Necessary Realness: 2020 Emmy Snubs & Surprises
In just a matter of days, these breakout stars may have an unforgettable moment on Sunday, Sept. 20.
That’s because for the first time, they’ve been nominated for a coveted Emmy Award, an esteemed honor in television. “This is a huge, huge honor and I’m beside myself,” William Jackson Harper, a star of The Good Place, told fans in an Instagram video upon hearing the news of his first nomination. “Television Academy, thank you. To my fellow nominees, I can’t believe I’m on the same list with y’all. This is nuts.”
In addition to Harper, who is a contender this year for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, the 2020 nominee pool features plenty of first-time honorees celebrating a career milestone this year. While some of the stars up for a golden statue, like Mrs. America‘s Cate Blanchett, are no strangers to award season, breakout stars like Unorthodox‘s Shira Haas and Hollywood‘s Jeremy Pope are gratefully basking in the shine of their breakout stardom.
Still, while this is their first time being nominated, it isn’t the first time that fans have had the opportunity to see their work. From making history on Broadway to achieving critical acclaim in Israel, the following nominees already have quite the impressive résumés to their name—and as evidenced by this first Emmy nomination, they’re only just getting started.
Ahead of the highly anticipated—and first-time remote—show on Sept. 20, get to know more about this year’s Emmy newcomers with E!’s gallery below.
And, don’t forget to tune in to the star-studded ceremony on Sunday, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. After all, it may mark the first Emmy win for one of the famous names below—and you definitely won’t want to miss that acceptance speech.
Watch our Live From E!: Emmys coverage starting Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT followed by the 2020 Emmy Awards telecast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC!