Monday, September 9, 2024

'Jim Henson Idea Man' and 'Girls State' win multiple Emmy Awards


I proposed either "nonfiction and documentary winners or diversity among Creative Arts Emmy winners" for today's post in Star Trek vs. Star Wars at the 2024 Emmy Awards for Star Trek Day. I decided on nonfiction and documentary winners for today and saved diversity among Creative Arts Emmy winners for tomorrow. Time to revisit what I wrote in 'Girls State' stands out against field of entertainment nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Emmy Awards.

Now for the Gold Derby odds. The editors and top 24 users agree that Jim Henson Idea Man is the favorite with five of twelve editors and 21 of the users voting for it. The experts aren't on board that bandwagon, as only one expert voted for Jim Henson Idea Man.
The editors and the users were right while the experts weren't. Some experts! This is one of the reasons I pay more attention to the editors.

Now for the categories below the line, beginning with Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program.
Other than The Jinx - Part Two, the nominees are all archival documentaries about entertainment. That's both good and bad. On the one hand, if the voters all coalesce on one choice, it will win. On the other, they might end up splitting their votes so The Jinx - Part Two wins. Right now, I can't tell.
The voters lined up behind Jim Henson Idea Man for this award, like they did for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score), a category I passed on other than to say about its score that "I like the variety of emotions in this track!" I then talked about all the rest of the composers because I know them and some of them have paid attention to me instead of discussing the merits of their music. Oops. May I not make that mistake again. I'm sharing David Fleming (Best Music Composition, 'Jim Henson Idea Man') 2024 Emmys press room interview to make up for it.

David Fleming won Best Music Composition (Documentary) for "Jim Henson Idea Man" at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys.
Now I know to take Fleming seriously.

When I looked at Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, I observed "I find it interesting that the one category where I could find a promotional image for the film. I hope that confidence isn't misplaced." It wasn't. Jim Henson Idea Man won.

Combined with the juried award for Outstanding Motion Design it won before Saturday's ceremony, Jim Henson Idea Man went home with five Emmy Awards, more than any other documentary or nonfiction nominee. Congratulations!


I thought Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program would be between Ron Howard and Rob Reiner, the two biggest names among the nominees. Instead, Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss won for Girls State. This is a case where I'm glad to be wrong. On the other hand, I was right about Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: "This is one case where I think Girls State has a better chance than Jim Henson Idea Man because it has more original photography instead of archival footage...Good luck, Amanda, Jesse, and Laura!" All three won. Congratulations!

Follow over the jump for the other documentary or nonfiction winners.


Neither Gold Derby nor I fared well in our predictions in 'Beyond Utopia,' ' Going to Mars,' and 'Stamped from the Beginning,' Emmy nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
Beyond Utopia earned nominations from BAFTA, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Producers Guild of America (PGA), the Cinema Eye Honors Awards, the Gold Derby Awards, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and a bunch of local critics associations and film festivals, including Sundance, to be the most nominated of the nominees. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project earned nominations from the Film Independent Spirit Awards, International Documentary Association, Cinema Eye Honors Awards, and Critics Choice Documentary Awards, plus won awards at several local critics associations and film festivals, including Sundance to be the winningest of these nominees. Stamped from the Beginning earned nominations from the Satellite Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Writers Guild of America (WGA), Black Reel Awards, Cinema For Peace Awards, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, and won Best Documentary from the African-American Film Critics Association. The entertainment professionals most love Beyond Utopia, so I'd say it's the favorite on that basis.

The prognosticators at Gold Derby agree. Right now, Eight editors have voted for Beyond Utopia, while one each have Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Stamped from the Beginning as their choices. The three experts who've voted so far have all picked Beyond Utopia while 20 of the top 24 users have climbed aboard the Beyond Utopia bandwagon. I'd say it's a safe bet to win.
By Saturday night, all eleven editors, seven experts, and users voted for Beyond Utopia to win. Only one expert and one user each thought Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project would walk off the stage with a trophy, while two experts ended up picking Stamped from the Beginning. I bet the one editor who switched from Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project to Beyond Utopia regrets their decision.


Gold Derby and I fared little better in Entertainment and true crime the themes of Emmy nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
While the first season of The Jinx was a multiple award nominee and winner, the current season only has one nomination outside of the Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Awards. Two of the other nominees, Telemarketers and Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV also earned nominations at the TCA Awards and Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV won the category. That's the only nomination for Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV outside of the Emmys, but it is a victory in head-to-head competition, so it counts for something. That written, Telemarketers also has nominations at the 2023 Gotham Awards, International Documentary Association, and Critics Choice Documentary Awards, including winning Best True Crime Documentary. Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. earned a nomination at the 2024 Gotham TV Awards, missing Telemarketers by a year, and won the Audience Award for TV Premieres at the 2024 SxSW Festival. Beckham has the most nominations for the current season with nine. Outside of the five at the Emmys, they consist of one from the American Cinema Editors, two from BAFTA, and one from the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. It's also won Outstanding Sports Program at the PGA Awards. That's a broad base of professional support.

The prognosticators at Gold Derby seem to be taking their cues from the TCA Awards, with majorities of editors and top 24 users and three experts so far picking Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV to win the category. The Jinx is in second with minorities of editors and users voting for it, while Beckham has just one editor's vote to win. Based on all the above, I'm choosing Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV to win this category.
By awards time, eight editors and experts plus and 20 users climbed on the Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV bandwagon, to their eventual disappointment, while three editors, one expert, and two users clued into Beckham and one experts and two users jumped on The Jinx by Saturday night. That bandwagon crashed, but at least one editor abandoned "ship."


We all did even worse in 'Conan O'Brian Must Go' vs. 'Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.' for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special at the Emmy Awards.
In the absence of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy with a variation of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman being the closest thing to a returning nominee, this is a wide-open field where previous nominations and wins mean nothing, so I turn to Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users, who expect Conan O'Brien Must Go will win over My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
No editors, one expert, and one user expected My Next Guest with David Letterman and John Mulaney, the one show with a track record, to win while nine editors, eight experts, and 21 users chose Conan O'Brien Must Go and two editors, one expert, and one user voted for my personal favorite, Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. I would say that bandwagon crashed except that it won the next award.


I covered myself when I wrote "I wouldn't be surprised if any of the nominees win," so I'm not surprised Conan O'Brien Must Go won this award.



I wrote "my preliminary picks are either The Beach Boys or Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. because my default opinion is that, all things being equal, music nominees have the advantage in sound categories" in Planet Earth III's Emmy nominations for World Lion Day and I ended up being at least half right.


I wrote in Star Trek vs. Star Wars at the 2024 Emmy Awards for Star Trek Day.
Shogun won the one category it was contending in last night, Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series for Shogun - The Making of Shogun. I thought it would be between Hacks: Bit by Bit or Saturday Night Live Presents: Behind the Sketch. Nope. Watch for the broom as Shogun tries to pull off a sweep tonight and next Sunday.
Not including this category, which technically recognizes different shows from the main show, Shogun won 14 Emmy Awards out of 17 nominations in 16 categories, so almost a sweep. Including this award, it's already won 15 Emmy Awards. I'll have more to say on the 12th, which is National Video Games Day.


I close by returning to Planet Earth III's Emmy nominations for World Lion Day.
This field features a multiple Emmy winner in Sir David Attenborough, a repeat Emmy nominee and honorary Oscar winner in Angela Bassett, an Oscar and Emmy winner in Morgan Freeman, an Oscar winner in Octavia Spencer, and double Emmy nominee Paul Rudd. What a distinguished group of nominees! Gold Derby thinks it will be between Sir David and Bassett, with majorities of editors, experts, and top 24 users voting for Sir David and small minorities thinking Bassett will win.
Bassett won. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 76th Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)