HBO Just Got Dethroned By Netflix for Top Emmy Nominations

The 2020 Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning, and with it came yet another battle between Netflix and HBO. Who had the last laugh this year? Well, the answer is both. While Netflix made history as the most-nominated platform with 160 total nods — up from last year's 118 nominations — and HBO lagged behind with 108, the Home Box Office did find a big win with Watchmen, which earned the distinction of becoming this year's most nominated show. This is the Emmys' way of giving a piece of the homecoming queen crown to everyone, kind of!

Netflix racked up its numbers with shows like Ozark, The Crown, Hollywood, Stranger Things, and Queer Eye, overtaking HBO's 137 total nominations from 2019. (Game of Thrones being off the air certainly didn't help HBO's chances.) Watchmen, though, proved to be a formidable contender, cleaning up in the Limited Series category and besting every other show across the TV landscape with 26 nominations. Damon Lindelof's superhero drama was timely for its takes on policing, white supremacy, and its commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, putting it at the forefront of many people's minds in recent days. And it had a stellar performance from Regina King, which is always a plus.

Emmys 2020 Nominations: See the Full List

While nothing could really touch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's spot as the second most nominated show, HBO still saw a good showing with nods for Succession, Insecure, Westworld, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It's also worth mentioning that Disney+ did well for itself in its first year, with The Mandalorian scoring 15 nods and solidifying itself in the rankings among the top nominated shows.

We look forward to many more years of continuing to watch how the Netflix vs. HBO rivalry plays out. Check out the full list of nominations for the 2020 Emmys here, and find out more about the event here.   

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 8/7c on ABC.