The biggest snubs and surprises of the 2022 Emmy nominations
Spoiler: It's absolute chaos


The 2022 Emmy nominations are here — complete with plenty of jaw-dropping omissions and head-scratching inclusions. Let's take a look at this year's biggest snubs and surprises:
Snub: 'This Is Us,' Mandy Moore, and Sterling K. Brown
The Emmys' parting words to This Is Us are apparently "don't let the door hit you on the way out." The NBC drama ended with a well-received final season this year and was expected to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, with stars Sterling K. Brown and Mandy Moore also poised for nods.
But the show itself was snubbed despite being nominated four times before, and Moore was left out after her co-stars aggressively pushed for a nomination. Even Brown didn't get a nomination, despite the fact that he's actually won before.
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Snub: 'Yellowstone,' Kevin Costner, and Kelly Reilly
Yellowstone is one of TV's biggest shows, and many pundits thought this was its year to finally get a best drama series nod. But it once again was snubbed, as were stars Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly.
HBO's Euphoria, meanwhile, unexpectedly did get nominated for drama series after being left out for season one. Showtime's Yellowjackets also got a drama nod — so maybe the Emmys just weren't big enough for two shows with yellow in the title.
Surprise: Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and Reese Witherspoon
On top of Moore's absence, the drama actress category was just absolutely chaotic in general.
First of all, Killing Eve stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer weren't expected to be nominated considering that show's ending was almost universally disliked. But both of them managed to get in, raising the question of whether voters actually watched that final episode.
There was also a question about whether Jennifer Aniston would be nominated for The Morning Show again, seeing as much of the buzz around that show seemed to have faded. Voters ultimately left her out — but surprisingly, her co-star Reese Witherspoon did get nominated, even though she wasn't for season one.
Snub: Sadie Sink
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink looked set for her first nod after a phenomenal performance in season four, but Emmy voters pushed her back down that hill. Sink wasn't alone, though: her co-star Millie Bobby Brown was also snubbed despite being nominated twice before. Sydney Sweeney, on the other hand, unexpectedly made it into this category for Euphoria.
Snub: Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito
At long last, Rhea Seehorn finally received her first Emmy nomination for Better Call Saul, and Bob Odenkirk was nominated for lead actor. That being said, it could have been a better morning for Saul, as past nominees Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito were both left out.
Surprise: Adam Scott
It was a strong morning for Apple's Severance, which not only earned a best drama series nod but scored nominations for Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, John Turturro, and, perhaps most surprisingly, Adam Scott for lead actor. We expect them to celebrate with a dance party.
Surprise: Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult
Hulu's The Great had a far greater morning than expected, with Elle Fanning not only getting into the best comedy actress category, but her co-star Nicholas Hoult getting a lead comedy actor nod — though Fanning did fall short of a potential second nomination for The Girl from Plainville.
Snub: Selena Gomez and Tracee Ellis Ross
Emmy voters didn't love Selena Gomez's Only Murders in the Building performance like a love song, robbing her of her first acting nomination — though Gomez did get a nod as a producer of the show, which was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Tracee Ellis Ross also wasn't nominated as lead comedy actress for the final season of Black-ish, even though she's been nominated five times before.
Snub: Anthony Anderson
Ross' Black-ish co-star Anthony Anderson didn't fare any better, getting snubbed for lead comedy actor — despite seven previous nominations for the show.
Surprise: Sarah Niles and Toheeb Jimoh
Ted Lasso performed even better than expected acting-wise, with Sarah Niles, who played a psychologist in season two, unexpectedly getting a supporting actress nomination — but Barry's Sarah Goldberg, who seemed to have better odds of getting in, was snubbed. Ted Lasso's Toheeb Jimoh also got a surprise nomination for his role as Sam.
Snub: 'Atlanta'
The biggest comedy series snub overall was probably Atlanta, which was missing in the top category despite being nominated for its previous two seasons. Brian Tyree Henry was also left out of the best supporting actor category, though at least Donald Glover was nominated.
Snub: 'Maid' and 'The Staircase'
Maid and The Staircase both earned acting nominations as expected, with stars Margaret Qualley, Colin Firth, and Toni Collette getting in. But for some reason, neither show was nominated in the main category of best limited series — and those slots instead went to less critically acclaimed shows Inventing Anna and Pam & Tommy.
Snub: Julia Roberts and Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain won't be following up an Oscar win with an Emmy nod, as she was snubbed for Scenes From a Marriage, even though her co-star Oscar Isaac was nominated.
Julia Roberts also looked likely to get nominated for Gaslit — if only because, well, she's Julia Roberts. If only anyone actually watched that show.
Surprise: Sarah Paulson
Roberts' absence left room for Sarah Paulson to sneak in for Impeachment: American Crime Story, a show that seemed to fall off the radar to the point where it wasn't expected to get any major nominations — and despite the fact that Paulson's performance as Linda Tripp was somewhat divisive, drawing criticism over her "fat suit."
Surprise: Himesh Patel
Himesh Patel earned a nod for actor in a limited series for Station Eleven, a welcome surprise that was still a bit random considering Station Eleven itself wasn't even nominated.
Voters may have placed Patel in that category instead of Jared Leto for WeCrashed — meaning Leto was snubbed for an Emmy and an Oscar in the same year. Look out: Keep this up and we may have to endure him playing the Joker again.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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