LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 鈥沦别惫别谤补苍肠别鈥 separated itself from the field with 27 Emmy nominations Tuesday, while 鈥淭he Studio鈥 led comedy nominees with a record-tying 23 in a dominant year for Apple TV+.
No other dramas came close to the dystopian workplace series 鈥淪everance,鈥 which achieved a convergence of acclaim and audience buzz for its second season that brought an expected Emmy bounty.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been the best kind of morning,鈥 Apple TV+ head of programming Matt Cherniss told The Associated Press.
came for 鈥沦别惫别谤补苍肠别鈥 stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower for what amounted to dual roles as their characters鈥 鈥渋nnie鈥 work selves and 鈥渙utie鈥 home selves. Tramell Tillman got a supporting nod for playing their tone-shifting, pineapple-wielding supervisor. Patricia Arquette was nominated for supporting actress for playing an ousted outcast from the sinister family business at the center of the show. And Ben Stiller got a nomination for directing the Season 2 finale.
Apple鈥檚 Hollywood satire was expected to make a significant showing for its first season, but it romped over more established shows like 鈥淗acks,鈥 which got 14, and 鈥淭he Bear,鈥 which got 13.
And 鈥淭he Studio鈥 tied a record set by 鈥淭he Bear鈥 last year when it also got 23 nominations, the most ever for a comedy.
Seth Rogen, who co-created 鈥淭he Studio鈥 with longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, personally got three nominations 鈥 for acting, writing and directing.
Rogen told the AP that 鈥渕y ego is in shock鈥 and called the raft of nominations "very validating in a way that I鈥檓 not used to being validated.鈥
His show's A-list roster of guest stars brought in a bounty, with nominations for Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Dave Franco and Zo毛 Kravitz. The men made for five of the six nominees in the guest actor in a comedy category.
鈥淭he Penguin,鈥 HBO鈥檚 dark drama from the 鈥淏atman鈥 universe, was also surprisingly dominant in the limited series category with 24 nominations, including nods for leads Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti.
got 13 limited series nominations, including a supporting actor nod for 15-year-old Owen Cooper, who plays a 13-year-old suspected of a killing.
Many expect Cooper to become the youngest Emmy winner in more than 40 years, largely because of a breath-taking episode that is one long therapy session inside a juvenile jail. Like all 鈥淎dolescence鈥 episodes, it's done in one long shot.
His psychologist scene partner, Erin Doherty, was also nominated, for limited series supporting actress.
鈥淚f you just sit and listen, and let someone talk, that is such a gorgeous offering," Doherty told the AP. "I don鈥檛 think we do it that often. I鈥檓 trying to take that forward.鈥
鈥淭he White Lotus," 鈥淭he Pitt鈥 and 鈥淢atlock鈥 score in acting categories
HBO鈥檚 high-end soap 鈥淭he White Lotus鈥 got its usual flowering of drama acting nominations for its Thailand-set third season, with four cast members including Carrie Coon getting supporting actress nods, and three including Walton Goggins up for supporting actor. It was second in the drama categories to 鈥沦别惫别谤补苍肠别鈥 with 23 nominations.
鈥淭he Pitt,鈥 HBO Max鈥檚 prestige medical procedural, got 13 nominations, including best drama and best actor for its star, 鈥淓R鈥 veteran Noah Wyle. One of its nurses, Katherine LaNasa, was able to squeeze in among the women of 鈥淭he White Lotus鈥 for a supporting actress nod.
Wyle, who was nominated five times without a win for 鈥淓R,鈥 could join Scott to make best actor in a drama a two-man race, with both seeking their first Emmy.
The broadcast networks have largely become Emmy non-entities in the top categories. Oscar-winner Kathy Bates was a big exception this year. She鈥檚 considered a heavy favorite to win best actress in a drama for CBS鈥 鈥淢atlock.鈥 She's the first person nominated in the category from a network show since 2019, and would be the first to win it since 2015. At 77, she's also the oldest ever nominee in the category.
础叠颁鈥檚 which has kept hope alive for the networks in recent years, got six nominations including acting and writing nods for creator Quinta Brunson.
HBO is still king in the overall numbers
鈥淭he Last of Us鈥 brought in 16 nominations in drama categories for HBO to add to the elite cable and streaming giant's totals run up by 鈥淭he White Lotus," 鈥淭he Pitt鈥 and 鈥淭he Penguin.鈥 Bella Ramsey got a nod for best actress in a drama for 鈥淭he Last of Us.鈥 Pedro Pascal was nominated for lead actor despite appearing in only about half of the season's episodes.
HBO with its streaming counterpart HBO Max has been so prolific for decades in Emmy nominations that it almost felt like an off year without it having a 鈥淪uccession鈥 or a 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥 atop the drama category. But it definitely wasn't. It led all outlets with 142 nominations, the most it's ever gotten.
Netflix followed with 120 nominations overall, including 11 for 鈥淢onsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story鈥 and 10 for 鈥淏lack Mirror.鈥
Apple TV+ had 79 nominations overall.
鈥淪hrinking鈥 added to its total with seven in the comedy categories, including acting nominations for Harrison Ford and Jason Segel.
鈥淎ndor鈥 represented Disney+ with 14 nominations. The gritty series from the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 galaxy is up for best drama series and a slew of technical categories. Forest Whitaker was nominated for best guest actor in a drama.
He's one of several Oscar winners in the guest acting categories along with Scorsese, Howard and Jamie Lee Curtis and Olivia Colman for their performances in 鈥淭he Bear.鈥
鈥淎ndor鈥 star Diego Luna was surprisingly omitted from the lead actor in a drama category. included former Emmy powerhouses 鈥淭he Handmaid's Tale,鈥 which got just one nomination, and 鈥淪quid Game,鈥 which got none.
Actors Harvey Guill茅n and Brenda Song announced the nominations in key categories.
鈥楽everance鈥 delivers big for Apple TV+
has become a signature show for Apple TV+. The streamer has gotten plenty of Emmy nominations for dramas including and and thrived the comedy side.
But Apple has lacked the kind of breakaway prestige drama that HBO seems to produce perennially. 鈥沦别惫别谤补苍肠别鈥 became its most-nominated show ever and could easily become its biggest winner when the Emmys are handed out in September, reaching the upper echelons previously enjoyed by 鈥淪uccession鈥 and 鈥淪hogun,鈥 which left room for others by taking this year off.
Cherniss said Apple TV+, which has been knocked as the streamer with big stars and big budgets for shows that go unnoticed, was rewarded for taking big swings.
鈥'Severance' is such an ambitious show," he said, adding that 鈥渁ll of the shows that have been nominated took big risks.鈥
How streaming has changed TV and the Emmys
All the shows are living in the splintered world of the streaming era, and the like the Oscars its most acclaimed nominees rarely have the huge audience they once did. While an impressive average of 10 million people per episode watched Wyle on 鈥淭he Pitt鈥 on HBO Max, according to Warner Bros. Discovery, 30 years ago an average of 30 million sat down and watched him on 鈥淓R鈥 on NBC.
The broadcast networks rotate on who airs the Emmys. This year is CBS's turn. It will air the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 14. Nate Bargatze is slated to host.
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Associated Press Writers writers Ryan Pearson, Liam McEwan and Jocelyn Noveck contributed.
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