Emmy Nominations 2020: 'Watchmen' Dominates With 26 Nods

HBO’s relevant-as-ever “Watchmen ” dominated the 2020 Emmy nominations on Tuesday morning with 26 total nods, but it was Netflix that broke the record for the most nominations ever for a single network or streaming platform.

Netflix towered over the rest with 160 nominations across major categories, shattering HBO’s record from the previous year. The cable giant still managed, however, to pull in 107 nods in its first awards season without the fantasy juggernaut “Game of Thrones .”

Amazon ’s “The Marvel ous Mrs. Maisel” trailed not too far behind “Watchmen” with 20 total nominations, followed by Netflix’s “Ozark” and HBO’s “Succession, which both scored 18 each. For the first time ever, the Outstanding Drama category included not a single broadcast TV series, cementing streaming and cable’s supremacy at the awards show.

The nominations for the 72nd ceremony were announced via a virtual livestream by “Saturday Night Live ” alumna Leslie Jones, “Perry Mason” star Tatiana Maslany, Laverne Cox and Josh Gad of “Frozen” fame amid an uncertain time in the industry. 

Hollywood has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, scrapping star-studded awards season campaigns and indefinitely postponing ceremonies to 2021 and beyond. And yet, television has been a escapist balm in these deeply chaotic times, as streaming services continue to boom and multiply faster than prestige series starring Reese Witherspoon, who in a surprise twist scored zero nods despite her onscreen omnipresence. 

The telecast is still scheduled for Sunday, September 20, on ABC with Jimmy Kimmel tapped as the host. Details about what the ceremony will actually look like are scarce, however, as the format is still being mulled over by the Television Academy and network brass.

Since the Emmys expanded comedy and drama series categories to diversify its pool of nominees, there were more opportunities for overlooked shows to break into the competition. After last year’s “Fleabag” sweep ,“Schitt’s Creek,” “Insecure” and “Dead To Me” now have a better chance of Emmys glory. And with “Game of Thrones” out of the way, “Succession” and Disney’s newcomer “The Mandalorian” could take home top prizes in the drama categories. But the Limited Series race might be the most competitive, with “Watchmen” facing off against the Cate Blanchett-starring “Mrs. America” from Hulu and Netflix’s searing “Unbelievable.” 

History, however, has shown us that awards shows aren’t exactly ahead of the curve. But the academy did take some strides by recognizing new faces like Zendaya for her career-best work on “Euphoria” and “Normal People” star Paul Mescal. There was also plenty of love for established favorites like “Maisel,” “The Crown,” “Ozark” and “Big Little Lies.”