2025 Emmys: ‘Severance’ and ‘The Penguin’ lead race, and Javier Bardem and Harrison Ford score their first nominations

The 77th Emmy Awards will be held on September 14, where the Television Academy annually recognizes and celebrates the best of American television. On Tuesday, July 15, the nominations were announced. Among those vying for the statuette are Javier Bardem, Harrison Ford, Pedro Pascal, and casts from standout series this year like Severance, The White Lotus, The Bear, and Hacks.

At 8:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, actors Brenda Song and Harvey Guillén, along with Academy president Cris Abrego, revealed the nominations. This year, Severance and The Penguin stand out. The Apple TV+ series received an impressive 27 nominations, while HBO Max’s series about Batman’s eternal foe garnered 24. The Studio and The White Lotus are also strong contenders with 23 each. The Studio matches the comedy nomination record set by The Bear last year. So far, no show has surpassed Game of Thrones’ drama nomination record of 32 in 2019.

Severance competes in the coveted Best Drama Series category alongside the third season of The White Lotus; breakout medical drama The Pitt; the acclaimed Star Wars spin-off Andor; the second season of thriller The Diplomat; the uncontrollable fungi of The Last of Us season three; Apple TV+ rival Slow Horses; and the surprise entry Paradise. Notably absent is the latest season of Squid Game.

The Studio is in the race for Best Comedy Series, competing against reigning winner Hacks, which dethroned The Bear last year, though The Bear remains in the mix amid ongoing debate over whether it is a comedy or a drama. Other contenders include Abbott Elementary, Only Murders in the Building, Nobody Wants This, Shrinking, and What We Do in the Shadows.

In the Limited Series or Anthology Series category, Adolescence received several nominations, competing with The Penguin, Dying for Sex, Black Mirror, and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, which also earned Javier Bardem a nomination. Surprisingly, this is Bardem’s first Emmy nomination, despite six Golden Globe and four Oscar nods.

16 acting categories

The acting categories are among the most exciting, with 16 nominations across drama, comedy, and limited and anthology series categories (lead and supporting actor and actress), plus four unique Emmy Awards for Best Guest Actor and Actress in both drama and comedy, where there were some notable surprises.

In the drama category, veteran actress Kathy Bates leads the pack for her role in the detective series Matlock. At 77 years old, she is the oldest actress to be nominated. However, Keri Russell presents strong competition for the win for her role in The Diplomat. Also nominated are Britt Lower for Severance, Sharon Horgan for Bad Sisters, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Surprisingly, Elisabeth Moss, with the latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale, is left out.

As for actors, the race seems to be between Noah Wyle — who will receive his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year — for The Pitt, and Pedro Pascal for The Last of Us, although Adam Scott could win for Severance. Also in the running are Sterling K. Brown for Paradise and Gary Oldman for Slow Horses.

Among the top contenders in comedy, Jean Smart — who’s been winning everything with Hacks (including last year’s Emmy) — is once again the favorite. She’ll face competition from Uzo Aduba for The Residence, Quinta Brunson from Abbott Elementary, and Kristen Bell from Nobody Wants This. Smart will also have to go up against Ayo Edebiri, who is nominated for her role as Chef Sydney in The Bear.

Her co-star Jeremy Allen White is also nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy. A two-time consecutive winner for his role as the troubled Carmen Berzatto, he will face tough competition from Seth Rogen for The Studio, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building, Adam Brody in Nobody Wants This, and Jason Segel in Shrinking.

In the category of anthology or limited series, Michelle Williams, who plays a cancer patient in Dying for Sex, will compete against Cristin Millioti in The Penguin, Cate Blanchett in Disclaimer, Rashida Jones in Black Mirror, and Meghan Fahy in Sirens.

In the race for Lead Actor in a Drama, Stephen Graham in Adolescence is the favorite, although he faces tough competition from Colin Farrell for The Penguin. Also in the race are Cooper Koch for his role as Erik in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, Jake Gyllenhaal for Presumed Innocent, and Brian Tyree Henry for the thriller Dope Thief.

When it comes to supporting actors, The White Lotus has received a number of nominations in the limited or anthology series category. Nominees from Mike White’s series include Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, and Sam Rockwell. From Apple TV+’s Severance come John Turturro, Tramell Tillman, and Zach Cherry, while James Marsden is nominated for Paradise.

It’s a similar story with supporting actresses. Katherine LaNasa leads with her role as the suffering nurse Dana Evans in The Pitt, but The White Lotus is also strongly represented with nominations for Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, and Aimee Lou Wood. Julianne Nicholson from Paradise and Patricia Arquette from Severance also received nominations. Meanwhile, Alison Janney’s portrayal of the cold Vice President Penn in The Diplomat was a surprise omission.

In the comedy category, the supporting actors come from a wide range of shows. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, soon to join Fantastic Four and last year’s winner, has been nominated for his role as cousin Richie in The Bear. He will be competing against Ike Barinholtz, who is a strong contender for his role as producer Sal Saperstein in The Studio. Also nominated are none other than Harrison Ford, receiving his first Emmy nomination for Shrinking, which also earned a nod in this category for Michael Urie. Colman Domingo received a surprise nomination for The Four Seasons and Jeff Hiller for Somebody Somewhere. Bowen Yang also scored a nomination for Saturday Night Live.

In the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, Catherine O’Hara and Kathryn Hahn, were nominated for their roles in The Studio, while Abbott Elementary also received two nods for Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Rounding out the race are Hannah Einbinder for her role opposite Jean Smart in Hacks, and Liza Colón-Zayas, reprising her role as Tina in The Bear, for which she won last year and gave an emotional acceptance speech. Jessica Williams is also nominated for Shrinking.

Javier Bardem has a chance in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. However, he faces tough competition from one of the year’s biggest stars: the young Owen Cooper, who plays little Jamie in Adolescence. Despite being the series’ central figure, Cooper was submitted as a supporting actor to increase his and Stephen Graham’s chances. At 15 years old, Cooper is the youngest nominee ever in this category. He will compete against his co-star from Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, Ashley Walters, who portrays Detective Bascombe, a key character in the first two episodes. Also nominated are Rob Delaney for Dying for Sex, and both Bill Camp and Peter Sarsgaard for Presumed Innocence.

Adolescence also leads among the nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, with Erin Doherty (best known for playing Princess Anne in the middle seasons of The Crown) recognized for her role as Jamie’s psychologist. She is joined by Christine Tremarco, who portrays Jamie’s mother. Chloë Sevigny, Bardem’s co-star who plays the Menendez family matriarch, has also been nominated. Rounding out the category are Deirdre O’Connell for The Penguin, Jenny Slate for Dying for Sex, and Ruth Negga for Presumed Innocent.

Now, the 24,000 voting members of the Television Academy are called to cast their ballots for their favorites. The winners will be announced during a grand ceremony on September 15, marking the official kickoff to Hollywood’s awards season.

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