Emmy-nominated reality shows and hosts: Survivor! Vanderpump Rules! not The Traitors?!

The 75th Emmy nominations were announced today, on the eve of a likely actors’ guild strike, and the reality TV and unscripted nominees had some surprises, while other categories contained the same shows and people as last year.

Vanderpump Rules scored its first nomination as a series, perhaps owing to the nonstop coverage of Scandoval during voting season, or perhaps to its high-quality storytelling and slice-of-life authenticity.

Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty managed four nominations, though none in reality or unscripted categories; it’s nominated for a comedy Emmy alongside shows such as Ted Lasso, Abbott Elementary, Barry, The Bear, and Only Murders in the Building.

The Traitors was almost entirely shut out, but did receive one nomination: for casting.

Survivor, however, got its first competition program nomination since 2006!

Over that time, Survivor has regularly been nominated for non-program awards, and this year, received nominations for cinematography and editing. The editing nomination is for Survivor 43 episode 12 “Telenovela,” the season’s penultimate episode. It’s not clear which season was nominated for program.

Jeff Probst was not nominated, which may make Dalton Ross sad, because the Emmy voters chose the exact same hosts as last year—just minus the Shark Tank sharks (who are not hosts!) and adding Maya Rudolph as co-host of Baking It! alongside Amy Poehler.

Padma Lakshmi was nominated as solo host of Top Chef, and I’d guess/hope/plead that this her category to win this year. Her Hulu show Taste the Nation was also nominated in the hosted program category.

Alan Cumming was not nominated as host of The Traitors, which is a tragedy and a sin against excellent television.

Meanwhile, RuPaul’s Drag Race managed seven nominations, despite its relatively shitty seasons.

For the first time this year, categories for studio-based game shows and their hosts were moved from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys, reflecting their presence on prime-time TV.

2023 reality TV Emmy nominees

Below are major reality TV and unscripted categories. The full list of nominations [PDF] includes names of nominated individuals, such as producers and cinematographers; this list of programs [PDF] lists every Emmy that show was nominated for this year.

Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program

• 100 Foot Wave: “Chapter VI – Force Majeure,” • HBO
• Secrets Of The Elephants: “Desert,” National Geographic
• The 1619 Project: “Justice,” Hulu
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Apple TV+
• The Territory, National Geographic

Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program

• The Amazing Race Series Body Of Work, CBS
• Deadliest Catch: “Call Of A New Generation,” Discovery Channel
• Life Below Zero: “The Pursuit,” National Geographic
• Survivor Series Body Of Work, CBS
• Welcome To Wrexham: “Do Or Die”, FX

Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program

• Judy Blume Forever, Prime Video, Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok
• Moonage Daydream, HBO Max, Brett Morgen
• Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Hulu, Lana Wilson
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Apple TV+ Davis Guggenheim
• The Territory, National Geographic, Alex Pritz,
• The U.S. And The Holocaust, “Episode 3: The Homeless, Tempest-tossed (1942 – ),” PBS, Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein

Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program

• The Amazing Race: “Patience, Is The New Me,” CBS, Bertram van Munster
• Queer Eye: “Speedy For Life,” Netflix, Ali Moghadas
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Wigloose: The Rusical!,” MTV, Nick Murray
• Top Chef: “London Calling,” Bravo, Ariel Boles
• Welcome To Wrexham: “Wide World Of Wales,” FX, Bryan Rowland

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program

• Moonage Daydream, HBO Max
• 100 Foot Wave: “Chapter III – Jaws,” HBO Max
• Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Hulu
• The 1619 Project: “Justice,” Hulu
• Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy: “Calabria,” CNN
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Apple TV+

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program

• The Amazing Race Body Of Work, CBS
• Queer Eye: “Speedy For Life,” Netflix
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Wigloose: The Rusical!,” MTV
• Survivor 43: “Telenovela,” CBS
• Top Chef Body Of Work, Bravo

Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program

• Deadliest Catch: “Call Of A New Generation,” Discovery Channel
• Life Below Zero: “A Storm To Remember,” National Geographic
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked: “The Daytona Wind 2,” MTV
• Vanderpump Rules: “Lady And The Glamp,” Bravo
• Welcome To Wrexham: “Do Or Die,” FX

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

• Being Mary Tyler Moore, HBO Max
• Judy Blume Forever, Prime Video
• My Transparent Life, Prime Video
• Pamela, A Love Story, Netflix
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Apple TV+

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

• Dear Mama, FX
• 100 Foot Wave, HBO Max
• Secrets of the Elephants, National Geographic
• The 1619 Project, Hulu
• The U.S. and the Holocaust, PBS

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series Or Special

• The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey, Netflix
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, Netflix
• Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy, CNN
• Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi, Hulu
• United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell, CNN

Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program

• Love Is Blind, Netflix
• Queer Eye, Netflix
• RuPaul’s Drag Race, MTV
• Top Chef, Bravo
• The Traitors, Peacock

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow, PBS
• Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives, Food Network
• Love Is Blind, Netflix
• Queer Eye, Netflix
• Shark Tank, ABC

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

• Indian Matchmaking, Netflix
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, MTV
• Selling Sunset, Netflix
• Vanderpump Rules, Bravo
• Welcome To Wrexham, FX

Outstanding Host For A Game Show

• Jeopardy!, Mayim Bialik
• Family Feud, Steve Harvey
• Jeopardy!, Ken Jennings
• Password, Keke Palmer
• Wheel Of Fortune, Pat Sajak

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program

• Queer Eye, Netflix, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness
• Nailed It!, Netflix, Nicole Byer
• Top Chef, Bravo, Padma Lakshmi
• Baking It, Peacock, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph
• RuPaul’s Drag Race, MTV, RuPaul

Outstanding Game Show

• Family Feud, ABC
• Jeopardy!, ABC
• The Price Is Right, CBS
• That’s My Jam, NBC
• Wheel Of Fortune, ABC

Outstanding Competition Program

• The Amazing Race, CBS
• RuPaul’s Drag Race, MTV
• Survivor, CBS
• Top Chef, Bravo
• The Voice, NBC