Streaming giant Netflix set a record of capturing 160 nominations for the 2020 Emmy Awards on Tuesday, surpassing HBO's 2019 record of 137.
Netflix's top-hitters were "Ozark" (18 nominations), "The Crown" (13), "Hollywood" (12), "Unorthodox" (8), "Stranger Things" (8), and "Cheer" (6).
HBO, a favourite of the academy, lost ground this year, sliding into second place with 107 nominations. But they did nab the title for the most Emmy nominations for one series, with "Watchmen" capturing 26 nominations and a hefty 18 for "Succession."
Unlike in other years, where series like HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Amazon Prime's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" took home the lion's share of nominations, the 2020 Emmy noms saw a much wider array of series, with both mainstays and newcomers getting their fair share.
This included a surprise nomination for Disney+ Star Wars spin-off, "The Mandalorian" for Best Drama Series, alongside perennial favourites, Netflix's "The Crown," "Ozark," and "Stranger Things," Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale," BBC's "Killing Eve," AMC's "Better Call Saul," and HBO's "Succession."
Best Comedy included many of the usual suspects and a couple of newcomers: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Insecure," NBC's philosophical post-mortem "The Good Place," Netflix's "The Kominsky Method" and "Dead to Me," Amazon Prime's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," Pop TV's "Schitt's Creek" and newcomer, FX's "What We Do in the Shadows."
Industry pundits speculate that a hidden upside of the COVID-19 lockdown is that it forces hundreds of millions of people to turn to TV for entertainment needs. And with that kind of viewership trolling online archives, it stands to reason that many more undiscovered gems would be discovered.
Meg Whitman's and Jeffrey Katzenberg's troubled short-form platform, Quibi, also grabbed the spotlight, netting 10 Emmy nominations in the short form content category.