The 5 biggest surprises from the 2018 Emmy Nominations
By Dan Girolamo
The 2018 Emmy nominations were just announced and they were full of surprising revelations! Let’s take a look at the 5 biggest surprises from this year’s field…
It’s finally Emmy season. The 2018 Emmy nominations were announced this morning at the Television Academy’s headquarters in North Hollywood, California. Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam) were on hand to reveal the nominees.
The nominations marked the return of the machine that is Game of Thrones as well as previous winners Atlanta and The Handmaid’s Tale. That being said, there were quite a few shockers in major categories for both drama and comedy. Below, we take a look at the five biggest surprises from this year’s nominations.
Jesse Plemons nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
The Television Academy are fans of Black Mirror. After breaking through at last year’s Emmys with the episode San Junipero, which won Outstanding Television Movie, Charlie Brooker’s anthology series has another contender this year with USS Callister. Most critics predicted USS Callister would be nominated for Television Movie, but Jesse Plemons surprisingly secured a nomination for lead actor as the creepy and sadistic Robert Daly.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert nabs four nominations
Jesus Christ wasn’t the only superstar in the show. Going into the nominations, Brandon Victor Dixon, who played Judas, was a stone cold lock to receive a supporting actor nomination. However, the Academy rewarded John Legend with a lead actor nomination and more surprisingly, Sara Bareilles, with a supporting nomination. Add a Live Variety Special nomination and NBC is a happy network.
Edie Falco and Regina King both nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
To say Edie Falco and Regina King came out of nowhere would be an understatement. Most critics predicted that Haley Atwell and Elizabeth Moss would nab nominations for Howard’s End and Top of the Lake: China Girl respectively. However, never count out previous Emmy winners. Falco will look to win her fourth Emmy for her role as Leslie Abramson in Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. King will look to win her third Emmy as Latrice Butler in Seven Seconds, which was cancelled by Netflix after one season.
Zazie Beetz secures Supporting Actress nomination for Atlanta
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The Zazie Beetz Bandwagon has left the station and it continues to gain significant traction. Deadpool 2 helped Beetz become popular on a mainstream level, but Atlanta is where her star began to shine. Donald Glover was the focal point of season one, but Beetz made a name for herself in season two. Beetz’s nomination will only come as a surprise to some, but it’s clear that her performance did not go unnoticed.
Ricky Martin and Finn Wittrock crack the Supporting Actor category in a Limited Series or Movie
Ryan Murphy shows lead to Emmy nominations. That is a proven fact. From American Horror Story to American Crime Story, Murphy is a machine when it comes to securing nominations for his actors. The Assassination of Gianni Versace was expected to receive a few nominations for its stars with Darren Criss as a front-runner for Best Actor. However, the show shattered expectations and earned a whopping six acting nominations. None were more surprising than both Ricky Martin and Finn Wittrock earning supporting acting nominations in a Limited Series or Movie. It’s clear Murphy has the magic touch with Academy voters.
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Do you agree with the Emmy nominations? What surprised you the most? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me @danny_giro!
The 2018 Emmys will air live on Monday, September 17, on NBC.