Emmys nominations: The 16 biggest snubs

Here are the shows and actors who many expected to get honored at the 2018 Emmys, yet came up surprisingly short
By James Hibberd
July 12, 2018 at 04:39 PM EDT

1 of 17

Modern Family.

Tony Rivetti/ABC

This is a big one. Not because people are going to be outraged that the ABC veteran hit wasn’t nominated — the show’s buzziest days are long behind it — but because its absence breaks a major streak. This is the first time in the history of Modern Family that it wasn’t nominated. More surprising: None of the show’s stars were nominated either. 

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2 of 17

Roseanne. 

Adam Rose via Getty Images

Few predicted ABC’s controversial comedy would get nominated for best comedy series, but the absence of the most-watched new comedy of the season is still worth noting. ABC shotgunned the show’s odds by reportedly canceling the show’s Emmy campaign after it axed the series for Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet. Star Laurie Metcalf, however, managed to dodge becoming collateral damage and picked up a supporting actress nomination. 

3 of 17

Will & Grace.

Chris Haston/NBC

The NBC favorite was expected to get nominated for best comedy, and didn’t. Also a surprise: Stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing were also left in the cold (but Megan Mullally nabbed a supporting actress nod). 

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4 of 17

Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones. 

HELEN SLOAN/HBO;

HBO tried submitting Clarke and co-star Kit Harington in the lead categories for the first time due to their heavy screen time in season 7 — and to avoid having every major actor in the sprawling ensemble compete in the same crowded supporting categories. Yet in this competitive year the Mother of Dragons didn’t make the cut. Her costar Lena Headey, however, picked up a nomination for supporting. 

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5 of 17

Kit Harington, Game of Thrones. 

Helen Sloan/HBO

Along with Clarke, Harington was also submitted for the lead actor category instead of supporting for the first time. The gambit didn’t pay off for the King in the North. But Harington’s male costars Peter Dinklage and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau both were nominated in the supporting categories (a well-deserved first nom for Coster-Waldau). All told, GoT has 22 nominations this year — the most of any series 

6 of 17

Killing Eve. 

Nick Briggs/BBC America

Fans hoped the British-made BBC America breakout thriller would land a nomination for best drama, yet the show’s modest ratings — high for BBC America but still less than 1 million per episode — might have hurt its chances. Thankfully star Sandra Oh did get nominated. 

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7 of 17

Twin Peaks.

SHOWTIME

Even given the Showtime limited series’ divisive oddness, prognosticators thought the return of David Lynch to primetime would get a nod for limited series and star Kyle MacLachlan’s performance. But neither did.  

 

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8 of 17

Alison Brie, GLOW. 

Erica Parise/Netflix

Netflix heavily marketing the second season of its acclaimed retro comedy to Emmy voters with ads and For Your Consideration events. And while it picked up the show’s first comedy series nomination, star Brie isn’t getting into the ring. 

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9 of 17

Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor. 

Jack Rowand/ABC via Getty Images

Highmore is in practically every scene of the biggest new breakout show of last season on broadcast TV and was expected to get a shout-out here.

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10 of 17

Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan.

Michael Desmond/SHOWTIME

Schreiber was expected to get nominated because, well, he always is! This year snaps the TV Academy favorite’s streak.

 

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11 of 17

Mandy Moore, This Is Us. 

Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Moore stepped up her game in season 2 of the NBC dramedy hit, turning in her most achingly powerful work as Rebecca grieved Jack’s tragic death. Costar Justin Hartley was also left out of the supporting actor category. 

 

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12 of 17

Real Time With Bill Maher.

HBO

HBO’s Real Time has been nominated 12 times — only missing one year since 2005 — yet was squeezed out of the category by his late-night rivals (including front-runner Last Week Tonight With John Oliver).

 

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13 of 17

Al Pacino, Paterno.   

Atsushi Nishijima/HBO

This level of Hollywood icon casting in an HBO biopic is normally a lock to get nominated, but not this time. 

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14 of 17

Jessica Walter, Arrested Development. 

Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Pundits thought Walter had a good shot this year, especially after the Arrested cast’s New York Times interview sparked sympathy for the actress. 

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15 of 17

Peter Mullan, Westworld. 

John P. Johnson/HBO

Westworld had a terrific haul in the noms, scoring 21 overall including drama series, and nominations for Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, and Jimmi Simpson. One of the few noms that Westworld didn’t get — and deserved — was one for Mullan’s heartbreaking performance as doomed immortality-seeking executive James Delos. 

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16 of 17

 Late Night With Seth Meyers. 

Lloyd Bishop/NBC

It was a competitive variety talk series category this year (Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, James Corden, and Stephen Colbert got nods), but Meyers was expected to get in too. 

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