Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      From the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  and The Walking Dead  to Chris Pine and Regé Jean-Page, see who dropped by EW's Comic-Con headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Read More
    • Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Go behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Video’s ambitious fantasy epic, which hopes to introduce J.R.R. Tolkien to a new generation. Read More
    • Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more to learn about the high-profile defamation trial, more than 6,000 pages of court docs were released over the weekend. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. The Awardist
  3. Emmys
  4. Nominate them, you cowards! 15 shows and performances that deserve an Emmy

Nominate them, you cowards! 15 shows and performances that deserve an Emmy

On July 13, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will announce the 2021 Emmy nominees. Here are some standout shows and performances we insist not be overlooked.

By EW Staff May 17, 2021 at 10:30 AM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Emmy Advocacy

Emmy Illustration
Credit: Alex Fine

There are a few things we can expect from every awards season: beautiful celebrities, moderately interesting acceptance speeches, and head-scratching snubs. For every series that gets a nomination, there's another that deserved it just as much (if not more). And with Emmy nominations approaching, we're getting ahead of the game and naming a few shows and performances that deserve to be on the ballot.

1 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Nasim Pedrad, Chad

Chad
Credit: Liane Hentscher/TBS

It sounds like a gimmick: Actress, 39, stars as boy, 14, on TBS comedy. But creator and star Nasim Pedrad rendered that jarring juxtaposition all but irrelevant: Her Ferydoon "Chad" Amani is so vividly, painfully, hilariously realized that all of our attention is on him, not the woman beneath the wig. Pedrad embodies the clumsy emotional lability of a kid straddling childhood and adolescence, even as Chad's excruciatingly awkward efforts to "fit in" make some scenes almost too cringe-worthy to watch. Almost. —Kristen Baldwin

2 of 16

3 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Superstore

SUPERSTORE
Credit: Greg Gayne/NBC

One last chance to recognize the era's greatest broadcast comedy. NBC's Superstore leveled up in its final season, tracking Cloud 9's essential workers through COVID-19 right into the untimely death of brick-and-mortar retail. I challenge you to find any other sitcom with such a deep bench of hilarious supporting characters. The finale brought back America Ferrera for a wonderful farewell — a sharp and moving ending for a show that, like its characters, always deserved more respect. —Darren Franich

3 of 16

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Antony Starr, The Boys

Kenan Thompson Celeb Must List
Credit: Jasper Savage/Amazon Studios

Antony Starr breathes new life into the Evil Superman trope with his truly unsettling portrayal of the murderous Homelander. There's a menacing air to everything Starr does on the Amazon Prime Video drama, even when Homelander isn't being outright villainous. Furthermore, Starr is so locked into the character's rotten core that he grounds the drama's most ridiculous moments, like Homelander pathetically masturbating over the New York skyline. —Chancellor Agard

4 of 16

Advertisement

5 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Juno Temple
Credit: Apple TV+

The Apple TV+ comedy and its star Jason Sudeikis are sure to get some attention at the Emmys, but recognition is also due for the fearless Juno Temple. Temple steals every scene she's in as model-turned-publicist Keeley Jones, whose kindness is matched only by her take-no-crap attitude. In the middle of an incredible ensemble, Temple delivers a hilarious, heartfelt performance that should be impossible to ignore (key word being should). —Samantha Highfill

5 of 16

6 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Billie Piper, I Hate Suzie

I Hate Suzie
Credit: Ollie Upton / Sky UK/HBO Max

As I Hate Suzie's co-creator and star, Billie Piper took a punchline — B-list celeb suffers hacked-nudes scandal — and conjured up HBO Max's brilliant exploration of modern womanhood. Suzie Pickles is a punishing role, requiring a stream of simultaneous and contradictory moods: panic and composure, repressed resentment and outward acquiescence, lingering shame and burgeoning defiance. Piper does it all, bringing fierce humanity to the woman behind the clickbait. —Kristen Baldwin

6 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Weruche Opia, I May Destroy You

Party Episodes

The TV Academy has too much taste to snub Michaela Coel's soul-baring HBO comedy, but I hope the trophy rainstorm heading toward I May Destroy You's creator doesn't pass by her fantastic costar. As struggling performer Terry, bestie of Coel's assault victim Arabella, Weruche Opia gives devotion so many layers: jealousy, guilt, an ever-so-careerist tendency to capitalize on Arabella's newfound fame, and genuine concern. It's a remarkable performance full of complicated love, and a raw portrait of friendship that leaves you completely destroyed. —Darren Franich

7 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are
Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis/HBO

We talk plenty about TV becoming more "cinematic," but director Luca Guadagnino's ravishing HBO series earns the term not for high production values or an A-list cast, but for the rigor — and beauty — of its filmmaking. The complex drama explores themes of gender and sexuality via the budding bond between Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Kristine Seamón), teens figuring out, well, who they are. You've never seen anything like it. —David Canfield

8 of 16

Advertisement

9 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton

BRIDGERTON
Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

Only the cheeky and charming Nicola Coughlan could pull off the double duty of Bridgerton breakout, put-upon, lovesick Penelope and her (spoiler alert!) alter ego, Lady Whistledown. Coughlan brought heaps of relatability to her portrayal of a young Regency miss who just wants to be loved, all while suffering under the thumb of her marriage-obsessed mama and vapid sisters. But she gave the character just enough edge to sell the finale's epic reveal that she is the one behind Whistledown's poison pen. Like one of the lemon yellow dresses that Penelope is forced to endure, Coughlan's take is equal parts sweet and tart. Dear reader, what more could you ask for than such a confectionary performance? —Maureen Lee Lenker

9 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Noma Dumezweni, The Undoing

The Undoing
Credit: Niko Tavernise/HBO

Although most viewers seeking a whodunnit ultimately found The Undoing's conclusion disappointing, Dumezweni's role as defense attorney Haley Fitzgerald seems to best exemplify what the writers were going for in a story about a woman in denial of her husband's menace. The British actress is giving a multilayered performance that on one level conveys a humorous perplexity at the stories Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant's characters are trying to sell to her, and on another level slickly asserts how much those don't matter in her line of work. While others scramble for the truth, Haley's steadfast towards a court win. —Marcus Jones

10 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Warrior

Warrior Season 3
Credit: HBO Max

Looking at recent drama category winners like Succession and Game of Thrones, the TV Academy loves them some ensemble pieces packed with different factions and political intrigue, that make room for a sprinkle of dark humor. Telling the story of the brutal Tong Wars happening in late 19th century San Francisco, intersecting with western expansion and rising anti-Asian sentiment among other immigrants, Warrior hits on a lot of those aforementioned sweet spots. Above all that though, the show kicks major ass with its unrivaled martial arts action scenes, and that should be considered an awards-worthy quality more often. —Marcus Jones

11 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Brandee Evans, P-Valley

P-Valley
Credit: Jessica Miglio/Starz

This Southern-fried Starz drama about a Mississippi strip club proves two things: Pole dancers are athletes, and Brandee Evans is a star. As Mercedes Woodbine, a top-earning dancer planning a new life away from the Pynk's stage, Evans balances bad-ass bravado with the deep, desperate humanity of a woman who will do whatever she can to take control of her destiny. And those moves! The actress-choreographer does most of her own stunts, and even mastered something called the "double surfboard." Did we mention this was Evans' first leading role? Emmy voters should keep their eye on this Mercedes — she's going places. —Kristen Baldwin

12 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson

Dickinson
Credit: Apple TV+

Five words, two numbers: Season 2, Episode 6, "Split the Lark." Need more? Fine. Hailee Steinfeld delivered a brilliantly emotional performance as Emily Dickinson in that remarkable installment and the entire second season. Whether Emily was struggling to tame the raging sea of emotions inside of her threatening to burst forth, dancing it out, or calmly being struck by inspiration, Steinfeld's portrayal of the young poet was visceral yet fun, and you couldn't help but get swept away by it. —Chancellor Agard

13 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

T.R. Knight, The Flight Attendant

The Flight Attendant
Credit: Phil Caruso/HBO MAX

Do you want to hear something insane? T.R. Knight has been nominated for an Emmy exactly once. In 2007. It's not right! The man's done plenty of excellent work after leaving Grey's Anatomy in 2009 (see: The Good Wife, 11.22.63, The Comey Rule), and after the performance he gave opposite Kaley Cuoco in the HBO Max hit The Flight Attendant? Attention simply must be paid. Emmy voters, let me make this easy for you. Fire up episode 4, and fast-forward to minute 29. Watch as Davey (Knight) confronts his sister Cassie (Cuoco) over her drinking, her secrets, her refusal to recognize their traumatic childhood for what it really was. The scene only lasts a few minutes, but Knight's performance is so beautifully piercing, it brings years of Davey's disappointment, anger, hurt, and heartbreak to vivid, painful life. So hey, Academy, while you're marking Cuoco's name on the ballot for her stellar turn as Cassie, remember Knight also helped make The Flight Attendant soar. —Kristen Baldwin

14 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Tyler Hoechlin, Superman & Lois

SUPERMAN & LOIS
Credit: Dean Buscher/The CW

The CW series owns the Man of Steel's dad-ness by making him an actual dad, which gives Tyler Hoechlin's hero a unique emotional grounding. The actor brings a low-key charm to his bluesuited adventures, saving the world like it's a fun hobby. The real heavy lifting comes at home, where Clark struggles with his wife to raise twin teenagers. Hoechlin deserves credit for making niceness so appealing, and for making "being a good parent" look like an impossible-yet-necessary task even for a Superdad. (We know, the Emmys never nominated Arrowverse actors…but there's a first time for everything!) —Darren Franich

15 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Dominique Tipper, The Expanse

The Expanse Season 5 Dominique Tipper
Credit: Amazon Studios

With so many moments of big action in the fifth season of the sci-fi epic, it was Tipper's emotional depth that kept the show grounded—even, in one harrowing sequence, as she was hurtling through space. Dealing with her terrorist ex, reuniting with the son she abandoned, and trying to save the Rocinante as her oxygen ran out, Tipper helped make this the best season of The Expanse yet. —Tim Leong

16 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By EW Staff

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 16 Emmy Advocacy
    2 of 16 Nasim Pedrad, Chad
    3 of 16 Superstore
    4 of 16 Antony Starr, The Boys
    5 of 16 Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
    6 of 16 Billie Piper, I Hate Suzie
    7 of 16 Weruche Opia, I May Destroy You
    8 of 16 We Are Who We Are
    9 of 16 Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton
    10 of 16 Noma Dumezweni, The Undoing
    11 of 16 Warrior
    12 of 16 Brandee Evans, P-Valley
    13 of 16 Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson
    14 of 16 T.R. Knight, The Flight Attendant
    15 of 16 Tyler Hoechlin, Superman & Lois
    16 of 16 Dominique Tipper, The Expanse

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    Nominate them, you cowards! 15 shows and performances that deserve an Emmy
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.