2025 Emmy Nominations: Severance and The Penguin Lead This Year’s Emmy Race
Graphic Via The Cinema Group
With 27 nods, Apple TV+’s Severance takes the lead, followed closely by The Penguin, The White Lotus, and The Studio in one of the most competitive Emmy slates in years.
The race for television’s highest honor is officially underway. The nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards have been announced, and leading the charge is Apple TV+’s Severance, which secured a staggering 27 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. The dystopian workplace thriller will go head-to-head with other heavyweights like The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Paradise, and Slow Horses.
Close on its heels is The Penguin, HBO’s gritty reimagining of Gotham’s criminal underworld, which scored 24 nominations. The Studio and The White Lotus followed with 23 apiece, proving that HBO and Max once again dominate the Emmy conversation with an impressive haul across the board.
In the comedy categories, The Studio made waves by tying the all-time record for most nominations in a single year for a comedy series—a record set just last year by The Bear. The freshman series joins Abbott Elementary, Shrinking, What We Do in the Shadows, and the returning champ The Bear in the Outstanding Comedy Series category.
This year’s nominations weren’t just about quantity—they were about history in the making. Matlock star Kathy Bates, at 77, becomes the oldest nominee ever for Outstanding Drama Actress, while 15-year-old Owen Cooper (Adolescence) earns the distinction of being the youngest-ever nominee in a supporting category.
Hollywood legends also made surprise appearances: Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard earned their first Emmy nominations—for acting—thanks to their guest turns on The Studio. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford received his first Emmy nod as Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Shrinking), and Uzo Aduba was recognized for her performance in the canceled Netflix whodunnit The Residence.
In a shake-up to the usual rollout, the Television Academy announced nominees in categories like Reality Competition and Talk Series live on CBS Mornings. The Traitors, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Top Chef will battle it out for reality gold, while The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert round out the talk show contenders.
This year’s ceremony is set to be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, who is also a double nominee himself. The main event will air live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and will stream live and on demand via Paramount+.
Ahead of the broadcast, the Creative Arts Emmys will be held the weekend of September 6–7, where the majority of technical and craft awards will be handed out.
As the Emmy landscape continues to evolve in the post-streaming boom, one thing remains clear: excellence in storytelling still reigns supreme—whether in the boardroom (Succession may be over, but its spirit lives on in The Studio), the streets of Gotham, or a severed corporate floor.
For now, it’s time to analyze the list, and all the most shocking snubs and surprises of Emmy-nomination morning. There will be plenty of time to do that: The 77th annual Emmy Awards won’t take place until September 14, when comedian Nate Bargatze will host the ceremony for the first time.
Look below for a full list of nominations:
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Andor
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
Paradise
The Pitt
Severance
Slow Horses
The White Lotus
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates, Matlock
Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
Britt Lower, Severance
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
Adam Scott, Severance
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Zach Cherry, Severance
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus
James Marsden, Paradise
Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus
Tramell Tillman, Severance
John Turturro, Severance
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Severance
Carrie Coon, The White Lotus
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Andor, “Welcome to the Rebellion”
The Pitt, “2:00 P.M.”
The Pitt, “7:00 A.M.”
Severance, “Cold Harbor”
Slow Horses, “Hello Goodbye”
The White Lotus, “Full-Moon Party”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Andor, “Who Are You?”
The Pitt, “6:00 P.M.”
The Pitt, “7:00 A.M.”
Severance, “Chikhai Bardo”
Severance, “Cold Harbor”
Slow Horses, “Hello Goodbye”
The White Lotus, “Amor Fati”
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
The Studio
What We Do in the Shadows
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Uzo Aduba, The Residence
Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Jean Smart, Hacks
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary, “Back to School”
Hacks, “A Slippery Slope”
The Rehearsal, “Pilot’s Code”
Somebody Somewhere, “AGG”
The Studio, “The Promotion”
What We Do in the Shadows, “The Finale”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
The Bear, “Napkins”
Hacks, “A Slippery Slope”
Mid-Century Modern, “Here’s to You, Mrs. Schneiderman”
The Rehearsal, ”Pilot’s Code”
The Studio, “The Oner”
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Adolescence
Black Mirror
Dying for Sex
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
The Penguin
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
Meghann Fahy, Sirens
Rashida Jones, Black Mirror
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent
Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief
Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent
Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex
Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent
Ashley Walters, Adolescence
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent
Deirdre O’Connell, The Penguin
Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Adolescence
Black Mirror, “Common People”
Dying for Sex, “Good Value Diet Soda”
The Penguin, “A Great or Little Thing”
Say Nothing, “The People in the Dirt”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Adolescence
Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious”
The Penguin, “Cent’anni”
The Penguin, “A Great or Little Thing”
Sirens, “Exile”
Zero Day
OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors
OUTSTANDING REALITY HOST
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race
Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky, Shark Tank
Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Saturday Night Live
POPULAR ON THE CINEMA GROUP
As the countdown begins to the 77th Annual Emmy Awards on September 14, all eyes will be on how these nominations play out—whether newcomers like Paradise and The Pitt can hold their own against returning juggernauts like The White Lotus, Severance, and The Bear. With Nate Bargatze set to host and a field packed with fresh faces, returning legends, and streaming powerhouses, this year’s Emmys are shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting in recent memory.
Until then, the debates begin: Who got snubbed? Who’s overdue? Who’s the underdog to root for? One thing is clear—television in 2025 is anything but boring.