British Talent Scoop Up Over 100 Emmy Nominations for 2025

One of the inevitable consequences of the streaming wars and the initial decimation of cable and broadcast networks in service thereof was the reteat of representation during awards season. PBS fans were accustomed to it, since Downton Abbey left the airwaves, public broadcasting has been all but invisible to the Primetime Emmys, relegated to competing in the regional and local versions of the event. But, with the single exception of Abbott Elementary on ABC, the 2020s editions of the ceremony have been dominated by high-end streaming service shows, many of which are British co-productions, star British and European talent, or both.

The unconscious bias towards British talent as somehow "superior" because the Royal Shakespeare Academy is a thing that exists is a phenomenon that has been widespread for multiple decades at this point. It has been more prevalent in the feature film awards race, partly because movies are less inclined to cast British actors as Americans; however, in television, especially television aimed for American audiences, there's a lot more transatlantic casting, forcing U.K. talent to conceal their nationality behind perfect American accents. 

As we cross the middle of the decade, that trend does not look like it'll be reversing anytime soon, especially with Netflix producing critically adored dramas like Adolescence, Peacock successfully nailing the reality formula for The Traitors in the U.S., and Apple TV+ exhuming the corpse of its beloved comedy Ted Lasso for a Season 4 no one asked for.

Here's the full rundown of the main nomination categories where Brits are dominant this year, which is a fancy way of saying "Comedy Categories Not Included." (The Emmys have over 100 categories, most of which the public doesn't even know exist.) British shows are highlighted.

Outstanding Limited/Anthology Series

• Adolescence
• Black Mirror
• Dying For Sex
• Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story
• The Penguin

Outstanding TV Movie

• Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
• The Gorge
• Mountainhead
• Nonnas
• Rebel Ridge

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series

• Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
• Meagan Fahy, Sirens
• Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
• Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
• Rashida Jones, Black Mirror

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series

• Colin Farrell, The Penguin
• Stephen Graham, Adolescence
• Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent
• Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief
• Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series

• Erin Doherty, Adolescence
• Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
• Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent
• Deirdre O'Connell, The Penguin
• Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story
• Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series

• Ashley Walters, Adolescence
• Owen Cooper, Adolescence
• Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex
• Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story
• Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent
• Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Outstanding Directing for a Limited/Anthology Series

• Philip Barantini, Adolescence
• Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex
• Helen Shaver, The Penguin
• Jennifer Getzinger, The Penguin
• Nicole Kassell, Sirens
• Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day

Outstanding Writing for a Limited/Anthology Series

• Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham, Adolescence
• Charlie Brooker & Bisha K. Ali, Black Mirror
• Kim Rosenstock & Elizabeth Meriwether, Dying for Sex
• Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin
• Joshua Zetumer, Say Nothing

Outstanding Drama Series

• Andor
• The Diplomat
• The Last Of Us
• Paradise
• The Pitt
• Severance
• Slow Horses
• The White Lotus

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Kathy Bates, Matlock
• Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
• Britt Lower, Severance
• Bella Ramsey, The Last Of Us
• Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
• Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
• Pedro Pascal, The Last Of Us
• Adam Scott, Severance
• Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• Patricia Arquette, Severance
• Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
• Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
• Carrie Coon, The White Lotus
• Parker Posey, The White Lotus
• Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
• Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• Zach Cherry, Severance
• Tramell Tillman, Severance
• John Turturro, Severance
• James Marsden, Paradise
• Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
• Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus
• Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

• Janus Metz, Andor
• Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt
• John Wells, The Pitt
• Jesicca Lee Gagne, Severance
• Ben Stiller, Severance
• Adam Randall, Slow Horses
• Mike White, The White Lotus

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

• Dan Gilroy, Andor
• Joe Sachs, The Pitt
• R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt
• Dan Erickson, Severance
• Will Smith, Slow Horses
• Mike White, The White Lotus

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

• The Traitors
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• The Amazing Race
• Survivor
• Top Chef

Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program

• Bertram van Munster, The Amazing Race
• Cian O'Clery, Love of the Spectrum
• Nick Murray, RuPaul's Drag Race
• Ariel Boles, Top Chef
• Ben Archard, The Traitors

Outstanding Period Costumes

• American Primeval
• Bridgerton
• Monsters: The Lyle & Eric Menendez Story
• 1923
• Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light

Outstanding SciFi/Fantasy Costumes

• Agatha All Along
• Andor
• Black Mirror
• Dune: Prophecy
• House of the Dragon

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes

• Adolescence
• American Horror Stories
• Dying for Sex
• Emily in Paris
• Hacks
• The Penguin
• The Righteous Gemstones
• Sirens
• The Studio
• The White Lotus

Of the shows that are British (or British-ish), The Penguin (24 noms), The White Lotus (23 noms), The Last Of Us (16 noms), Andor (14 noms), Adolescence (13 noms), and Black Mirror (10 noms) all landed double-digit nominations. We look forward to seeing how many of them take home trophies in September.

The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with a red-carpet preshow starting one hour before the ceremony. 

The Creative Arts Emmys (where the bulk of the hundreds of categories' awards are actually given out) will take place the weekend prior, held over two days: Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, 2025. A heavily truncated version of the ceremony will stream on Paramount+ the day before the Primetime Emmys air, on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.