I changed my mind since Sunday, when I wrote "Stay tuned for more posts about Emmy nominees, most likely about variety talk shows" to conclude Quibi's last Emmy nominations are also Roku's first as the network was canceled but the shows were renewed. Instead, I'm posting this year's version of It's Saturday night, so here are the 15 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live'. This year, SNL has 21 total nominations, 15 at the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and six at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Here they are.
Outstanding Variety Sketch SeriesThis category almost disappeared after Comedy Central canceled "Drunk History" after initially renewing it. It would have merged with Variety Talk for a general Variety Series category. I'm glad the Television Academy didn't follow through with the idea and so are the Variety Talk Series and "A Black Lady Sketch Show." One of the first and the latter would likely have been left out of the nominations and the variety talk series would have had an uphill fight to beat SNL. Instead, two variety series get to take home trophies. In this case, I expect SNL to win this category again.
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The making of the episode I featured in that post opens The Making of SNL During COVID: Stories From the Show, which serves as a simultaneously funny yet serious and informative overview of the season.
Lorne Michaels and the cast of Saturday Night Live share their stories of what it was like filming all of Season 46 during the 2020 presidential election and coronavirus pandemic.As much as last season was about the 2020 election and impeachment, it couldn't escape also being about the COVID-19 pandemic. All of those, along with using awards shows as examples of electorates mattering, are why I blog about SNL, which was a very popular topic last year.
Now for the acting nominations, which are less of a sure thing for SNL.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesThe first video showed the highlights of the nominated actors and the people behind the scenes, so I'm not going to repeat that with entire clips of their best performances. Instead, I'm sharing Bowen Yang ('Saturday Night Live'): 'Crazed experimentation' of Titanic iceberg sketch from Gold Derby.
Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus Vaughan on Hacks (Episode: "New Eyes") (HBO Max)
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent on Ted Lasso (Episode: "All Apologies") (Apple TV+)
Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Two Aces") (Apple TV+)
Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Make Rebecca Great Again") (Apple TV+)
Paul Reiser as Martin Schneider on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 18. You only give me your funny paper") (Netflix)
Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Biscuits") (Apple TV+)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Bowen Yang as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Carey Mulligan") (NBC)
Bowen Yang ('Saturday Night Live') on 'crazed experimentation' of Titanic iceberg sketch. The 'SNL' cast member joins Gold Derby's Kevin Jacobsen for this chat.That was another interesting look behind the scenes.
Gold Derby also interviewed Kenan Thompson but he has another nomination for lead actor in a comedy series, so I'm being a good environmentalist by saving it for my post about comedy series. That written, Thompson is the only returning nominee from last year, so he'd be the nominal favorite by that criterion. I'm not so sure he'll win, as "Ted Lasso" has four nominees in this category alone, replacing Schitt's Creek as the favorite comedy series at these awards. If the Emmy electorate can settle on a single candidate, then whoever he is will win. If not, then I think it will be between Carl Clemons-Hopkins for "Hacks" and Paul Reiser on "The Kominsky Method." Both series are about show business and, all else being equal, the Emmy electorate will vote for good shows about the entertainment business. I'm not sure all things are equal, as SNL and "Ted Lasso" have more nominations with 21 and 20 respectively, but vote-splitting might allow one or the other to slip past. After writing all that, watch Yang surprise me by winning.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesBoth Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong return as nominees in this category, joined by Aidy Bryant from SNL. Like cast-mate Kenan Thompson, that would make them nominal favorites based on that criterion. Between the two of them, I would give the slight nod to McKinnon as a former winner. Also like Thompson, I think that may not be enough, as the two hot scripted comedy series are "Hacks" and "Ted Lasso." I think "Ted Lasso" may be the better comedy, but "Hacks" is about show business, so I expect one of the two Hannahs, Einbinder from "Hacks" and Waddingham from "Ted Lasso," will win instead. Since I think she won't win in this category or the other on in which she's nominated, I'm going to share Aidy Bryant ('Shrill,' 'Saturday Night Live') on Emmy noms for lead and supporting: 'Such a shock!'
Aidy Bryant as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Regé-Jean Page") (NBC)
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels on Hacks (Episode: "I Think She Will") (HBO Max)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Bill Burr") (NBC)
Rosie Perez as Megan Briscoe on The Flight Attendant (Episode: "Arrivals and Departures") (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Anya Taylor-Joy") (NBC)
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso (Episode: "For the Children") (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso (Episode: "All Apologies") (Apple TV+)
Aidy Bryant ('Shrill,' 'Saturday Night Live') on Emmy noms for both lead and supporting: 'It was such a shock!' The comedy star chats with Gold Derby's Denton Davidson.Now for two acting categories SNL won last year.
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy SeriesEvery nominee is a former Emmy or Oscar winner, so this is a very talented field. Two of them, Alec Baldwin and Dave Chappelle, won Emmys for the same roles on SNL before, so they are the nominal favorites. While Baldwin split the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cup for Best TV President, I'm not rooting for him. Instead, I'm supporting Chappelle. That doesn't mean either will win. The Emmy voters may split their votes so that Morgan Freeman wins as himself in "The Kominsky Method."
Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Dave Chappelle as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Morgan Freeman as Morgan Freeman on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 20. The Round Toes, of the High Shoes") (Netflix)
Daniel Kaluuya as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Daniel Kaluuya") (NBC)
Dan Levy as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dan Levy") (NBC)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesFinally, a category with last year's winner returning as a nominee. That makes me more confident about using that criterion to pick a favorite, Maya Rudolph. Still, this is one field where "Black Lady Sketch Show" holds its own against SNL, as both have two nominees in this category. Also, Bernadette Peters has been in show business a long time (I recall seeing her in the hallway at NBC's Burbank studio when the UCLA Band performed "Copacabana" on a Dick Clark special in 1978 and she was already an established performer then) yet has never won a Emmy to go along with her Tony Awards. She might sneak on past the sketch show nominees to win.
Yvette Nicole Brown as Judge Anita Harper on A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "But the Tilapias Are Fine Though, Right?") (HBO)
Bernadette Peters as Deb on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (Episode: "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night") (NBC)
Issa Rae as Jess on A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "My Booty Look Juicy, Don't It?") (HBO)
Maya Rudolph as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Maya Rudolph") (NBC)
Kristen Wiig as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Kristen Wiig") (NBC)
Follow over the jump for the nominees behind the camera.
SNL earns the "one of these things is not like the others" award in the next category.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety SeriesSNL has won this award for the past three years, so I think it will win again.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020"), Directed by Christopher Werner (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (Episode: "Episode 1085a"), Directed by Alexander J. Vietmeier (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection; Senator Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Performance by Jamila Woods"), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
Real Time with Bill Maher (Episode: "Episode 1835"), Directed by Paul G. Casey (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
Since I've featured SNL so much, I'm sharing an interview with 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' director Dime Davis on her historic Emmy noms on 'freeing' HBO show.
'A Black Lady Sketch Show' director Dime Davis chats with Gold Derby editor Daniel Montgomery about her historic Emmy noms and why the series felt so 'freeing.'Davis earned her directing nomination last year, but she was the one current director of a nominated sketch variety show at the Emmy Awards with a recent video by Gold Derby, so I gave her this slot.
Outstanding Writing for a Variety SeriesI don't have a clip for SNL, but I do have Ashley Nicole Black on 2 Emmy nominations for writing 'Black Lady Sketch Show,' 'Amber Ruffin Show'.
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Ashley Nicole Black on double Emmy nominations chats with Gold Derby's Kevin Jacobsen about writing 'Black Lady Sketch Show' and 'Amber Ruffin Show.' She has now amassed an impressive eight nominations and one win since 2016.I feel better just having watched and listened to this interview. That said, as good as the writing has been for SNL and "A Black Lady Sketch Show," Last Week Tonight has won five years in a row, so I think it's the favorite again.
Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program"RuPaul's Drag Race" won this category three years in a row, so I think it's the favorite with SNL or "Dancing with the Stars" being the most likely to upset it, since they're the only previous winners nominated.
Dancing with the Stars (Episode: "Finale") (ABC)
Legendary (Episode: "Pop Tart") (HBO Max)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "The Pork Chop") (VH1)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Maya Rudolph") (NBC)
The Voice (Episode: "Live Top 17 Performances") (NBC)
Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety SeriesSNL has won this three years in a row, so I consider it the favorite. "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice" are the most likely to upset it, as they are the only previous winners nominated. That written, "The Masked Singer" might surprise me by winning.
America's Got Talent (Episode: "The Finals") (NBC)
Dancing with the Stars (Episode: "Finale") (ABC)
The Masked Singer (Episode: "The Spicy 6 - The Competition Heats Up!") (Fox)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adele") (NBC)
The Voice (Episode: "Live Top 17 Performances") (NBC)
Outstanding Contemporary Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program (Non-Prosthetic)"RuPaul's Drag Race" won this category last year, which makes it a slight favorite, as SNL won this award eight times during the 2010s, including three consecutive years before "RuPaul's Drag Race" did, so it has a very good chance to upset the returning winner. The surprise might be "Dancing with the Stars," which has won once.
Dancing with the Stars (Episode: "Top 11") (ABC)
Legendary (Episode: "Pop Tart") (HBO Max)
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (Apple TV+)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "The Pork Chop") (VH1)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Elon Musk") (NBC)
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" has won this five years in a row, so it's the favorite. While this installment is about variety sketch nominees, neither SNL or "A Black Lady Sketch Show" are my picks to upset it. Instead, I think that would be "Hamilton." I'm planning on writing a post featuring the filmed play later.
A Black Lady Sketch Show – Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo and Jessica Hernández (Episode: "Sister, May I Call You Oshun?") (HBO)
Bo Burnham: Inside – Bo Burnham (Netflix)
Hamilton – Jonah Moran (Disney+)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Ryan Barger and Anthony Miale (Episode: "Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020") (HBO)
Saturday Night Live – Ryan Spears (Segment: "Murder Show") (NBC)
Saturday Night Live – Ryan McIlraith (Segment: "Stu") (NBC)
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition SeriesSNL has won this the past four years, so it's the favorite. While "Last Week Tonight" has been nominated four times, I'm not sure it's my pick to upset. I think those are "The Masked Singer" and especially "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020") (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Dr. Jon Lapook / Performance by Maroon 5") (CBS)
The Masked Singer (Episode: "The Season Premiere - The Masks Return") (Fox)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Episodes: "Condragulations", "Bossy Rossy Ruboot") (VH1)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Kristen Wiig") (NBC)
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a SeriesWhile "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won this category the past two years, so I consider it the favorite, I still either think SNL or "The Voice" could sneak past it.
America's Got Talent (Episode: "Episode 1523") (NBC)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Episode: "Jimmy Kimmel Live - Sacha Baron Cohen, Wesley Snipes, and Music from Charlotte Lawrence") (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020") (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dan Levy") (NBC)
The Voice (Episode: "Live Finale (Part 2)") (NBC)
I'll be revisiting a lot of these categories for variety talk and comedy series, so stay tuned.
Previous posts in this series
- Diversity one of the themes of the Outstanding Commercial nominees at the 2021 Emmy Awards
- 'The Social Dilemma' leads documentaries at the Emmy Awards with seven nominations
- 'Allen v. Farrow' leads documentary and nonfiction series at the Emmy Awards with seven nominations
- Quibi's last Emmy nominations are also Roku's first as the network was canceled but the shows were renewed
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