high of 74 nominations for the winners’ acceptance speeches alone.