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Jay-Z vs. Beyoncé, Emmy Firsts for ‘American Graffiti’ Stars — and More Trivia From 2025’s Nominations
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Jay-Z and Beyoncé are both in an Emmy State of Mind — but only one can win. The power couple now faces off in the same category: Outstanding Variety Special (Live).
Jay-Z, credited as Shawn Carter, is among the executive producers nominated for Fox’s Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, which earned four nominations. Meanwhile, Beyoncé (billed as Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) is nominated for Netflix’s Beyoncé Bowl, where she served as both executive producer and performer. That holiday special also scored four nods.
Perhaps Emmy producer Jesse Collins can help keep things civil — after all, his company, Jesse Collins Entertainment, was behind both specials. With Collins producing the Emmy telecast again, he’s likely to face 99 problems — but hopefully this won’t be one of them.
Emmy Trivia and Highlights You Might’ve Missed
This year’s nominations offer some odd, overdue, and just plain fun facts. Let’s break them down.
Ron Howard and Harrison Ford Finally Get Their Due
It took more than 50 years, but American Graffiti stars Ron Howard and Harrison Ford have finally earned their first acting Emmy nods.
Howard, 71, who became a household name on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, is now nominated for Comedy Guest Actor for playing himself in The Studio. Meanwhile, Ford, 83, is recognized for Comedy Supporting Actor in Shrinking, earning some of the best reviews of his career. He also becomes the second-oldest nominee in that category’s history.
Jimmy Kimmel: The Emmy MVP
Jimmy Kimmel is everywhere. In addition to his talk show’s usual nomination, Kimmel is recognized for Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series (The Rabbit Hole With Jimmy Kimmel), Outstanding Game Show, and Game Show Host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Big Names, Multiple Hats
Several stars were nominated in more than one role:
- Quinta Brunson – Lead Actress and Comedy Writing (Abbott Elementary)
- Ayo Edebiri – Lead Actress and Directing (The Bear)
- Seth Rogen – Lead Actor, Writing, and Directing (The Studio)
- Michelle Williams, Colin Farrell, and Stephen Graham – Lead Acting in limited series and for producing
- Julianne Nicholson – Supporting Actress (Paradise) and Guest Actress (Hacks)
- Catherine O’Hara – Supporting Actress (The Studio) and Guest Actress (The Last of Us)
Doechii’s Uncredited Influence
Though not nominated, Doechii had a strong presence. Her voice is featured in Nike’s Emmy-nominated commercial So Win., and she choreographed a Grammy performance now up for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming.
Writers Who Star On Screen
Many nominated writers also appear on-camera in their shows:
- Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
- Paul W. Downs (Hacks)
- Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal)
- Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere)
- Seth Rogen (The Studio)
The only exception: What We Do in the Shadows, whose writing team includes Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, and Paul Simms.
SNL’s Strange Stats
Saturday Night Live earned just 7 nods as a standalone show — its lowest since 2008. However, when counting anniversary specials and spinoffs, SNL racked up a record 31 nominations, including:
- 12 for SNL50: The Anniversary Special
- 6 for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
- 3 for SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
- 2 for Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music
- 1 for SNL 50th Immersive Experience
Meta Dominates Emerging Media
In the Emerging Media Program category, all three nominees came from Meta. These include:
- SNL 50th Immersive Experience
- Impulse: Playing With Reality
- Shawn Mendes: Red Rocks Live in VR
Double Makeup Nominations
The Last of Us, The Penguin, and The Pitt each scored two nods in makeup: one for prosthetics, another for non-prosthetic.
Former SNL Stars Compete in Music
Adam Sandler and Kristen Wiig are both up for Original Music and Lyrics. Sandler is nominated for his performance on SNL50, while Wiig contributed to a song in the Netflix doc Will & Harper, starring Will Ferrell.
Creative Clashes Still Win Nods
Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who left The White Lotus after a falling out with creator Mike White, still earned nominations for his Season 3 work. Their public feud didn’t stop the Emmys from recognizing his contributions.
Real People? Fewer Than You Think
In recent years, Emmy nominations for actors portraying real-life figures have become common. This year, however, only three made the list — all from Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Name Check: The Winner Is… Cynthia Erivo
Erivo scored the most character aliases in a single nomination. In Poker Face, she played Amber Kazinsky — plus Bebe, Cece, Delia, Fauxlicity and Fake Delia. Yes, all the same person.
Narrator Showdown of the Century
The Outstanding Narrator category is absolutely stacked:
- Sir David Attenborough (Planet Earth: Asia)
- Barack Obama (Our Oceans)
- Tom Hanks (The Americas)
- Idris Elba (Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color)
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Octopus!)
Stand-Up Royalty
Comedy producer John Irwin dominated the Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) field with nominations for three Netflix specials: Adam Sandler, Ali Wong, and Nate Bargatze.
Short Form Saves Talk Hosts
With only three talk show slots this year, hosts like Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon found a home in Short Form categories instead.
Late-Night Legends Still Thrive
Though retired, Conan O’Brien and David Letterman still scored nods in the Hosted Nonfiction category. Letterman’s name isn’t on the ballot — as he prefers — but My Next Guest still landed a nomination.
Netflix Awards Execs Score Noms
Netflix awards strategists Kelly Caton and Nyle Washington were nominated themselves for Adolescence: The Making Of Adolescence in the Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series category.
History-Making Director
Jessica Lee Gagné became the first woman ever nominated for both Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) and Directing for a Drama Series — both for her work on Severance.
TV Movies: One and Done
Four of the five TV Movie nominees earned just that single nomination: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Mountainhead, Nonnas, and Rebel Ridge. The Gorge picked up one additional nod.
New Faces to Watch
This year brought a wave of first-time nominees, including:
- Javier Bardem, Kristen Bell, Colin Farrell, Stephen Graham, Harrison Ford, Chloë Sevigny, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zoë Kravitz, Anthony Mackie, Britt Lower, Jenny Slate, J.K. Simmons, and Cristin Milioti — among many others.
The 2025 Emmy Awards promise plenty of firsts, surprises, and unforgettable moments. And whether Jay-Z or Beyoncé takes the stage, it’ll be one for the history books.
