Emmys 2016: Who won and lost out in the nominations?

We’re back in the Emmy 2016 season! I covered the 2015 season and this year, I’ll be popping in to cover the goings-on.

To recap, the big winners last year were:

• Outstanding Drama Series: Game of Thrones
• Outstanding Comedy Series: Veep
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black

This year, Mad Men is no longer in contention for nomination while Thrones, Veep and Transparent have aired impressive seasons. Could The Americans sneak into contention? Will Tatiana Maslany get some love? Will a faded force like House of Cards or Downton Abbey somehow get nominated again?

The results are in, and so are my quick thoughts.

Outstanding Drama Series

• The Americans (FX)
• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Downton Abbey (PBS)
• Game Of Thrones (HBO)
• Homeland (Showtime)
• House Of Cards (Netflix)
• Mr. Robot (USA)

Changes from 2015: Five of the seven entries return from last year. Mad Men has bowed out of contention, while OITNB has not been nominated this time round. Replacing them are The Americans and Mr Robot, two of the best shows on TV in the past year which score their first nominations accordingly.

Winner: The Americans. The show has been excellent in each of its four seasons, and it finally gets the Emmy nod this year. Now to win it.

Winner: House of Cards. It had looked increasingly unsteady in its second and third seasons, but the show recovered some of its swagger in its fourth season to be the sole Netflix show nominated.

Loser: Orange is the New Black. To get shut out of the nominations, especially with Downton Abbey still clinging on somehow, stings for the prison dramedy.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• black-ish (ABC)
• Master of None (Netflix)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Silicon Valley (HBO)
• Transparent (Amazon)
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
• Veep (HBO)

Changes from 2015: Five of the seven entries return from last year. Parks and Recreation and Louie have bowed out of contention, and replacing them are first-time nominees black-ish and Master of None.

Winner: Master of None. It was a show that came from nowhere. Netflix, however, had a gem on its hands as Master of None quickly gained buzz and appreciation from critics. Critical praise does not necessarily translate to award nominations, and so this nomination is a job well done.

Winner: ABC. black-ish and Modern Family are the lone network shows nominated for Outstanding Comedy or Drama this year. I would have swapped either of those shows, however, for…

Losers: Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. With Modern Family‘s winning streak snapped last year and the departures of Parks and Louie, one would have hoped for the critically-loved comedies from the CW to sneak into the nominations.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Matthew Rhys, The Americans
• Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
• Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
• Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
• Rami Malek, Mr Robot
• Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Changes from 2015: Four out of the six nominees from 2015 return. Jon Hamm and Jeff Daniels are no longer in contention, and they are replaced by first-time nominees Matthew Rhys and Rami Malek.

Winners: Matthew Rhys and Rami Malek. It would have been criminal not to nominate one of these two this year. Malek is the beating heart of Mr Robot, while Rhys put yet another outstanding shift in the recent season of The Americans.

Loser: Damien Lewis. He was at his best in Billions, but received exactly zero nominations this year.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Keri Russell, The Americans
• Taraji P. Henson, Empire
• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Robin Wright, House of Cards
• Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder
• Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

Changes from 2015: Just one change from 2015, as Elisabeth Moss bows out of contention and her place taken by Keri Russell.

Winner: Keri Russell. She thoroughly deserves this nomination, and to be nominated with her co-lead Rhys is fitting. The Americans will be a far lesser show without the strength of its two leads.

Loser: Shirin Appleby. UnREAL was a breakout show and Appleby gave a great performance that, unfortunately, could not dislodge any of the eventual nominees.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Anthony Anderson, black-ish
• Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth
• Aziz Ansari, Master of None
• William H. Macy, Shameless
• Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley
• Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Changes from 2015: Three changes from 2015; Louie C.K. bows out of contention, while Don Cheadle and Matt LeBlanc are dropped in favour of first-time nominees Anthony Anderson, Aziz Ansari and Thomas Middleditch.

Winner: Thomas Middleditch. Middleditch’s performance was good, but not great,  so this is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. I would have gone for…

Loser: Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis was very, very good in the first season on Baskets, channeling Louis C.K in his portrayal of a aspiring French clown. I would have pegged him to take Louis C.K’s place in the nomination, but alas.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
• Laurie Metcalf, Getting On
• Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
• Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
• Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Julie Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Changes from 2015: Eddie Falco, Lisa Kudrow and Amy Poehler are not in contention this year and are replaced by first-time nominees Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurie Metcalf and Ellie Kemper.

Winner: Ellie Kemper. Kemper was shut out of last year’s Emmys, but deservedly secures her nomination this year round with another great performance in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Losers: Gina Rodriguez and Rachel Bloom. Both have won Golden Globes for their performances in Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but both are shut out. It’s a real shame.

And the rest…

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
• Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
• Michael Kelly, House of Cards
• Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Maura Tierney, The Affair
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
• Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
• Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones
• Constance Zimmer, UnREAL

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Louie Anderson, Baskets
• Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Keegan Michael-Key, Key & Peele
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Titus Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Tony Hale, Veep
• Matt Walsh, Veep

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Niecy Nash, Getting On
• Allison Janney, Mom
• Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
• Judith Light, Transparent
• Gaby Hoffman, Transparent
• Anna Chlumsky, Veep