CREDIT: CBS, TELEVISION ACADEMY
The 2021 Emmy nominations are more diverse than ever, but some nods are still sparking debate.

The Emmys are right around the corner and the nominations are coming in hot.

The annual Emmy awards announced the nominees Tuesday. I must say, the nomination list is looking great this year. With WandaVision sweeping house with over 23 nominations and The Handmaid’s Tale close behind with 21 nominations.

This year Disney+  programming received 71 total nominations, including some controversial nominations for the stage-to-film recording of the musical, Hamilton. With the Emmys being an award show for television, many people believe that Hamilton should not have received any nominations because it is technically a musical on Broadway, and was only turned into a special for viewing purposes. There has been lots of confusion on the nomination rules when it comes to streaming in general. Where Hamilton earned itself 12 nominations, Small Axe earned one for cinematography.


Some on Twitter have expressed that Hamilton shouldn’t have gotten any nominations as it already swept the Tony Awards back in 2016, an award show already dedicated to musical theatre.     

Another historical nomination went to Mj Rodriquez, the first transgender actor to be nominated for a lead acting Emmy. Rodriguez is nominated for their performance in the show Pose. The nomination is a breakthrough for transwomen and transmen in Hollywood. This is an exciting year for actors in the LGBTQ2IA+ community with 16 other members of the community nominated as well.

There generally seems to be a lot more representation between nominees than previous years, which is amazing. Sterling K. Brown was nominated for his work on This Is Us , meanwhile the documentary Framing Britney Spears was also recognized. Canadian writer and actor Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) was nominated for his appearance on Saturday Night Live.  

There are a few notable first-time nominees, including Elizabeth Olsen for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) in WandaVision. Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin received nods for their work in The Crown for their portrayals of Prince Charles and Princess Diana respectively. Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory) finally got her first ever Emmy nomination for The Flight Attendant.

Courtney Cox also received her first nomination for her involvement with HBO’s Friends: The Reunion special. Cox was notably the only star from the original cast of Friends to never be nominated for an Emmy during the show’s initial run. Cox worked as an executive producer for the reunion special.   

Even Framing Britney Spears’ two nominations are worth noting. Produced by FX and The New York Times,  this documentary focuses on the role of the paparazzi and the tabloids playing a part in Spears’ infamous breakdown. The documentary also helped fuel the growing #FreeBritney movement.

Overall,The 73rd Annual Emmy nominations have opened some discussions on what should be considered a nominee. With streaming platforms taking over, it opens up a discussion on what should be allowed to be nominated under certain categories.  

The Emmys will air on September 19 at 8 p.m. on CTV, and will be hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. This year’s ceremony is to be hosted with an in-person audience, unlike last year’s Zoom awards.  

Catch the full list of nominees here.