Thursday, August 21, 2025

'Saturday Night Live' earned seven Emmy nominations for its 50th season


I begin with two categories I covered in John Oliver examines 'Gang Databases' plus 'Last Week Tonight's six Emmy nominations.
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Saturday Night Live proper has seven Emmy nominations, 24 including the 50th anniversary specials and spin-offs, while Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has six. That's not a good handicap for this category or the next, as the prognosticators at Gold Derby think Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will win handily, just like last year. All the experts, two-thirds of the editors, and 84.3% of the users expect John Oliver and his producers will accept the trophy in September. One-third of the editors and 15.7% of the users are calling for SNL to win in an upset. I'm with the majority. Besides, SNL will win its Emmys for its 50th Anniversary specials.
There has been some movement since last month, with 92.9% of experts, 75% of the editors, and 89.4% of users behind Last Week Tonight with John Oliver while 7.1% of experts, 25% of the editors, and 10.6% of the using picking Saturday Night Live to upset. In general, there is more support for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver now than before.

Before I move on to the next category, I'm sharing Best of Saturday Night Live Season 50.

Check out highlights and behind the scenes from Season 50 of Saturday Night Live, including moments from sketches like Domingo: Bridesmaid Speech, CouplaBeers and more!
HAHAHAHAHA!

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
  • The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Gold Derby odds also overwhelmingly favor Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to repeat here, too, as 91.7% of experts, 88.9% of editors, and 85.2% of users picked it to win again. The Daily Show sits in second with 8.3% of experts, 11.1% of editors, and 7.5% of users think it will upset. Only 7.3% of users think SNL has a chance. This ranking looks right to me.
Saturday Night Live's odds have improved enough to swap places with The Daily Show, but not nearly enough to pass Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which has the support of 92.3% of experts, all of the editors, and 91.1% of users. The consensus around its victory is solidifying. SNL is now the choice of 7.7% of experts and 5.2% of users and sits in second ahead of The Daily Show, which has only 3.7% of users still thinking it can win.

Now for a category recognized at the Primetime Emmy Awards that I haven't examined before.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
  • Ike Barinholtz – The Studio as Sal Saperstein (Apple TV+)
  • Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons as Danny (Netflix)
  • Harrison Ford – Shrinking as Dr. Paul Rhoades (Apple TV+)
  • Jeff Hiller – Somebody Somewhere as Joel (HBO)
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear as Richard "Richie" Jerimovich (FX)
  • Michael Urie – Shrinking as Brian (Apple TV+)
  • Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
Bowen Yang is the only acting nominee from SNL, but he's merely in the middle of the pack according to the odds-makers at Gold Derby. Ike Barinholtz from The Studio leads with 38.5% of the experts and 57.6% of the users, but no editors. I'm not convinced. I'm more confident in the second place nominee, Harrison Ford from Shrinking, who is the choice of 53.8% of experts, all editors, and 32.9% of users. The rest of the experts, 7.7%, and 3.1% of users think defending winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach from The Bear will repeat, which would be my default position in the absence of the odds. Yang is in fourth with 2.7% of users, followed by Colman Domingo from The Four Seasons at 1.7%, Jeff Hiller from Somebody Somewhere at 1.4%, and Michael Urie, the other nominee from Shrinking, in last at 0.6%. I will re-examine these odds when I look at the comedy series nominees next month. I expect the order of the top three to change by then.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for SNL at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup
  • House of the Dragon: "The Red Sowing" – Waldo Mason, Claire Cameron, Heather McMullen, Emma Faulkes, and Hannah Eccleston (HBO)
  • The Last of Us: "Feel Her Love" – Paul Spateri, Barrie Gower, Lucy Pittard, Johnny Murphy, Colum Mangan, Gillian Jarvis, Sarah Pickersgill, and Chris Devitt (HBO)
  • The Penguin: "After Hours" – Mike Marino, Mike Fontaine, Crystal Jurado, Diana Choi, Claire Flewin, Jerry Constantine, Yoichi Art Sakamoto, and Bobby Diehl (HBO)
  • The Pitt: "4:00 P.M." – Myriam Arougheti, Thom Floutz, Chris Burgoyne, and Martina Sykes (HBO Max)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Timothée Chalamet" – Louie Zakarian, Jason Milani, Amy Tagliamonti, Stephen Kelley, Brandon Grether, Tom Denier Jr., and Craig Lindberg (NBC)
The only award SNL is likely to win is a game of "one of these things is not like the others" as it's the only non-HBO show and the only variety or comedy series. My personal preference is The Penguin "because of the amazing transformation of Colin Farrell into Oswald 'Penguin' Cobblepot" as I wrote about The Batman three years ago. I voted for The Batman over Dune, but the latter still won. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the other HBO/Max nominees won.

Now the remaining nomination I covered in John Oliver examines 'Gang Databases' plus 'Last Week Tonight's six Emmy nominations.
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series
  • The Daily Show: "Jon Stewart & The News Team Live at The Chicago DNC" – Dave Edwards, Lauren Browning (Comedy Central)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!: "December 11, 2024", "December 12, 2024", "February 13, 2025" – David Ellis, Hillarie Brigode, and Heidi Miller (ABC)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: "Mass Deportations" – Eric Morrell, Hugh Zeigler, and Amanda Carzoli (HBO)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race: "RDR Live!" – Jen Chu, Gavin Smith (MTV)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Lady Gaga" – Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, Joe DeTullio, Andrea Purcigliotti, Patrick Lynch, and Sara Parks (NBC)
SNL has won this award four of the past five years, including last year, while RuPaul's Drag Race won this the year before last, so I am again handicapping this category in that order.
I haven't changed my mind.

Next, a category I covered in Colbert, Lydic, and Meyers take closer looks at the EPA and Epstein and Kimmel goes down the rabbit hole on 'windmills'.
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series
  • After Midnight: "Featuring Jonah Ray, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Gordon" – Christine Salomon, Lauren Gadd, Dawn Henry, Chris Hamilton, Cory Hunter, Cary Symmons, and Jani Zandovskis (CBS)
  • The Daily Show: "Jon Stewart & The News Team Live at the Chicago DNC" – Michael Williams, John Floresca, Charlie Foerschner, Jeff Latonero, James McEvoy, Matt Muro, Tim Quigley, Phil Salanto, Michael Schmehl, and Rich York (Comedy Central)
  • Everybody's Live with John Mulaney: "How Tall Are You?" – Chris Salomon, Bert Atkinson, Ed Horton, Karin Pelloni, Cole Overholser, George Prince, John Perry, Keyan Safyari, Damien Tuffereau, Suzie Weis, and Terrance Ho (Netflix)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Jack Black" – Bill DiGiovanni, John Pinto, Paul Cangialosi, Anthony Tarantino, Dave Driscoll, Brian Phraner, and Daniel Erbeck (NBC)
  • The Voice: "Live Finale (Part 1)" – Allan Wells, Manny Bonilla, Mano Bonilla, Martin J. Brown Jr., Robert Burnette, Suzanne Ebner, Guido Frenzel, Alex Hernandez, Scott Hylton, Scott Kaye, Jofre Rosero, Steve Thiel, and Danny Webb (NBC)
Saturday Night Live won last year, so I think it's the favorite this year.
Again, no change.

I wrap up the nominations with one I examined in 'RuPaul's Drag Race' leads nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, but 'The Traitors' will likely win again.
Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Series
  • American Idol: "Songs of Faith" – Tom Sutherland, James Coldicott, Hunter Selby, Andrew Law, Nathan Files, Chris Roseli, Matt McAdam, Luke Chantrell, and Ed Moore (ABC)
  • Dancing with the Stars: "Semi-Finals" – Noah Mitz, Madigan Stehly, Patrick Brazil, Joe Holdman, Matt Benson, Matt McAdam, Ed Moore, and Kevin Faust (ABC)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race: "The Wicked Wiz Of Oz: The Rusical!" – Gus Dominguez and Steve Moreno (MTV)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Lady Gaga" – Geoffrey Amoral, Rick McGuinness, William McGuinness, Trevor Brown, Tim Stasse, Frank Grisanti, and Reginald Campbell (NBC)
  • The Voice: "Live Finale (Part 1)" – Oscar Dominguez, Ronald Wirsgalla, Erin Anderson, Vanessa Arciga, Andrew Munie, Jeff Shood, and Terrance Ho (NBC)
Both Dancing with the Stars and The Voice have won this decade, but Saturday Night Live has won more times than both combined and is the defending winner, so it's my pick to win.
Once again, no change.

I may be finished with the series proper, but SNL50: The Anniversary Special has 13 nominations and SNL50: The Homecoming Concert has six with both competing against each other for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Those should be next. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards
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