The Creative Arts Emmy Wins Worth Paying Attention To

As a longtime fan of the arts and someone who has spent countless hours watching shows, both on the small screen and the big one, I must say that this year’s Emmy nominations have truly left me in a state of awe.

As a follower, I’m excited to share that this weekend, the Creative Arts Emmys will distribute over half of the total Emmy awards, with many of them hidden in the deepest sections of the ballot – areas you might not have come across in casual discussions. However, there are several intriguing stories unfolding within these categories. To help you focus your cheering efforts, here are 12 captivating categories that are definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

Jackson McHenry and I have previously discussed this particular category in detail. We’re both leaning towards a comparison between “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” from “Only Murders in the Building” and Maya Rudolph’s Mother’s Day monologue on “Saturday Night Live.” Essentially, it boils down to a face-off between Pasek & Paul’s EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and Maya Rudolph, affectionately known as “Mother Maya.” Barbra Streisand watches from the sideline in this entertaining showdown!

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy

Singling out the Guest Acting categories at the Creative Arts Emmys always feels like cheating (oooh, it’s all the actors whose names we know!), but there is just so much intrigue in this particular category. It pits the last two Best Supporting Actress Oscar winners against each other: Da’Vine Joy Randolph in Only Murders in the Building versus Jamie Lee Curtis on The Bear. Throw in another recent Oscar winner in Olivia Colman (also from The Bear) and SNL guest host Maya Rudolph (who is nominated in four categories this year), and you’ve got the kind of pedigree that’ll be hard to match even in the main Emmy telecast.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Okay, one more Guest category. This marks Claire Foy’s second time nominated for a guest appearance on The Crown after she vacated the role of Queen Elizabeth II after season two. She won this category in 2021, and considering her competition includes three actresses from Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Michaela Coel, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey) who could all cancel each other out, plus Marcia Gay Harden’s single-scene appearance on The Morning Show, Claire could easily pull it off again.

Outstanding Narrator

A compact yet illustrious title for this esteemed honor: The abbreviated designation for this year’s victor will be stepping into the shoes of a two-time consecutive winner, notably former U.S. President Barack Obama. As for the nominees, they remain an exclusive roster of legends; David Attenborough of ‘Planet Earth III’, Angela Bassett from ‘Queens’, and Morgan Freeman, diverting his divine narration skills from ‘God’ to lend his voice to Netflix’s ‘Life on Our Planet’, a reinterpretation of the ‘Planet Earth’ series.

Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition

The last category to be showcased is this one, primarily due to its significant impact on the upcoming Emmy broadcast. For the past eight years, RuPaul has taken home this award, making him the most victorious host in the category’s history. However, Alan Cumming poses a formidable challenge to RuPaul’s winning streak. Will the over-the-top Scottish accent and dramatic style of the host of The Traitors be enough to secure an unexpected victory? I’m absolutely on tenterhooks.

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series

Among the five Production Design categories, some standouts include “Fallout” (notably recognized for its intricate Vault designs), “True Detective: Night Country” (with its eerie abandoned research station), and “The Gilded Age” (an obvious choice due to its grandeur). However, it’s the “reality” category that catches our eye because it includes one of only three nominations for “Squid Game: The Challenge”, a reality series that may have been underestimated this year. The nominated episode showcases a life-sized replica of the game Battleship, a testament to the large-scale design that defines the entire season.

Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program

A few weeks back, I delved deep into another fascinating category, and it was none other than Erin Tomasello, who won an Emmy for her work on The Traitors’ first season, who couldn’t stop expressing her admiration for Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum. We’ll have to wait and see if that show can outshine a Drag Race season that brought us Nymphia Wind and Plane Jane. As a fan, I’m eagerly anticipating the outcome!

Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming

It’s quite unfair that the Oscar voters chose Billie Eilish’s less engaging song “Barbie” over “I’m Just Ken,” especially since it was followed immediately by a production extravaganza featuring choreographed dancing and Slash from Guns N’ Roses. At the very least, the Emmys should recognize Mandy Moore (the one known for So You Think You Can Dance, not the one from This Is Us) for her outstanding work on the choreography.

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) AND Outstanding Main Title Theme Music

Composer Atticus Ross has been nominated in not one, but two categories for his work on the series “Shōgun”. If he takes home either award, it will add an “E” to his EGOT collection. With two Oscars under his belt (for “The Social Network” and “Soul”), as well as two Grammys (for the soundtrack albums of “The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo” and “Soul”), this talented individual deserves a shot at Broadway!

Outstanding Stunt Performance

One aspect that makes this category standout is: (1) Thrilling stunts! We’re huge fans of them, and it’s even more exciting when an awards show recognizes multiple categories dedicated to these adrenaline-pumping performances, and (2) This specific category sets itself apart by honoring the brave stunt performers themselves, rather than their coordination, which is awarded in separate categories. The nominees include ‘Shōgun’ (Hiroo Minami, Nobuyuki Obikane, Martin Cochingco, and Johnson Phan), ‘Fallout’ (Justice Hedenberg, Hannah Scott, Adam Shippey, and Noelle Mulligan), ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ (Ryan Disharoon, Mike Endoso, Jett Jansen Fernandez, and Rich King), ‘The Continental’ (Jay Hawkins, Jerry Quill, and Ivy Haralson), and ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’, with Tara Macken as the sole nominee. This might be the only time you’ll see me cheering for ‘The Continental’. I can hardly wait!

Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program

In this broadcast, several writing awards will be presented, except for one that recognizes shows like “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and “The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy,” as well as documentaries such as “Jim Henson Idea Man” and “The Jinx — Part 2.” Among these, the episode of “How to With John Wilson” titled “How to Watch the Game” stands out, and I’m rooting for it to win. In this episode, the host attempts to immerse himself in sports by attending a Buffalo Bills tailgate party, where he encounters table-diving and condiment-drenching, ultimately reflecting on the human qualities of those who collect old vacuum cleaners. This outstanding television production truly deserves an award.

Outstanding Commercial

One fun thing about following awards is that the tendencies of voters often remain constant no matter what kinds of things they’re voting on. In this case, Emmy electors will have to weigh their inclination to reward star power — as in the Uber One commercial/short film where Asa Butterfield befriends Robert De Niro, or the State Farm commercial where Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t say the phrase “like a good neighbor” correctly or the ad where Michael Cera pretends he’s the namesake for skin lotion CeraVe — versus the deep sentimentality of Apple’s George Harrison-scored animated holiday tale. (It’s actually called “Fuzzy Feelings”!) Then there’s the kind of voter who tries to award the most important subject matter, in which case watch out for the ad for gun violence-prevention organization Sandy Hook Promise, which gathers a bunch of comedians like Billy Eichner, Wanda Sykes, and Margaret Cho to read excerpts from school-shooter social media posts to make the point that we shouldn’t assume threats like that are jokes. Folks, it is a WILD ride. And in a few short days, it could be an Emmy winner!

2024-09-07 19:55