It’s an odd time for television, with the writers on strike and the actors likely to follow suit (we’ll know for sure later today). And yet: The show must go on!
And by “show” we of course mean the 75th Annual Emmy Awards, honoring the best and brightest of the medium from the past year, which—ongoing strike notwithstanding—is currently slated to air Monday, September 18 on Fox.
Regardless of what shape the show takes (we’re sure Ariana DeBose is game to host and “do the thing” once again!), today the Television Academy has announced its crop of nominees for 2023.
All in all, it’s an exciting bunch—led, in a landslide, by HBO series—featuring plenty of Queerty‘s personal favorite queer and queer-adjacent series (The White Lotus, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Yellowjackets etc…), as well as some of our favorite LGBTQ+ talent on TV.
Below, here’s our round-up of nominees in most of the major categories—as well as some hot takes on who did (and who didn’t) make the cut. You can find a complete list of nominees on the Emmys website.
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- Barry
- The Bear
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Jury Duty
- Only Murders In The Building
- Ted Lasso
- Wednesday
Queerty’s Hot Takes: There are a lot of returning favorites here (shout out to queer-inclusive faves Abbott Elementary and Only Murders In The Building), but the real story on nomination morning are the newbies. The Bear—while frequently more dramatic than it is comedic—was a breakout critical hit, and Wednesday (featuring our fave, Hunter Doohan) was a proper blockbuster for Netflix, while the delightful Jury Duty seemed to ride a wave of positive word-of-mouth all the way to the Emmys! Only thing missing? Our beloved Somebody Somewhere.
Outstanding Drama Series
- Andor
- Better Call Saul
- The Crown
- House Of The Dragon
- The Last Of Us
- Succession
- The White Lotus
- Yellowjackets
Queerty’s Hot Takes: As predicted, HBO’s tentpole dramas run the field, and we’re thrilled to see their shows that predominantly feature LGBTQ+ talent in front of and behind the camera show up here. Also, there’s Succession… which is as straight as they come, but we can’t deny what an incredible final season that show had. And hello to Yellowjackets, which somehow managed to have an even gayer second season.
Outstanding Lead Actress, Comedy
- Christina Applegate, Dead To Me
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face
- Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Jean Smart has owned this category the past two years, but with Hacks taking a little break, it’ll be exciting to see who breaks through here. Our money’s on Quinta, the undeniable brains and heart behind Abbott Elementary, but—oh my god—we’re so thrilled to see Natasha Lyonne, who we’ve adored ever since her camp-tastic cult hit But I’m a Cheerleader.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy
- Bill Hader, Barry
- Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
- Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
- Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Look, we’re gay—the Actor categories are rarely going to thrill us as much as the Actress categories. Still, plenty of great comedic performers here, even if the shows they’re nominated for are decidedly morose (looking at you, Hader!).
Outstanding Lead Actress, Drama
- Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
- Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets
- Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
- Bella Ramsey, The Last Of Us
- Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Sarah Snook, Succession
Queerty’s Hot Takes: BELLA RAMSEY! Despite the gendered categories, we are absolutely elated to see the young The Last Of Us star break through here, continuing to pave the way for nonbinary performers in the industry. Also, pretty much everyone here deserves to be called “mother,” but we have a feeling this one’s Sarah Snook’s to lose.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama
- Jeff Bridges, The Old Man
- Brian Cox, Succession
- Keiran Culkin, Succession
- Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Pedro Pascal, The Last Of Us
- Jeremy Strong, Succession
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Joining Ramsey in the nominee pool is their The Last Of Us co-star and everyone’s favorite daddy/ally/crush, Pedro Pascal, a jovial, lovable star who really shows his gritty side in the apocalyptic drama. He’s got stiff competition, however, in the form of Succession‘s three-headed beast of iconic performances.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy
- Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
- Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
- Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
- Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
- Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
- Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Queerty’s Hot Takes: There are just so many ladies to love here. Ayo Edebiri getting recognized for her breakout work in The Bear amid a very busy year? Perfection. Janelle James for her continued work as quite possibly one of the funniest characters on TV? Yes, please! Still, we’re going to have to root for the legendary Sheryl Lee Ralph here, if only so we can get another musical moment when she accepts her Emmy.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy
- Anthony Carrigan, Barry
- Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso
- Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
- James Marsden, Jury Duty
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
- Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
- Henry Winkler, Barry
Queerty’s Hot Takes: So many men we adore, including Anthony Carrigan who plays the one-of-a-kind gay character NoHo Hank on Barry, and Tyler James Williams who is not gay but an incredible ally who had a powerful Pride message last month. But—full disclosure—we absolutely squealed reading Marsden’s name; he’s just delivers an all-time great meta performance in Jury Duty.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama
- Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
- J. Smith-Cameron, Succession
- Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
- Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus
- Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus
- Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus
- Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul
- Simona Tobasco, The White Lotus
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Please, these supporting actresses! They’re trying to murder us! How could we possibly choose a favorite among so many icons??? The White Lotus cast alone makes this an impossible decision, especially with LGBTQ+ faves like Aubrey Plaza and *gasp* Sabrina Impacciatore making the cut. Though, let’s be real, can anyone stack up against Jennifer Collidge’s operatic arc this season?
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama
- Nicholas Braun, Succession
- F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus
- Michael Imperiloi, The White Lotus
- Theo James, The White Lotus
- Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
- Alan Ruck, Succession
- Will Sharpe, The White Lotus
- Alexander Skarsgard, Succession
Queerty’s Hot Takes: It’s a battle between Succession and The White Lotus, with four actors nominated from each show. Matthew Macfadyen is a returning winner, though we’ve always had a soft spot for Alexander Skarsgard. But Will Sharpe might deserve it for that very revealing shower scene alone!
Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series
- Beef
- Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Daisy Jones And The Six
- Fleischman Is In Trouble
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
Queerty’s Hot Takes: It feels strange to say, but Ryan Murphy‘s controversial Dahmer is the gayest of this crop, though it’s anything but an easy watch, and many have called out the way that show exploited the stories of the real-world victims and their families. Beef might just have what it takes to win this.
Outstanding Television Movie
- Dolly Parton‘s Mountain Magic Christmas
- Fire Island
- Hocus Pocus 2
- Prey
- Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Even stacked up against gay icons like Dolly Parton and the Sanderson Sisters, you know we’re going to be rooting for the charming gay rom-com Fire Island. Wouldn’t it be cool for a movie that features jokes about poppers and Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny to win Emmys gold???
Outstanding Lead Actress, Limited/Anthology/Movie
- Lizzy Kaplan, Fleishman Is In Trouble
- Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy
- Dominique Fishback, Swarm
- Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things
- Riley Keough, Daisy Jones And The Six
- Ali Wong, Beef
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Jessica Chastain is going to EGOT one day—we might as well just give this one to her now, right?
Outstanding Lead Actor, Limited/Anthology/Movie
- Taron Egerton, Black Bird
- Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome To Chippendales
- Evan Peters, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
- Michael Shannon, George & Tammy
- Steven Yeun, Beef
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Evan Peters might be the leader of this pack for his unsettling work in Dahmer, but we’re rooting for Kumail Nanjiani, a surprise nominee for his work in the shocking and entertaining true-crime story Welcome To Chippendales. Also, we haven’t seen Black Bird yet, but we have seen that scene where Taron Egerton is shirtless and gets milk all over himself, and surely that is awards-worthy.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Limited/Anthology/Movie
- Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome To Chippendales
- Maria Bello, Beef
- Claire Danes, Fleishman Is In Trouble
- Juliette Lewis, Welcome To Chippendales
- Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones Snd The Six
- Niecy Nash-Betts, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things
Queerty’s Hot Takes: All thoughts about Dahmer aside, isn’t it time we finally give Niecy Nash-Betts a dang primetime Emmy? This woman is a national treasure, and she deserves it all!
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Limited/Anthology/Movie
- Murray Bartlett, Welcome To Chippendales
- Paul Walter Hauser, Blackbird
- Richard Jenkins, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Ray Liotta, Blackbird
- Young Mazino, Beef
- Jesse Plemons, Love and Death
- Joseph Lee, Beef
Queerty’s Hot Takes: When Beef dropped on Netflix, all we could think about is the beef-y Young Mazino. Still, you know we’re going to be rooting for Murray Bartlett, who shook his gorgeous booty all over Welcome To Chippendales.
Outstanding Competition Program
- The Amazing Race
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Top Chef
- Survivor
- The Voice
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Last year, Lizzo‘s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls surprised when it ended Drag Race’s winning streak in this category. But, without a second season of Lizzo’s show, we think it’s Drag Race’s to lose again, especially with that surprisingly timely Wigloose! Rusical episode. Though we also have to shout out what turned out to be a very queer season of Survivor!
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
- Becky Ann Baker, Ted Lasso
- Quinta Brunson, Saturday Night Live
- Taraji P. Henson, Abbott Elementary
- Judith Light, Poker Face
- Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso
- Harriet Walter, Ted Lasso
Queerty’s Hot Takes: This category is filled with icons, new and old, but special mention to longtime ally Judith Light who really, really surprised us in a very thrilling episode of Peacock’s whodunit Poker Face.
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
- Jon Bernthal, The Bear
- Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Nathan Lane, Only Murders In The Building
- Pedro Pascal, Saturday Night Live
- Oliver Platt, The Bear
- Sam Richardson, Ted Lasso
Queerty’s Hot Takes: You already know how we feel about Pedro Pascal—and he really was a perfect SNL host—but our heart is with the legendary Nathan Lane, who adds to his record as the most-nominated Outstanding Guest Actor in history, now totaling eight (with his first win last year).
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
- Hiam Abbass, Succession
- Cherry Jones, Succession
- Melanie Lynskey, The Last of Us
- Storm Reid, The Last Of Us
- Anna Torv, The Last Of Us
- Harriet Walter, Succession
Queerty’s Hot Takes: It’s a Succession vs. The Last Of Us battle royale! Melanie Lynskey is, of course, one of our greatest allies always pushing the gay agenda, but Cherry Jones is lesbian royalty and we certainly can’t argue with her winning another Emmy for her work on Succession.
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
- Murray Bartlett, The Last Of Us
- James Cromwell, Succession
- Lamar Johnson, The Last of Us
- Arian Moayed, Succession
- Nick Offerman, The Last Of Us
- Keivonn Montreal Woodard, The Last Of Us
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Yet another Succession vs. The Last Of Us duel! But this one especially stands out for us because both Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman were nominated for their heartwarming/heartbreaking work in The Last Of Us‘ standout third episode, “Long, Long Time,” in which they play a gay couple living out the apocalypse together. We still can’t hear that Linda Rondstadt song without tearing up.
FreddieW
Aside from SNL, I’ve only watched “Wednesday” from what’s listed.
Amazing that Star Wars drivel is nominated, but no Star Trek is nominated.
DBMC
The Last of Us is really excellent. Succession, The Bear, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ted Lasso all excellent. Most of the shows here are very worth watching.