^{Credit: Invincible (Amazon Prime Video), Devil May Cry (Netlfix), The Legend of Vox Machina (Amazon Prime Video)}

 

There are three categories at the Primetime Emmys where we’re guaranteed to see animation represented: Outstanding Animated Program (obviously), Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (a non-competitive juried award), and Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (which could still see a few nominees from live-action productions, i.e. Ke Huy Quan for The White Lotus). Actually, make that four categories, as the Emmys have apparently introduced a new award: Outstanding Sound Editing For an Animated Program, which strangely isn’t listed in the rules of procedures guide. In any case, these are the most animation-friendly categories, although they’re not the only ones where animation has been submitted.

Various animated programs have been entered for consideration in writing, music, casting, editing, and other categories. Will any of them be nominated, though? The Music Peer Group has occasionally recognized animation, although the Writers Peer Group remains a live-action club, despite the rich storytelling that can be found in modern animation, both comedy and drama. Whether or not any nominations materialize, I’m breaking down every animated program that’s been submitted in below-the-line categories.

Outstanding Casting For a Comedy Series

Big Mouth

Krapopolis

#1 Happy Family USA

Sausage Party: Foodtopia

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy

 

Outstanding Casting For a Drama Series

Arcane

Batman: Caped Crusader

Creature Commandos

Devil May Cry

Invincible

The Legend of Vox Machina

Twilight of the Gods

What If…?

 

Outstanding Commercial

Krapopolis Season One Rekrap - Fox Entertainment

Patrick Starship Enterprise - Paramount +

The Sims & The Sims 2 Legacy Collections Official Reveal Trailer - Electronic Arts Inc.

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story - Kevin Love Fund/EIF

Yeti - Olipop Holiday

 

Outstanding Emerging Media Program

Crypto: The Game – Resurrection Island

Impulse: Playing With Reality

Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom

Paramount & Gamefam: First Playable Story On Roblox

Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody For The Soul

 

Outstanding Title Design

Arcane

Batman: Caped Crusader

Common Side Effects

Creature Commandos

Devil May Cry

Invincible

The Legend of Vox Machina

Sausage Party: Foodtopia

Secret Level

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Twilight of the Gods

 

Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Original Dramatic Score)

American Dad!: “What Great Advancements,” Joel McNeely

Arcane: “Heavy Is the Crown,” Alex Saver, Alexander Temple

Batman: Caped Crusader: “Kiss of the Catwoman,” Frederik Wiedmann

Big Mouth: “Why Do We Go Through Puberty?,” Mark Rivers

Castlevania: Nocturne: “A Line of Great Heroes,” Trevor Morris, Trey Toy

Common Side Effects: “Cliff’s Edge,” Nic Snyder

Creature Commandos: “Chasing Squirrels,” Clint Mansell, Kevin Kiner

Devil May Cry: “The Deep and Savage Way,” Jarome Harmsworth, Joel, Harmsworth

Family Guy: “Drunk with Power,” Walter Murphy

Grimsburg: “Mo11y,” Jesse Novak

Invincible: “You Want a Real Costume, Right?,” John Paesano

Kite Man: Hell Yeah!: “Hero Stuff, Hell Yeah!,” Michael Gatt

Krapopolis: “Love Week,” Joe Wong

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Deadly Echoes,” Neal Acree

#1 Happy Family USA: “Nine Ten,” Moez Dawad

Sausage Party: Foodtopia: “Eighth Course,” Christopher Lennertz, Alexander Bornstein

The Simpsons: “Treehouse of Horror XXXV,” Kara Talve

Solar Opposites: “Live Die Repeat Device,” Chris Westlake

Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The Next New Generation,” Chris Westlake

Terminator Zero: “Model 101,” Michelle Birsky, Kevin Henthorn

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: “Living Midnight,” Pinar Toprak, Gerrit Wunder

Twilight of the Gods: “The Bride-Price,” Hans Zimmerman, Omer Benyamin, Steven Doar

What If…?: “What If…1872?,” Laura Karpman, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum

 

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

American Dad!: “The Wrong Kid,” Asa Taccone, Nic Wegener

Arcane: “The Line,” Tyler Joseph

Big Mouth: “Is It Normal,” Mark Rivers

Bob’s Burgers: “Drift Too Far,” Nora Smith

Common Side Effects: “The Last - End Song,” Nic Snyder

Devil May Cry: “Afterlife,” Alex Seaver

Exploding Kittens: “Whiskey For Breakfast,” Shane Kosakowski

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Chateau Shorthalt,” Peter Habib, Sam Riegel

#1 Happy Family USA: “Money for the Meat,” Ramy Youssef

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: “Spaceball,” Cirocco Dunlap

 

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music

Batman: Caped Crusader, Frederik Wiedmann

Common Side Effects, Nic Snyder

Exploding Kittens, Serj Tankian

Lazarus, Kamasi Washington

#1 Happy Family USA, Ramy Youssef, Moez Dawad  

Twilight of the Gods, Hans Zimmerman, Omer Benyamin, Steven Doar

 

Outstanding Music Supervision

Arcane: “Heavy Is the Crown,” Jen Malone, Nicole Weisberg

Devil May Cry: “The First Circle,” Justine Von Winterfeldt, Christina Zabala

Exploding Kittens: “SeaWorld Is Hell,” Ben Sokoler

Invincible: “This Was Supposed to Be Easy,” Gabe Hilfer, Henry van Roden

 

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series

Arcane: “Pretend Like It’s the First Time,” Robert Fernandez, Gilda Carmel, Nazim Meslem

Batman: Caped Crusader: “Moving Target,” Marc Stone

Creature Commandos: “Cheers to the Tin Man,” Annie De Brock

Devil May Cry: “The Deep and Savage Way,” Kim Gyung-chan, Kim Min-kyoung

Devil May Cry: “The First Circle,” Kim Gyung Chan, Kyung Min-Ho

Invincible: “I Thought You’d Never Shut Up,” Luke Asa Guidici

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Thordak,” Felipe Salazar, Matt Sipple

Terminator Zero: “Model 101,” Akari Saitoh

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: “Whanaungatanga,” David Howe, Justin Howe, Mohit Jaswal

Twilight of the Gods: “Song of Sigrid,” Chris Lozinski

What If…?: “What If…1872?,” Anton Capaldo-Smith, Adam Spieckermann

 

Outstanding Picture Editing For a Single Camera Comedy Series

Big Mouth: “Why Do We Go through Puberty?,” Felipe Salazar, Jeremy Arias, Cole Emoff

Bob’s Burgers: “They Slug Horses, Don’t They?,” Jeremy Reuben, Stephanie Earley, Kris Fitzgerald

Common Side Effects: “Cliff’s Edge,” Tony Christopherson

Exploding Kittens: “Let the Games Begin,” Matt Steinauer

Family Guy: “Drunk with Power,” Dennis McElroy, Eric Brown

#1 Happy Family USA: “Egypt Is on the Phone!,” Jeff Picarello

Sausage Party: Foodtopia: “Eighth Course,” Jeff Seibenick

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: “Hoogadoon Bonch,” Megan Love, Clayton Baker

Solar Opposites: “Terry’s Big Cleaning Day,” Nick Reczynski

Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Dos Cerritos,” Andy Maxwell

 

Outstanding Sound Editing For an Animated Program

Arcane: “The Dirt Under Your Nails”

Batman: Caped Crusader: “Moving Target”

Big Mouth: “Why Do We Go Through Puberty?”

Bob’s Burgers: “Hope N Mic Night”

Castlevania: Nocturne: “Grenadye Alaso”

Common Side Effects: “Raid”

Creature Commandos: “Cheers to the Tin Man”

Devil May Cry: “A River of Blood and Fire”

Exploding Kittens: “Let the Games Begin”

Invincible: “I Thought You’d Never Shut Up”

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Thordak”

Love, Death + Robots: “400 Boys”

#1 Happy Family USA: “Nine Ten”

Sausage Party: Foodtopia: “Seventh Course”

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: “Sedate the Tentacle!”

Secret Level: “Warhammer 40,000: They Shall Know No Fear”

Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation”

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: “A Journey of a Thousand Miles”

Twilight of the Gods: “Song of Sigrid”

What If…?: “What If…1872?”

 

Outstanding Sound Mixing For a Comedy or Drama (Half-Hour) and Animation

Arcane: “The Dirt Under Your Nails”

Big Mouth: “Why Do We Go Through Puberty?”

Bob’s Burgers: “Hope N Mic Night”

Castlevania: Nocturne: “Grenadye Alaso”

Devil May Cry: “A River of Blood and Fire”

Exploding Kittens: “Let the Games Begin”

Invincible: “I Thought You’d Never Shut Up”

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Thordak”

Love, Death + Robots: “400 Boys”

Sausage Party: Foodtopia: “First Course”

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: “Sedate the Tentacle!”

Secret Level: “Warhammer 40,000: They Shall Know No Fear”

The Simpsons: “The Past and the Furious”

Star Trek: Lower Decks: “A Farewell to Arms”

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: “A Journey of a Thousand Miles”

Twilight of the Gods: “Song of Sigrid”

What If…?: “What If…1872?”

 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Big Mouth: “Homecumming”

Common Side Effects: “Pilot”

Exploding Kittens: “Pilot”

Family Guy: “The Fat Lotus”

Family Guy: “Lois C.K.”

Grimsburg: “Mo11y”

Harley Quinn: “Breaking Brainiac”

Krapopolis: “Krapocalypse”

#1 Happy Family USA: “Nine Ten”

Sausage Party: Foodtopia: “Seventh Course”

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: “Welcome to Pweek”

The Simpsons: “O C’mon All Ye Faithful”

Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation”

 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Arcane: “The Message Hidden Within the Pattern”

Batman: “Caped Crusader: Savage Night”

Castlevania: Nocturne: “Monstrous Things”

Creature Commandos: “A Very Funny Monster”

Devil May Cry: “All Hope Abandon”

Invincible: “All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry”

The Legend of Vox Machina: “Hell To Pay”

Terminator Zero: “Model 107”

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: “A Single Step”

Twilight of the Gods: “The Bride-Price”

What If…?: “What If…1872?”

 

Final Thoughts:

Although honored at the Daytime Emmys, SpongeBob SquarePants never won a Primetime Emmy. Wouldn’t it be funny if Patrick Starship Enterprise finally brought it a win?

Is The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story really a commercial? It seems more like a short film.

While not animated, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Craig Zobel, a co-creator of Homestar Runner, is submitted for directing The Penguin pilot “After Hours.”

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!