The 2023 Emmy nominations represent a broad swath of the best TV shows to air in the past year—so if you’re looking to start a binge watch, you have a whole lot to choose from. And unlike the Oscars, which often celebrates films that are still in theaters, the Emmys provide a whole lot of entertainment options available right at home. From a hit comedy on a streaming service with “free” right there in the name to the highlights of premium cable, 2023 Emmy nominees are just a handful of clicks away. Get started here.
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)
With just a shorter season under its belt the ABC comedy was still a dominant force at last year’s Emmys, taking home a writing award for star and creator Quinta Brunson and a supporting-actress trophy for the transcendently memorable Sheryl Lee Ralph. This year we might expect the school-set comedy to have an even bigger impact. It’s nominated for eight awards, including outstanding comedy series and a lead-actress nod for Brunson.
Andor (Disney+)
The Star Wars series was an underdog highlight of last fall’s TV season, with Diego Luna reprising his character, Cassian Andor, from Rogue One. Its gripping finale, “Rix Road,” was one of the past year’s most perfect TV episodes, and creator Tony Gilroy has described the show as an ideal entry point for anyone who might have been “Star Wars averse” in the past. It certainly caught the Emmy-voting audience, at least; Andor received eight Emmy nominations.
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
This Irish black comedy centers on four sisters who attempt to rid themselves of a toxic and controlling brother-in-law, and soon find themselves at the center of a life-insurance investigation. The series was a bit of a dark horse in the Emmy race, but prevailed with four nominations, including outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Sharon Horgan, thanks to the stand-out performances of its ensemble cast led by Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson and Claes Bang.
Barry (HBO/Max)
An Emmy favorite since its first season in 2018, when both creator and star Bill Hader and costar Henry Winkler took home acting Emmys, Barry is in the race for the final time this year. The haunting final season was widely praised by critics, with Hader’s work directing and starring in all of the episodes basically unparalleled in television this year. Barry was nominated for 11 Emmys, including nominations for Hader as an actor, producer, writer, and director.
The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Though the recently aired second season is grabbing all the attention right now, The Bear’s first season is just now getting its Emmy due, more than a year after it became the sleeper hit of the summer. With 13 total nominations, it’s a serious contender for the top prize in the comedy category, with potential to dominate even more when season two is eligible at next year’s awards.
Beef (Netflix)
The acclaimed limited series Date” target=”_blank”>may still return for a second season, but that’s becoming something of a tradition for front-runners in this category (just ask Big Little Lies or The White Lotus). As expected, the Netflix series from creators Lee Sung Jin, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun had an excellent Emmys morning, with nominations for outstanding limited series, for five of its actors, and for two directors.
Black Bird (Apple TV+)
It comes as no surprise that Paul Walter Hauser landed an Emmy nomination for his eerie portrayal of a real-life serial killer in this taut, dark miniseries. The actor has already won Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice award for his work. But the series also picked up nominations for the late Ray Liotta and for star Taron Egerton, who is just as mesmerizing in the more restrained role as the fellow prisoner who attempts to get the truth out of Hauser’s character.
The Crown (Netflix)
The ambitious series about the life of Queen Elizabeth has been an Emmy juggernaut for five seasons now, and won the outstanding-drama-series award for its fourth season, in addition to statuettes for five of its actors. This time it’s up for six awards, including outstanding drama series and a nomination for Elizabeth Debicki, who starred as Princess Diana.
Daisy Jones & the Six (Amazon Prime Video)
Based on the popular novel, Daisy Jones & the Six follows the ups and downs of a 1970s rock band fronted by two charismatic singers, Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin). With its catchy original songs and electric performances from its lead actors, the limited series landed nine nominations on Wednesday, including one for Keough for outstanding actress in a limited series.
Dead to Me (Netflix)
The tragicomedy about two women navigating grief with dark humor landed an outstanding-actress-in-a-comedy-series nomination for star Christina Applegate in its third and final season. The star, who is currently battling MS, told Vanity Fair back in May that if she were nominated: “I’ll get my [Christian] Siriano to make me something because he’s so good with women with curves. I’ll have my Neo-Walk stick. Well, I have a custom one coming out that’s going to have my name on it and it’ll say ‘Fuck you MS.’ It’s going to look kind of groovy and cool and it’ll probably light up and the proceeds are going to go to MS charities.”
The Diplomat (Netflix)
A dramedy in the running against a bunch of heavier dramas, this series from creator Debora Cahn found a foothold at the Emmys with a lone nomination for star Keri Russell. It’s Russell’s second TV outing with geopolitical intrigue, but also a far cry from her previously Emmy-nominated work on The Americans, mixing farce and marital spats with high-stakes action. As Cahn described the show to Vanity Fair, “The world might end on Tuesday because of a decision that they do or don’t make, but that doesn’t mean they remember the name of the person they’re talking to, and that doesn’t mean that they didn’t forget to take the tag off of their pants.”
Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain Christmas (NBC)
The festive film earned two nominations, including one for outstanding TV movie. This is Parton’s fourth nomination in this category, with previous entries including last year’s Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, which won the country icon a statuette as executive producer.
Fire Island (Hulu)
The comedy inspired by Pride & Prejudice was a summertime delight this year, and now returns to the conversation with nominations for TV movie and for writer Joel Kim Booster—just in time for another summer season on Fire Island.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (FX/Hulu)
Adapted from Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s bestseller, with Brodesser-Akner’s involvement, Fleishman Is in Trouble was one of the most talked-about series that aired over the winter, and that buzz has carried through the summer. It earned seven Emmy nominations, including acting nominations for Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes.
George & Tammy (Showtime/Paramount+)
Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon take on the roles of country music icons Tammy Wynette and George Jones in the well-done series that chronicles the ups and downs of their careers and volatile Relationship. Chastain has already won the SAG Award for her performance, and now the limited series has landed four Emmy nominations, including nominations for both stars.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Elisabeth Moss secured her 15th Emmy nomination this year with another nod for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She won this category back in 2017, the same year the show, which Moss produces, captured the outstanding drama series trophy.
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
The long-awaited sequel was a lock to compete in the TV movie category at the Emmys, but earned additional nominations for its costumes and its music.
House of the Dragon (HBO)
The lavish HBO series earned eight nominations, including one for outstanding drama series—a far cry from the dominant nomination hauls enjoyed by its predecessor, Game of Thrones, but possibly a sign of bigger things to come in future seasons.
Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)
The documentary comedy series was an unlikely breakout hit this spring, putting the nascent Amazon Freevee steamer on the map in a big way. Now its profile is even bigger, with four nominations, including ones for James Marsden (for his role as a blowhard version of himself), best comedy writing, and best comedy series.
The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
Following a smuggler (Pedro Pascal) tasked with escorting a teen (Bella Ramsey) across a postapocalyptic United States, The Last of Us elevated the video game adaptation genre with its incredible performances and rich storytelling. A bottle episode starring Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as Lovers was considered especially groundbreaking, and helped the series earn an exceptional 24 nominations overall.
Love & Death (Max)
Candy Montgomery’s infamy lives on in this miniseries starring Elizabeth Olsen as the 1970s housewife whose Affair with a neighbor leads to a murder. The limited series, which also stars Jesse Plemons, earned one nomination in the best supporting actor in a limited series category for his performance.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video)
The hit Amazon series about a 1950s housewife turned comedian came into its final season with 66 nominations and 20 wins already under its belt. It wraps up its run with 14 nominations, including acting noms for Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, and Luke Kirby.
Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
Evan Peters’s portrayal of the infamous serial killer earned him his second Emmy nomination (he won an Emmy in 2021 for Mare of Easttown). The series also garnered nominations for directing, outstanding limited series, and for stars Niecy Nash-Betts and Richard Jenkins, for a total of 13 nominations.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)
The Disney+ limited series reunited Star Wars stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for a new take on the Skywalker saga, and was rewarded with five nominations, including outstanding limited series.
The Old Man (FX/Hulu)
Jeff Bridges has earned his second Emmy nomination, this time for playing a former CIA agent whose past catches up with him. John Lithgow and Amy Brenneman costar in the series, which has been renewed for a second season.
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
After a breakout freshman run in which Only Murders won three awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, the Hulu mystery-comedy is hoping to take a major above-the-line prize this time around for its well-received second season. It’s got options, with three nominations in major categories (and 11 total), including outstanding comedy series.
Poker Face (Peacock)
Peacock has been holding out for a breakout for years, so leave it to the duo of Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne to deliver it. The cocreators of this clever throwback procedural kept things inventive from episode to episode, delivering smart, compact storytelling with a greatly appealing Lyonne at its center. Emmy voters certainly bought it, judging by the four nominations, including lead actress for Lyonne.
Prey (Hulu)
The entry in the Predator series is an unlikely contender in the TV movie category at the Emmys, but had a very strong showing with six nominations, including mentions in the writing and directing categories where it also competes against limited series.
Shrinking (Apple TV+)
Apple hasn’t had the easiest time launching successful comedies outside of its mega-success, Ted Lasso, but the streamer found a worthy successor in Shrinking—and not just because it was cocreated by Lasso EPs Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein. Jason Segel leads a terrific cast that ranges from Daily Show alum Jessica Williams to capital-M Movie Star Harrison Ford, and the chemistry between them deserves some credit for the first-year show’s two nominations, for Williams and Segel in the acting categories.
Succession (HBO/Max)
We knew the phenomenal final season of HBO’s Emmy-winning drama would do well, but this well? We can safely call Succession a very strong front-runner based on its 27 total nominations, including an impressive 14 alone for its cast. The only question now: Which Roy is winning best actor?
Swarm (Amazon Prime Video)
This trippy, darkly comic limited series from Atlanta’s Janine Nabers and Donald Glover seemed like a big question mark when it came to the Television Academy, even considering Dominique Fishback’s undeniable lead performance. In the end voters embraced it in several big ways, including nominations for Fishback and for Nabers and Glover’s writing.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
After dominating the comedy races for its first two seasons—the show and star Jason Sudeikis have won best series and lead actor, respectively, for two years running—a relatively mixed reception to its third (and final?) chapter had us unsure about just how big of an embrace the Television Academy would give it. The jury’s still out on what it can win, but with a healthy noms tally of 21, clearly voters are still under this coach’s spell.
Tiny Beautiful Things (Hulu)
With two nominations for its actors Kathryn Hahn and Merritt Wever, the delicate limited series based on Cheryl Strayed‘s Dear Sugar advice columns may yet find new fans.
Wednesday (Netflix)
Jenna Ortega’s angsty spin on the beloved Addams Family character helped turn the eponymous Netflix series into one of the streamer’s biggest hits ever. Such popularity fueled a strong first showing with the Emmys—specifically, 12 nominations, including best comedy series, a nomination for Ortega, and a directing nomination for Tim Burton.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)
The oddball faux-biopic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall but aired on the Roku Channel as a TV movie, none of which stopped Emmy voters from paying attention. The movie earned eight nominations, including an acting nomination for star Daniel Radcliffe and a writing nomination for the man himself, “Weird Al” Yankovic, shared with Eric Appel.
Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu)
The limited series was one of the surprise success stories of this year’s Emmys, earning five nominations, four of them for its actors—star Kumail Nanjiani and supporting players Murray Bartlett, Annaleigh Ashford, and Juliette Lewis.
The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
It was always going to be hard for Mike White’s HBO anthology to top its Emmy performance last year, when—competing as a limited series—it swept the top categories it was nominated in and took up over half of the supporting-actress field. But somehow they managed to outdo themselves, with an incredible nine actors nominated compared to last year’s eight, and 23 nominations total.
Yellowjackets (Showtime/Paramount+)
The acclaimed saga of survival and trauma hit a few speed bumps with critics in its second season, but still delivered some searing moments while showcasing, once more, one of the best casts on TV. Voters certainly still had the show on their minds, nominating it for three awards, including outstanding drama series and outstanding lead actress, giving star Melanie Lynskey her second nomination in the category.
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