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All of the Emmy nominations for reality TV and nonfiction shows

All of the Emmy nominations for reality TV and nonfiction shows
Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart were surprise Emmy nominees for their work hosting Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. (Photo by Brandon Williams/VH1)
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The Television Academy has announced its nominations for the 69th Emmys, and there were some surprising shake-ups in the several reality TV categories: RuPaul’s Drag Race earned its first nomination as a series in the reality competition category, and the reality hosts category has five brand-new nominees.

In the host category, Match Game host Alec Baldwin, United Shades of America host W. Kamau Bell, MasterChef Junior judge/host Gordon Ramsay, and Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog were all nominated for the first time.

That’s a wonderfully diverse range and a group of deserving talents. There are still others worthy of nominations, sure, and some who are deserving who have been nominated but never won. But I am thrilled with this list.

In the first-ever reality TV casting nominations, the outstanding Survivor and Amazing Race casting director Lynne Spillman was nominated for her work on Survivor, while Sasha Alpert was nominated twice (along with different colleagues) for both Born this Way and Project Runway, and Goloka Bolte and Ethan Petersen were nominated for RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Voice‘s casting team was also nominated.

New and outstanding series that received nominations included Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, The Keepers, O.J. Made in America, and Planet Earth II.

In the not-so-thrilling news, besides the addition of Drag Race and deletion of Dancing with the Stars, the Academy nominated the exact same reality competitions as last year. They had 43 shows to choose from and chose five of the same six.

Below are the nominees for all of the reality and nonfiction categories, including technical categories that sometimes include scripted shows. This comes from the Television Academy’s list, and I’ve sometimes include specifics, such as the 27 members of Survivor’s cinematography team nominated for their outstanding work in a single episode.

For other details, browse the 69th Emmys nominations on the Television Academy’s site.

Reality or Reality Competition Host

  1. Alec Baldwin, Match Game
  2. W. Kamau Bell, United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell
  3. RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
  4. Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
  5. Gordon Ramsay, MasterChef Junior
  6. Martha Stewart, Snoop Dog, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

  1. Antiques Roadshow
  2. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
  3. Fixer Upper
  4. Lip Sync Battle
  5. Shark Tank
  6. Who Do You Think You Are?

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

  1. Born This Way
  2. Deadliest Catch
  3. Gaycation with Ellen Page
  4. Intervention
  5. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
  6. United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

  1. The Amazing Race
  2. American Ninja Warrior
  3. Project Runway
  4. RuPaul’s Drag Race
  5. Top Chef
  6. The Voice

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

  1. American Masters
  2. Chef’s Table
  3. The Keepers
  4. Planet Earth II
  5. 30 For 30

Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program

  1. Born This Way, Sasha Alpert and Megan Sleeper
  2. Project Runway, Sasha Alpert, Alissa Haight Carlton, and Jen DeMartino
  3. RuPaul’s Drag Race, Goloka Bolte and Ethan Petersen
  4. Survivor, Lynne Spiegel Spillman
  5. The Voice, Michelle McNulty, Holly Dale, Courtney Burns

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

  1. Amanda Knox, Netflix
  2. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years, Hulu
  3. A House Divided (Vice Special Report), HBO
  4. L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later, A&E
  5. 13th, Netflix

Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking

  1. Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds, HBO
  2. LA 92, National Geographic
  3. O.J.: Made In America, ESPN
  4. Oklahoma City (American Experience), PBS
  5. The White Helmets, Netflix

Outstanding Informational Series Or Special

  1. Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown
  2. Inside The Actors Studio
  3. Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath
  4. StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson
  5. Vice

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

  1. Creating Saturday Night Live
  2. FEUD: Bette and Joan: Inside Look
  3. Jay Leno’s Garage
  4. National Endowment for the Arts: United States of Arts
  5. Viceland At The Women’s March

Outstanding Choreography

  1. Dancing With The Stars • Routine: Kairos • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions Derek Hough, Choreographer
  2. Dancing With The Stars • Routines: On Top Of The World & Carol Of The Bells • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions Mandy Moore, Choreographer
  3. The Real O’Neals • Routines: Born This Way & West Side Story & Boyfriend • ABC • ABC Studios Fred Tallaksen, Choreographer
  4. So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: The Mirror & Send In The Clowns & She Used To Be Mine • FOX • dick clark productions, inc. and 19 Entertainment
    Travis Wall, Choreographer
  5. So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Unsteady & This Is Not The End • FOX • dick clark productions, inc. and 19 Entertainment
    Mandy Moore, Choreographer

Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program

  1. Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown • Rome • CNN • Zero Point Zero Production, Inc. Todd Liebler, Director of Photography; Zach Zamboni, Director of Photography
  2. Chef’s Table • Virgilio Martinez • Netflix • House of Tomorrow Will Basanta, Director of Photography
    O.J.: Made In America • Part 4 • ESPN • ESPN Films and Laylow Films Nick Higgins, Director of Photography
  3. Planet Earth II • Cities • BBC America • A BBC Studios Natural History Unit Production in co-production with BBC America; Cinematography Team [Contributors: John Aitchison, Rob Whitworth, Kevin Flay, Mark MacEwen, Gordon Buchanan, Gavin Thurston, Mateo Willis, Michael Kelem, Mark Smith, Sandesh Kadur]
  4. Planet Earth II • Islands • BBC America • A BBC Studios Natural History Unit Production in co-production with BBC America; Cinematography Team [Contributors: Mark MacEwen, Max Hug Williams, Jonathan Jones, Mateo Willis, Richard Wollocombe, Pete McCowen, Warwick Sloss, Paul Stewart, Derek Frankowski, John Shier, Tom Fitz]
  5. 13th • Netflix • Forward Movement, LLC and Kandoo Films Hans Charles, Director of Photography; Kira Kelly, Director of Photography

Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program

  1. The Amazing Race • Bucket List Type Stuff • CBS • WorldRace Productions, Inc. Peter Rieveschl, Director of Photography; Alan Weeks, Cinematographer; Petr Cikhart, Cinematographer; Ryan O’Donnell, Cinematographer; Joshua Gitersonke, Cinematographer
  2. Born This Way • Rough Waters • A&E • Bunim/Murray Productions Bruce Ready, Director of Photography
  3. Deadliest Catch • Uncharted Territory • Discovery Channel • Original Productions, LLC; David Reichert, Director of Photography; Dave Arnold, Director of Photography; Kelvon Agee, Director of Photography; Josh Thomas, Director of Photography; Todd Stanley, Director of Photography
  4. Life Below Zero • Loaded • National Geographic • Adjacent Productions; Mike Cheeseman, Director of Photography; John Griber, Director of Photography; Simeon Houtman, Director of Photography; Terry Pratt, Director of Photography; Danny Day, Camera; Ben Mullin, Camera
  5. Survivor • The Stakes Have Been Raised • CBS • MGM Television; Cinematography Team
    [Contributors: Marc Bennett, James Boon, Paulo Castillo, Rodney Chauvin, Luke Cormack, Lee Doig, Russ Fill, Ben Gamble, Kevin Garrison, Ryan Goddard, Derek Hoffmann, Matthais Hoffmann, Toby Hogan, Efrain “Mofi” Laguna, Ian Miller, Jo Oosthuizen, Paul Peddinghaus, Thomas Pretorius, Jeff Phillips, Louis Powell, Dirk Steyn, Peter Wery, Nico Nyoni, Erick Sarimento, David Arnold, Mark Hryma, Scott Duncan]

Outstanding Production Design For A Variety, Nonfiction, Reality Or Reality- Competition Series

  1. Bill Nye Saves The World
  2. Drunk History
  3. Portlandia
  4. Saturday Night Live
  5. The Voice

Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming

  1. Dancing With The Stars, “Halloween Night”
  2. Hairspray Live!
  3. Portlandia, “Carrie Dates A Hunk”
  4. RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Oh. My. Gaga!”
  5. Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Directing For A Nonfiction Program

  1. Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds, Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens
  2. O.J.: Made In America, Ezra Edelman
  3. Planet Earth II, “Cities,” Fredi Devas
  4. Planet Earth II, “Islands,” Elizabeth White
  5. 13th, Ava DuVernay

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program

  1. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years
  2. O.J.: Made In America
  3. Planet Earth II, “Cities”
  4. Planet Earth II, “Islands”
  5. 13th
  6. Vice

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Or Competition Reality Program

  1. The Amazing Race, “Bucket List Type Stuff”
  2. Project Runway, “An Unconventional Launch Party”
  3. Project Runway, “Finale, Part 2”
  4. RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Oh. My. Gaga!”
  5. Shark Tank, “Episode 801”
  6. Survivor, “About To Have A Rumble”

Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program

  1. Born This Way, “Dream Come True”
  2. Born This Way, “Oh Baby!”
  3. Born This Way, “The Times They Are A’Changin”
  4. Deadliest Catch, “Uncharted Territory”
  5. Life Below Zero, “River Of Rage”

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special

  1. Dancing With The Stars, “A Night At The Movies”
  2. Hairspray Live!
  3. RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Oh. My. Gaga!”
  4. Saturday Night Live
  5. The Voice, “Live Playoffs, Night 1”

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Series

  1. America’s Got Talent, “Episode 1120”
  2. Dancing With The Stars, “Cirque Du Soleil Night”
  3. Saturday Night Live, Host: Jimmy Fallon
  4. So You Think You Can Dance, “Finale”
  5. The Voice, “Live Finale (Part 2)”

Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic)

  1. Dancing With The Stars, “Halloween Night”
  2. Hairspray Live!
  3. MADtv, Episode #1.4
  4. RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Oh. My. Gaga!”
  5. Saturday Night Live, Host: Alec Baldwin
  6. The Voice, “Live Playoffs, Night 1”

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Program (Single Or Multi- Camera)

  1. Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, “Hanoi”
  2. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
  3. Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath, “Golden Era”
  4. Planet Earth II, “Cities”
  5. 13th

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera)

  1. Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, “Rome”
  2. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
  3. O.J.: Made In America, Part 2
  4. Planet Earth II, “Cities”
  5. 13th

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series

  1. The Big Bang Theory, “The Locomotion Reverberation”
  2. Dancing With The Stars, Episode 2311A
  3. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, “Gerrymandering”
  4. Saturday Night Live, Host: Jimmy Fallon
  5. The Voice, “Live Finale (Part 2)”

Outstanding Writing For A Nonfiction Program

  1. Amanda Knox, Matthew Hamachek and Brian McGinn
  2. Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, “Houston,” Anthony Bourdain
    The Beatles: Eight Days A Week, Mark Monroe
  3. Bill Nye Saves The World, “The Sexual Spectrum,” Prashanth Venkataramanujam, CeCe Pleasants, Sanden Totten, Mike Drucker, and Flora Lichtman
  4. 13th, Ava DuVernay and Spencer Averick

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

  1. The Crown, “Hyde Park Corner”
  2. House Of Cards, “Chapter 63”
  3. Planet Earth II, “Islands”
  4. A Series Of Unfortunate Events, “A Bad Beginning”
  5. Taboo, “Episode 1”
  6. Victoria (Masterpiece), “Doll 123”

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

  1. Fargo, “Aporia”
  2. FEUD: Bette And Joan, “Pilot”
  3. Five Came Back, “The Price Of Victory”
  4. O.J.: Made In America
  5. The White Helmets

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  • Andy Dehnart

    Andy Dehnart is the creator of reality blurred and a writer and teacher who obsessively and critically covers reality TV and unscripted entertainment, focusing on how it’s made and what it means.

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