Do shows with the most nominations have a strategic edge at the Emmys, or is it nothing more than bragging rights?
An analysis of the past 10 years’ worth of Emmy ceremonies reveals vastly different results for dramas and comedies. While the drama with the most nominations has won Best Drama Series nine of 10 times, the comedy with the leading number of bids has only claimed Best Comedy Series four of 10 years.
More from Gold Derby
What do these stats mean for the upcoming 2025 Emmys? Let’s dive in.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Severance leads all dramas (and all programs, for that matter) with a formidable 27 nominations. That’s just five away from the single-year record set by Game of Thrones in 2019. The other Best Drama Series contenders this year clock in at 23 nominations (The White Lotus), 16 nominations (The Last of Us), 14 nominations (Andor), 13 nominations (The Pitt), five nominations (Slow Horses), four nominations (Paradise), and two nominations (The Diplomat).
The Apple TV+ sci-fi workplace series boasts an impressive nine acting nominees across lead, supporting, and guest races, which is notable considering performers make up the biggest and most influential branch within the Television Academy. The 27 nominations also indicate widespread support among the crafts voters, so Severance has strength up and down the ballot. According to Gold Derby surveying, Severance has a 68 percent chance of winning Best Drama Series, compared to a 19 percent chance for The Pitt, the perceived runner-up. Could The Pitt be hurt by the fact that the acting branch only recognized three of its performers? Or that it didn’t have the below-the-line impact that of the showier Severance?
Drama Series
Contender
Odds
1.
Severance
Severance
69.1%
2.
The Pitt
The Pitt
18.4%
3.
The Last of Us
The Last of Us
6.9%
4.
The White Lotus
The White Lotus
3.4%
5.
Andor
Andor
1.4%
6.
The Diplomat
The Diplomat
0.4%
7.
Slow Horses
Slow Horses
0.2%
8.
Paradise
Paradise
0.2%
The last time the most-nominated drama failed to win the series race was in 2017. Westworld earned the most bids that year with 22, but The Handmaid’s Tale, which had 13 nominations, ended up walking away with the Best Drama Series title. Westworld only scored five below-the-line wins for hairstyling, makeup, sound mixing, visual effects, and interactive media. Meanwhile, The Handmaid’s Tale claimed eight prizes for series, lead actress (Elisabeth Moss), supporting actress (Ann Dowd), guest actress (Alexis Bledel), directing, writing, cinematography, and production design.
In the past 10 years, the following nine Best Drama Series champions went into their ceremonies with the most drama nominations:
Shōgun (25 noms) in 2024
Succession (27 noms) in 2023
Succession (25 noms) in 2022
The Crown (24 noms) in 2021 — tied with The Mandalorian
Succession (18 noms) in 2020 — tied with Ozark
Game of Thrones (32 noms) in 2019
Game of Thrones (22 noms) in 2018
Game of Thrones (23 noms) in 2016
Game of Thrones (24 noms) in 2015
BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Studio castApple TV+
For comedies, The Studio is the one to beat this year as it received a record 23 nominations, the most ever for a first-year comedy. The pivotal acting branch was clearly wowed by the Apple TV+ show, which depicts the wild shenanigans that occur behind the scenes at a Hollywood movie studio, because 10 performers were individually recognized.
The other Best Comedy Series contenders received 14 noms (Hacks), 13 noms (The Bear), seven noms (Shrinking and Only Murders in the Building), six noms (Abbott Elementary and What We Do in the Shadows), and three noms (Nobody Wants This). Gold Derby believes The Studio has a 72 percent chance of winning, while Hacks is in the second place position at 14 percent.
Comedy Series
Contender
Odds
1.
The Studio
The Studio
72.1%
2.
Hacks
Hacks
13.9%
3.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary
3.9%
4.
The Bear
The Bear
3.2%
5.
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building
2.5%
6.
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows
2.1%
7.
Nobody Wants This
Nobody Wants This
1.8%
8.
Shrinking
Shrinking
0.4%
Funnily enough, Hacks was in a similar position last year, when it was the second most-nominated comedy behind The Bear, which earned 23 bids. And while most awards pundits predicted The Bear would prevail for Best Comedy Series, it was Hacks that had the last laugh.
Unlike the drama categories, there are only four examples over the past 10 years where the comedy with the most nominations ended up winning Best Comedy Series. They were:
Ted Lasso (20 noms) in 2022
Ted Lasso (20 noms) in 2021
In the other six years, the nominations leaders for comedy were The Bear (lost to Hacks) in 2024, Ted Lasso (lost to The Bear) in 2023, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (lost to Schitt’s Creek) in 2020, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (lost to Fleabag) in 2019, Atlanta (lost to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) in 2018, and Transparent (lost to Veep) in 2015.
Best of Gold Derby
Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
