Netflix is a television giant, and if it was not obvious already, Emmy nominations definitely made this more certain. On Thursday, the video streaming giant proved its might among rival streaming services and traditional networks after collecting a whopping 54 Emmy nominations. HBO collected the highest number (94) of nominations.
What helped Netflix win nominations?
The Los Gatos-based streaming service was the third most nominated network/platform, whereas FX Networks was second with 56 nominations. In comparison, Amazon collected just 16, while Hulu collected only two nominations. Last year, Netflix collected 34 nominations.
Netflix has been vocal about its ambitious plans to focus on originals. In January at its Television Critics Association presentation, the streaming giant said it is planning to spend about $6 billion on content overall (including original and licensed) —translating into 600 hours of programming. Hulu and Amazon have picked up the pace in originals as well.
So what has helped Netflix with record nominations? By looking at the nominations, it appears that its bet on documentary programming paid off well. Both What Happened and Making a Murderer picked up six nominations. Surprisingly, Netflix’s comedy offerings also had a huge tally.
Grace and Frankie, Aziz Ansari’s Master of None and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt collected 10 nominations overall. Also Netflix’s longstanding original House of Cards continued its nomination streak in the Emmys.
How others performed
In 2015, Amazon won its first Emmy for the original show Transparent. Series creator Jill Soloway thanked the online retail service and it’s CEO Jeff Bezos on stage. This year, it won 10 nominations.
Another new popular Amazon show, Man in the High Castle, got four nominations, including one for cinematography. This year Mozart in the Jungle, which won two Golden Globes, got recognized for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series Half Hour And Animation. Comedy Catastrophe received one nomination for outstanding writing for a comedy series.
As for Hulu, it released a slate of successful comedies, including Difficult People, The Mindy Project, and the Golden Globe-nominated sitcom Casual, but it bagged just two nominations.
There was something for digital space too. YouTube content Her Story was nominated for Outstanding Short Form or Drama Series and for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series. Vimeo, which launched its first ever slate of originals in 2015, won its first nomination in outstanding original music and lyrics for its Garfunkel and Oates special. AOL garnered nods for short form variety series for Making a Scene with James Franco and Park Bench with Steve Buscemi.
