Is ‘The Bear’ Really A Comedy? And Other 2025 Emmy Nomination Observations

The Apple TV+ drama Severance led all shows with 27 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Next was HBO’s The Penguin, with 24 nominations, followed by freshman comedy The Studio on Apple TV+ and HBO’s already Emmy-drenched The White Lotus, each with 23 nods. Next in line was HBO’s The Last of Us, which earned 16 total nominations in its sophomore season.

Two other double-digit nominees: Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story with 11, and Black Mirror, also Netflix and both Limited or Anthology Series, with 10.

Overall, HBO and its streaming service HBO Max led with 142 nominations, followed by Netflix with 121.

Broadcast television, as expected, took a back seat to streaming and cable, but it was not a shutout. NBC’s SNL50: The Anniversary Special topped the broadcast nets with 12 nominations, followed by NBC’s Saturday Night Live (seven) and, in a three-way tie, ABC’s Abbott Elementary, CBS’ The Amazing Race and ABC’s broadcast of the Oscars, each with six. (Yes, it always seems odd when an awards show is nominated for an Emmy, doesn’t it?).

That brings us to some immediate observations following the 77th Primetime Emmy nominations – always a source of debate.

Let’s begin with the most obvious head-scratcher: The Bear – a searing, character-driven drama – scored 13 nominations in the Comedy category. Is anyone really laughing as Jeremy Allen White and company navigate emotional trauma while trying to run a chaotic restaurant?

Missing from the ballot, meanwhile was the sophomore season of The Squid Games on Netflix, which received 14 nominations in season one (with 6 wins).

Then there’s the puzzling absence of Hacks standout Megan Stalter, who brilliantly plays the kooky but complicated Kayla Schaeffer from the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy category.

And once again, Abbott Elementary fan favorites Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti were snubbed—despite the rarity of network comedy representation at the Emmys at all.

Noteworthy in the nominations:

Age Is Just a Number

At age 77, Kathy Bates is the oldest Emmy nominee for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the CBS reboot of Matlock. Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final Emmy nod for Murder, She Wrote in 1996, was the previous record holder.

At age 83, Harrison Ford is the second-oldest nominee ever in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Category, following Alan Arkin, who was 86 when he received his nomination for The Kominsky Method in 2020.

Owen Cooper, 15, from Netflix’s Adolescence, is the youngest nominee in his category – Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology Series.

It’s Been Quite a Long Time

Kathy Bates’ nomination for Matlock marks the first time since 2019 that a performer from a broadcast network series has been recognized in the Lead Actress in a Drama category. That year, How to Get Away with Murder’s Viola Davis and This Is Us’ Mandy Moore were both nominated – though the Emmy ultimately went to Jodie Comer for Killing Eve.

Almost a Clean Sweep

Five of the six nominated actors for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series are from The Studio – Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie, and Martin Scorsese. The one exception is Jon Bernthal for The Bear. These are the first ever acting nominations for filmmakers Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese. Howard, of course, began his acting career as a child on The Andy Griffith Show and segued in his young adult years to Happy Days.

One Out, One Back In

After a long run, NBC’s The Voice was left off the nominations list for the first time since 2012. Meanwhile, CBS’s Survivor returned to the Outstanding Reality Competition category after missing out last year.

50 Years = Emmy Love

NBC late night granddaddy Saturday Night Live has now received a total of 348 Emmy nominations. The show, to-date, has taken home 101 trophies.

Mark Your Calendars…

The 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, will air live on Sunday, September 14th on CBS, and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7.