2023 Emmy Nominations: The Biggest Snubs and Surprises

Written by Joel Pesantez

There aren’t many sure things at the Emmys (well, besides Succession being there).

The 2023 Emmy Nominations have come and gone, but not without the usual snubs and surprises that always seem to enrage and delight TV fans. Even with the Emmys adding more nominee slots just a few years ago, there seem to be more shocking omissions than ever. More than anything, the Emmys continue to be chaotic, with several unlikely shows sneaking in at the last minute. Click here for the entire list of nominees.

Here are the biggest snubs and surprises of the 2023 Emmy nominations:

The Snubs

Snub: Atlanta — The Actors, The Series.

Atlanta had been a staple at the Emmys these past couple of years, but in its final, and arguably strongest season, Atlanta only squeaked out one nomination for its cinematography. It didn’t even garner a nomination for Donald Glover, who won an Emmy for lead comedy actor in the show’s first season. The series would’ve been worthy of so many different nominations, whether it be for its quartet of amazing performances or its brilliant writing. It’s difficult to see why the Emmys soured on Atlanta; it consistently managed to reinvent itself across its run, shifting from horror to drama to surrealist comedy. For such a defining show, it’s disappointing to see it go out on a whimper.

Snub: The Actors of Better Call Saul

As acclaimed as its predecessor Breaking Bad was, Better Call Saul hasn’t seen nearly the same amount of recognition at award shows. Over its six-season run, it still hasn’t managed to secure an Emmy for its impeccable directing, writing, and, most disappointing of all, its acting. Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn will have one final shot at the gold, but Giancarlo Esposito and Jonathan Banks will have to watch from the sidelines. Both were snubbed for their breathtaking performances as Gus and Mike, respectively. After portraying two of the most iconic television characters for over a decade, seeing them ignored again one final time feels like a slap in the face.

Snub: Harrison Ford for AppleTV+’s Shrinking

This year sure has been a mixed bag for Harrison Ford. While Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office, he found success in television with well-received shows like Shrinking and 1923. Ford’s TV roles catapulted him into conversations surrounding the 2023 Emmys, particularly in the supporting comedy actor category, where he was considered one of the favorites. However, on nomination morning he went home empty-handed. Even though Ford is beloved within the entertainment industry, his omissions seem to be a result of his shows not being as welcomed by the academy, with both getting snubbed in their respective categories. Shrinking not getting nominated for comedy series was an especially egregious snub, considering that it seemed to be a lock after getting nominations for its lead actors. With an upcoming role in a Marvel movie, 2024 should be a year that brings Ford more consistent success and acclaim.

The Surprises

Surprise: The White Lotus Supporting Cast

After its success in the limited series category last year, some might expect the series to face challenges in garnering the same level of recognition after transitioning to the drama series category. The opposite happened, though, with the series overperforming, totaling nine nominations amongst its supporting cast. Jennifer Coolidge seems like a favorite in the supporting category following her win last year, but any of her equally-deserving co-stars could easily surprise. Succession seems like a shoo-in for most of the drama categories, but The White Lotus might prove to be its biggest competitor.

Surprise: Jury Duty

Earlier this year, Amazon quietly released a new comedy series made up of mostly inexperienced and unknown actors. The show was dropped onto one of its lesser streaming services, Freevee, seemingly out of nowhere. The show wasn’t supposed to be a hit, but due to word of mouth on social media, soon everyone was talking about it. To say the show was an underdog going into nomination morning would’ve been an understatement. Miraculously, it came out with a handful of nominations, including comedy series, writing for a comedy series, and a supporting actor nomination for one of the only known actors on the show, James Marsden. While I was a bit disappointed by the show and thought it didn’t completely live up to its fascinating premise, an out-of-the-box nomination is always welcomed.

Surprises: Ted Lasso

After a disappointing final season, many expected the Emmys juggernaut Ted Lasso to finally show some weakness. In reality, the show was as strong as ever, nabbing about the same amount of nominations it had in previous years and even overperforming in some categories. After not receiving a nomination throughout the show’s entire run, Phil Dunster was finally acknowledged in the supporting actor category. Even though the season wasn’t completely terrible, it seemed to be coasting off the goodwill it built up with voters. It will be interesting to see if the show can complete the three-peat and win for its final lackluster season, especially with its strong competition.

Abbott Elementary is continuing to cement its reputation as one of the biggest shows on primetime television. Barry was able to pull off an ending that critics and fans alike raved about. Ultimately, The Bear seems like Ted Lasso’s biggest competition, recently coming off a critically acclaimed second season and with Jeremy Allen White as the frontrunner best comedy actor. Hopefully, the Emmys will pull one more surprise and crown a new winner in the comedy series category.

The 75th Emmy Awards aka The 2023 Emmys will be broadcast on Sept. 18 on FOX starting at 8 p.m.

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