The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. Nominees of note as they pertain to this blog:
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance:
– American Masters – Jerome Robbins: Something To Dance About – PBS – Thirteen/WNET American Masters – Ron Rifkin, Narrator
– Family Guy – I Dream of Jesus – FOX – Fox Television Animation – Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin
– Robot Chicken – Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode II – Cartoon Network – ShadowMachine – Seth Green as Robot Chicken Nerd, Bob Goldstein, Ponda Baba, Anakin Skywalker, Imperial Officer
– The Simpsons – Eeny Teeny Maya Moe – FOX – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Hank Azaria as Moe Syzlak
– The Simpsons – The Burns and the Bees – FOX – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Smithers, Kent Brockman, Lenny
– The Simpsons – Father Knows Worst – FOX – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour):
– American Dad! – American Dad!: 1600 Candles – FOX – 20th Century Fox/Underdog/Fuzzy Door
– Robot Chicken – Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode II – Cartoon Network – ShadowMachine
– The Simpsons – Gone Maggie Gone – FOX – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television
– South Park – Margaritaville – Comedy Central – Central Productions
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or more):
– Afro Samurai: Resurrection – Spike TV – A Studio Gonzo Production in association with Spike TV and UppiTV
– Destination Imagination (Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends) – Cartoon Network – Cartoon Network Studios
Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics:
– A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa – Song Title: I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus – NBC – Muppets Productions in association with The Walt Disney Studios – Paul Williams, Original Songs By
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series:
– How I Met Your Mother – CBS – 20th Century Fox Television – Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series:
– Boston Legal – ABC – A David E. Kelley Production in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television – William Shatner as Denny Crane
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series:
– CSI: NY – Yahrzeit – CBS – A CBS/Paramount Television Production – Edward Asner as Abraham Klein
– ER – And In the End – NBC – Constant c Productions, Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television – Ernest Borgnine as Paul Manning
– Rescue Me – Sheila – FX Networks • Produced by Apostle, The Cloudland Company and DreamWorks Television in association with Sony Pictures Television – Michael J. Fox as Dwight
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series:
– The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – The Boy With The African Heart – HBO – Mirage Enterprises and Cinechicks in association with The Weinstein Company, BBC and HBO Entertainment – CCH Pounder as Mrs. Curtin
Outstanding Comedy Series:
– Family Guy – FOX – Fox Television Animation
Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Animated Programs:
– Phineas and Ferb – The Monster Of Phineas-N-Ferbenstein – Disney Channel – Disney Channel
– SpongeBob SquarePants – Dear Vikings – Nickelodeon – Nickelodeon in association with United Plankton Pictures, Inc.
The 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards take place Sunday, September 20th at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS.
And I’d like to wish a hearty congratulations to the nominees. It will be interesting to see who is selected as the winner for the Voice-Over category — I never imagined I’d see three cast members from The Simpsons nominated in the same category! And I must say it’s nice to see it filled primarily with those not only known for their cartoon voice work but moreso for voicing multiple characters, rather than celebrity one-voicers.
In related news, The LA Times points out that this is the first time Harry Shearer has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his voice work on The Simpsons.
And Family Guy‘s nomination for “Outstanding Comedy Series” has sparked a great deal of controversy among TV critics and across the internet as it is the first time an animated program has been nominated in this category. Show creator Seth MacFarlane was surprised at the nomination as well: “On the one hand, it’s really exciting and we’re delighted, and on the other hand, we feel like, really, The Simpsons should have been on this list in the 90s when they submitted.” (Related post with MacFarlane’s reaction posted here.)
The Hollywood Reporter also has a response from Neil Patrick Harris (voices on Spider-Man, Justice League, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) who will be hosting the Emmys this year and is a nominee for supporting actor: “I love being in the mix again this year, but am absolutely over the moon about ‘How I Met Your Mother’s’ best comedy series nomination. The only multicamera show in the mix! This kind of recognition is huge for us. Just huge. It should be quite the night. Being asked to host the show — terrific. Getting a third nomination — fantastic. Having the ability to scribble my name in the envelope backstage when no one is looking — priceless.”
