Here’s another factor that works in favor of both Arcane and What If…?: The winner in the category last year was Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, a departure from past comedy-oriented winners and a sign that perhaps Emmy voters are beginning to accept animation as a medium that can accommodate any type of storytelling.
Arcane additionally picked up a nomination for sound editing in a half-hour comedy/drama series/animation. It is one of two animated series in this category – the other is Love, Death + Robots – alongside live-action series Barry, Cobra Kai, Ted Lasso, and What We Do in the Shadows.
A notable animation nominee, in a usually non-animation category, is Disney+’s hybrid Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which was nominated in the tv movie category. It is up against a slate of live-action contenders: Ray Donovan: The Movie, Reno 911!: The Hunt For QAnon, The Survivor, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas.
A list of all the nominees in the animation and vfx categories can be found below. For the full list of nominees in all categories, visit the Emmy website.
Animated Program
- Arcane, “When These Walls Come Tumbling Down” — Netflix — A Riot Games and Fortiche Production
- Bob’s Burgers, “Some Like It Bot Part 1: Eighth Grade Runner ” — Fox — 20th Television
- Rick & Morty, “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” — Adult Swim — Rick and Morty LLC
- The Simpsons, “Pixelated And Afraid” — Fox — A Gracie Films production in association with 20th Television Animation
- What If…?, “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?” — Disney+ — Marvel Studios
Short-Form Animated Program
- The Boys Presents: Diabolical, “John And Sun-Hee” — Prime Video — Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Television Studios, Titmouse, Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures
- Love, Death + Robots, “Jibaro” — Netflix — Blur Studio
- Robot Chicken — “Happy Russian Deathdog Dolloween 2 U” — Adult Swim — A Stoopid Buddy Stoodios production with Williams Street
- Star Wars: Visions, “The Duel” — Disney+ — Kamikaze Douga and Lucasfilm Ltd.
- When Billie Met Lisa — Disney+ — A Gracie Films production in association with 20th Television Animation
Character Voice-Over Performance
- F. Murray Abraham as Khonshu — Moon Knight, “The Friendly Type” — Disney+
- Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown — Bridgerton, “Capital R Rake” — Netflix
- Chadwick Boseman as Star Lord T’Challa — What If…?, “What If… T’Challa Became A Star-Lord?” — Disney+
- Maya Rudolph as Connie The Hormone Monstress — Big Mouth, “A Very Big Mouth Christmas” — Netflix
- Stanley Tucci as Bitsy — Central Park, “Central Dark” — Apple TV+
- Jessica Walter as Malory Archer — Archer, “London Time” — FX
- Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher — What If…?, “What If… Ultron Won?” — Disney+
Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie
- The Book Of Boba Fett — Disney+ — Lucasfilm Ltd.
- Foundation — Apple TV+ — Skydance Television
- Lost In Space — Netflix — Legendary
- Stranger Things — Netflix — Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment
- The Witcher — Netflix
Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode
- The Man Who Fell To Earth, “Hallo, Spaceboy” — Showtime — Showtime Presents, CBS Studios Inc., Secret Hideout, Timberman & Beverly, StudioCanal
- See, “Rock-a-Bye” — Apple TV+ — Chernin Entertainment/Endeavor Content in association with Apple
- Snowpiercer, “A Beacon For Us All” — TNT — TNT in association with Tomorrow Studios and CJ Entertainment
- Squid Game, “VIPS” — Netflix — Siren Pictures
- Vikings: Valhalla, “The Bridge” — Netflix — A Netflix Series/An MGM Television Production
Main Title Design
- Candy — Hulu — UCP and 20th Television
- Cowboy Bebop — Netflix — A Netflix Series in association with Tomorrow Studios
- Foundation — Apple TV+ — Skydance Television
- Lisey’s Story — Apple TV+ — Bad Robot/Warner Bros. Television in association with Apple
- Only Murders In The Building — Hulu — 20th Television
- Pachinko — Apple TV+ — Media Res/Blue Marble Pictures in association with Apple
- Severance — Apple TV+ — Endeavor Content/Red Hour Productions in association with Apple