Awards, News, Television, Women Directors, Women Writers

2017 Emmy Awards: “Big Little Lies” and “Handmaid’s Tale” Make a Major Mark

“Big Little Lies”: HBO

The Emmy nominations were announced earlier today and there was plenty of recognition for female-centric series like “Big Little Lies,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “Feud: Bette and Joan.” Each of the shows racked up over a dozen nods — including recognition for their stars. Woman-led projects like “The Crown,” “Full Frontal Frontal With Samantha Bee,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” were also honored.

But not as much love was shown for series primarily about women of color. Shows like “Insecure,” “Chewing Gum,” and “Jane the Virgin” were completely shut out, and only a handful of women of color received acting nominations, including “Black-ish’s” Tracee Ellis Ross (Lead Actress, Comedy), “How To Get Away With Murder’s” Viola Davis (Lead Actress, Drama), “SNL’s” Leslie Jones (Supporting Actress, Comedy), and “American Crime’s” Regina King (Supporting Actress, Limited Series/Movie). Actually, women of color fared best in the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series category. “Handmaid’s Tale’s” Samira Wiley, “Orange Is the New Black’s” Uzo Aduba, and “Westworld’s” Thandie Newton accounted for half of the nods.

This year the Academy did spotlight more female directors. Jamie Babbit received a nomination for her direction on “Silicon Valley,” and the Drama Series and Nonfiction Program each nominated three women: Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Kate Dennis (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Lesli Linka Glatter (“Homeland”) for Drama, and Alexis Bloom (“Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds”), Ava DuVernay (“13th”), and Elizabeth White (“Planet Earth II”) for Nonfiction.

Morano also got a nod for her work as Director of Photography on the HBO comedy “Divorce.” The only other female cinematographer to receive a nom was “13th’s” Kira Kelly. She shares the nomination with Hans Charles.

Women writers were especially snubbed this year. Only two women were nominated for the major writing categories, and both are credited as co-writers: “Master of None’s” Lena Waithe (Comedy, with Aziz Ansari) and “Westworld’s” Lisa Joy (Drama, with Jonathan Nolan).

As per usual, the other categories were hit or miss for women. While we’re disappointed that “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” earned zero series, acting, directing or writing credits, we’re happy to report that it wasn’t completely ignored. Creator Rachel Bloom was nominated for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for the Season 2 song “We Tapped That Ass.” Bloom, Jack Dolgen, and Adam Schlesinger are credited with writing the lyrics and Schlesinger composed.

Below are the women nominated for the major categories and female-centric series earning nominations, courtesy of the Emmys.

Outstanding Comedy Series
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
“Veep”

Outstanding Drama Series
“The Crown”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”

Outstanding Limited Series
“Big Little Lies”
“FEUD: Bette and Joan”

Outstanding Television Movie
Black Mirror: San Junipero”
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love”
“The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks”

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish”
Jane Fonda, “Grace And Frankie”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace And Frankie”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Claire Foy, “The Crown”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Robin Wright, “House Of Cards”
Viola Davis, “How To Get Away With Murder”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld”

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies”
Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies”
Carrie Coon, “Fargo”
Jessica Lange, “FEUD: Bette And Joan”
Susan Sarandon, “FEUD: Bette And Joan”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Vanessa Bayer, “Saturday Night Live”
Leslie Jones, “Saturday Night Live”
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Kathryn Hahn, “Transparent”
Judith Light, “Transparent”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is The New Black”
Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
Chrissy Metz, “This Is Us”
Thandie Newton, “Westworld”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie
Regina King, “American Crime”
Laura Dern, “Big Little Lies”
Shailene Woodley, “Big Little Lies”
Judy Davis, “FEUD: Bette And Joan”
Jackie Hoffman, “FEUD: Bette And Joan”
Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Wizard Of Lies”

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
“Amanda Knox”

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series
The Keepers”

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)
“Divorce,” Reed Morano, ASC, Director of Photography

Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program
“13th,” Kira Kelly, Director of Photography (with Hans Charles, Director of Photography)

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Jamie Babbit, “Silicon Valley”

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Reed Morano, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Kate Dennis, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Lesli Linka Glatter, “Homeland”

Outstanding Directing For A Nonfiction Program
Alexis Bloom, “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds” (with Fisher Stevens)
Elizabeth White, “Planet Earth II”
Ava DuVernay, “13th”

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series
Jennifer Lilly, “Master Of None”

Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series
Pat Barnett, “One Day At A Time”

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie
Veronique Barbe and Maxime Lahaie, “Big Little Lies” (with David Berman, Justin LaChance, Sylvain Lebel, and Jim Vega)

Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming
Meaghan Wilbur, “CONAN In Berlin” (with Robert James Ashe, Christopher Heller, and David Grecu)

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program
Maya Mumma, “O.J.: Made In America” (with Bret Granato and Ben Sozanski)

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Ruth Barrett and Natalie Holt, “Victoria (Masterpiece)” (with Martin Phipps)

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
Rachel Bloom with Adam Schlesinger and Jack Dolgen, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — Song Title: “We Tapped That Ass”
Tina Fey with Jeff Richmond and Sam Means, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” — Song Title: “Hell No”

Outstanding Music Supervision
Susan Jacobs, “Big Little Lies”
Kerri Drootin with Zach Cowie, “Master Of None”
Nora Felder, “Stranger Things”

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Wanda Sykes, “black-ish”
Carrie Fisher, “Catastrophe”
Becky Ann Baker, Girls
Angela Bassett, Master Of None
Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”
Melissa McCarthy, “Saturday Night Live”

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Alison Wright, “The Americans”
Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away Wit h Murder”
Ann Dowd, “The Leftovers”
Laverne Cox, “Orange Is The New Black”
Shannon Purser, “Stranger Things”

Outstanding Narrator
Meryl Streep, “Five Came Back”

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Martha Stewart with Snoop Dogg, “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”
Heidi Klum with Tim Gunn, “Project Runway”

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Lena Waithe with Aziz Ansari, “Master Of None”

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
Lisa Joy with Jonathan Nolan, “Westworld”

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Present Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner”

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Present Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner”
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