Sterling K. Brown, Hugh Jackman and More React to Their 2020 Emmy Award Nominations

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock; Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock

Sterling K. Brown, Hugh Jackman and More React to Their 2020 Emmy Award Nominations

The results are in! Nominations for the 2020 Emmy Awards were announced on Tuesday, July 28 — and the stars couldn't conceal their excitement. Leslie Jones hosted the live-streamed nomination event with a little help from Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany, who read the names of some of the TV stars, directors and writers who will be honored at the 72nd annual Emmy Awards this fall. For the 2020 season, longtime favorites like Game of Thrones, Fleabag and Veep gave way to newcomers like The Morning Show, Succession and The Mandalorian. Zendaya earned her first nomination for her portrayal of Rue in HBO's Euphoria and streaming giant Hulu scored major nods for their limited series, including Normal People and Little Fires Everywhere. Sterling K. Brown made history by being the one of the first actors to be nominated for his work in both a comedy and a drama series in the same year. "I am overwhelmed and honored — truly, truly honored," he said in an Instagram video, shouting out his fellow nominees in both the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category and the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. "Thank you to the Television Academy for recognizing my work in both This Is Us and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Thank you to my fellow nominees, it is an honor to be included amongst you. ... What an incredible honor." [jwplayer ZdS5IVT8] Unlike other awards shows, including the Oscars and the Golden Globes, the Emmys have not pushed back their air date amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In June, it was confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel would be hosting the awards ceremony, which is still set to be held in September. The comedian, 52, also hosted in 2012 and 2016. "I don't know where we will do this or how we will do this or even why we are doing this," Kimmel teased in a statement shortly before announcing his summer hiatus from Jimmy Kimmel Live! "But we are doing it and I am hosting it." Scroll down to see how Hugh Jackman, William Jackson Harper and more stars reacted to their Emmy nominations. [podcast_block]

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock; Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock

Sterling K. Brown, Hugh Jackman and More React to Their 2020 Emmy Award Nominations

The results are in! Nominations for the 2020 Emmy Awards were announced on Tuesday, July 28 — and the stars couldn't conceal their excitement. Leslie Jones hosted the live-streamed nomination event with a little help from Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany, who read the names of some of the TV stars, directors and writers who will be honored at the 72nd annual Emmy Awards this fall. For the 2020 season, longtime favorites like Game of Thrones, Fleabag and Veep gave way to newcomers like The Morning Show, Succession and The Mandalorian. Zendaya earned her first nomination for her portrayal of Rue in HBO's Euphoria and streaming giant Hulu scored major nods for their limited series, including Normal People and Little Fires Everywhere. Sterling K. Brown made history by being the one of the first actors to be nominated for his work in both a comedy and a drama series in the same year. "I am overwhelmed and honored — truly, truly honored," he said in an Instagram video, shouting out his fellow nominees in both the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category and the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. "Thank you to the Television Academy for recognizing my work in both This Is Us and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Thank you to my fellow nominees, it is an honor to be included amongst you. ... What an incredible honor." [jwplayer ZdS5IVT8] Unlike other awards shows, including the Oscars and the Golden Globes, the Emmys have not pushed back their air date amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In June, it was confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel would be hosting the awards ceremony, which is still set to be held in September. The comedian, 52, also hosted in 2012 and 2016. "I don't know where we will do this or how we will do this or even why we are doing this," Kimmel teased in a statement shortly before announcing his summer hiatus from Jimmy Kimmel Live! "But we are doing it and I am hosting it." Scroll down to see how Hugh Jackman, William Jackson Harper and more stars reacted to their Emmy nominations. [podcast_block]

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Jennifer Aniston

"What a morning waking up to this news! I am so proud of my @themorningshow family," the Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominee wrote on Instagram alongside four photos. "This team worked so, so hard to make the best show we possibly could, and I am truly honored to be a part of it. Thanks for this acknowledgment and congratulations to EVERYONE 🏼 🥳 Now, I’m just gonna have to figure out what MASK I’M GONNA WEAR 🤔🏼!!"

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Zendaya

“I’m honestly speechless, my heart is just overflowing with love and gratitude,” the Euphoria star, who is nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, tweeted on Tuesday. “I’m so incredibly honored to work beside the talented people that I get to call family. I am a small piece of a big beautiful puzzle and I’m so proud of all of you. Thank you to everyone out there who’s watched and given our show life, thank you @samlev00 @hbo @a24 for everything and @televisionacad for this beautiful acknowledgment, thank you, thank you, thank you. We out here Emmy nominated y’all!!”

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Betty Gilpin

The Glow star joked about her coronavirus quarantine lifestyle after being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. “To the Television Academy — how dare you. I really can’t stress enough how much of a threat this nomination is to my current quarantine brand of pasta and sad,” she said in a statement on Tuesday. “In the Time Before, being born with a healthy protective emotional wall missing meant I got to channel that into pretend time in exchange for health insurance and claps. Until today, apparently here in the apocalypse, these skills were about as meaningful as a worm’s hymn in a canyon.”

Gilpin continued: “I’d like to thank the cast and crew, and the Academy, and seasonal depression, and honestly Nathan Lane, and before this nomination phoenixes me out of mediocrity and I explode into ribbons just real quick the cops who killed Breonna Taylor still have not been arrested.”

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Rachel Brosnahan

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star was filled with joy after being nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the third year in a row. “I’m grateful for the continued love for all corners of our Maisel family,” Brosnahan said in a statement on Tuesday. “I wish so much that we could be together to celebrate today but this (and some zoom cocktails) will certainly hold us over until we can get the band back together. The company we get to keep across these categories is insane. Thank you to the TV Academy!”

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Robin Thede

The creator and star of A Black Lady Sketch Show gushed over her team after the series was honored with an Outstanding Variety Sketch Series nomination. "LOOK WHAT BLACK WOMEN DID!" she tweeted on Tuesday. "Thank you to my genius writers, incredible cast @ashleyn1cole @quintabrunson @GabrielleDennis & stellar crew! And @ImAngelaBassett!!! And @dimedavis is an Emmy nominee for directing! History in the making!" In a separate post, she thanked fellow nominee Issa Rae, "who is the truest example of not only hard work, vision and talent, but also unflinching sisterhood. Now I'm crying. SEE YOU AT THE EMMYS."

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Mark Ruffalo

"Although this Emmy nomination comes with enormous gratitude, it would be disingenuous of me to say that it isn't bittersweet. I am nothing in #IKnowThisMuchIsTrue without Derek Cianfrance who has made a piece of work that will stand the test of time, nor for Rosie, Archie, John, Phil, Melissa, Imogen, Rob, Gabe, and the rest of our inspired cast and crew, @HBO, and our production team," the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nominee tweeted on Tuesday. "With you, I share this nomination. Love and admiration to all."

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Pharrell Williams

"It's an honor to share the legend of Clarence Avant, a man who has never stopped fighting for social justice in entertainment, athletics and politics," the music producer noted after scoring a nod for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for "Letter to My Godfather," a song he cowrote and performed for Netflix's The Black Godfather. "His impact on culture connects us all. Thank you to the TV Academy and thank you to the incredible Nicole Avant, Reginald Hudlin and Netflix for sharing the story of The Black Godfather."

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Billy Crudup

"I am incredibly proud and grateful to collaborate on this show with all the talent and support you could imagine," the Morning Show star said in a statement on Tuesday after being nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. "To be nominated by the Academy alongside so many actor that I esteem is a real privilege."

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Daniel and Eugene Levy

The father-son duo worked side by side on Schitt's Creek, which aired its sixth and final season earlier this year. "This morning has been the most incredible surprise. We are overwhelmed and filled with gratitude for this recognition. Unfathomably proud of our little show," the pair said on Tuesday after the show earned 15 total nominations.

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Meryl Streep

"Thank you!!!" the Big Little Lies actress, who earned her fifth career Emmy nomination on Tuesday, said in a statement. "I am very honored to be in the company of such gifted women, who have helped us all get through this screen centered moment in time!"

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Kerry Washington

Washington received four Emmy nominations on Tuesday, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere. Her production company, Simpson Street, was also honored. "To be recognized in this way this morning is such an honor – but to be able to share it with my partner Pilar Savone and our Simpson Street family makes it even more meaningful," the actress said in a statement. "The experiences we’ve been able to have this year were beyond our wildest dreams: working with the legendary Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel to bring iconic shows from the 70s to new audiences with Live In Front of a Studio Audience, to adapting AMERICAN SON, a Broadway play about Black lives and police violence to Netflix, to bringing Celeste Ng’s beautiful novel Little Fires Everywhere to life with my incredible friends Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter and Liz Tigelar. But the tears came this morning when I heard about Lynn Shelton’s nomination for Little Fires Everywhere. I’m so incredibly grateful that the Television Academy has chosen to honor Lynn with this very deserved nomination. I know she’s celebrating in the beyond."

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Billy Porter

"Thank you @televisionacad. And congratulations to my fellow nominees," the Pose actor wrote in a thoughtful Instagram post on Tuesday after earning a nomination for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. "The work we do on @poseonfx is so important. I am so blessed and lucky to be a part of this groundbreaking show. Thank you @mrrpmurphy and thank you to my entire #Pose family."

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Don Cheadle

The Black Monday actor teased that he wasn't happy with his nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, noting in a statement, "Given that it's been announced on a Tuesday, I hereby regretfully decline my nomination for Black Monday. I am a day-ist. Been one for many years. My principles are my bedrock and sacrosanct." This is Cheadle's ninth nomination.

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Sterling K. Brown

Brown admitted he felt "blessed" by the news of his two nominations: Lead Actor in a Drama Series for This Is Us and Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. "I am overwhelmed and honored — truly, truly honored," he said in an Instagram video on Tuesday. "Thank you to my fellow nominees, it is an honor to be included amongst you." 

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'Queer Eye' Cast

Karamo Brown, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Bobby Berk and Antoni Porowski all celebrated their show's seven total nominations, including Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. "Congrats to the crew, the executives, and to my brothers!!! So humbled & thankful! We did it! Emmy Nominated Host!!!!!!!!!!!!" Brown wrote via Instagram. Van Ness noted in an Instagram of his own, "So excited 💗🏳️‍🌈💗 The five of us have never received an Emmy nomination for Queer Eye, to be recognized by our peers & the Television Academy feels really really amazing 😻."

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Hugh Jackman

"I'm humbled by the nominations for both me and the film and excited to be named with such a talented group of actors. My immense appreciation goes out to all those who believed in Bad Education - especially the hardworking team at HBO," the Australian actor said after earning a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie.

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William Jackson Harper

"This has been quite a morning," the Good Place actor said in a video on Instagram. "Thank you Television Academy. This is a huge, huge honor and I'm beside myself." Harper was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the NBC sitcom, which aired its final season earlier this year.

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Jason Hehir

"I'm so proud of our entire team, who worked tirelessly for years to make The Last Dance what it was," Hehir, who directed the critically-acclaimed Michael Jordan documentary series. "I am beyond grateful for their expertise, their dedication and their perseverance amidst unprecedented circumstances as we finished the show in the early stages of this pandemic. The Last Dance was about more than just Michael Jordan. It was about a team of people coming together to make sacrifices and achieve greatness in the face of relentless obstacles. It’s a great example for all of us in such challenging times. As an NBA fanatic growing up, it was an honor to sit down with such a wide array of fascinating characters. Their honesty and candor is what made this more than just a sports story, and we’re forever thankful for their time and their openness. Thanks so much to the Television Academy for recognizing this project, and thanks again to everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality."

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Shawn Levy

"It is a tremendous honor to have our show and third season recognized by the Television Academy alongside such great series and storytellers," the executive producer and director of Stranger Things said after the Netflix series scored a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. "Working alongside the brilliant Duffer Brothers continues to be one of the great honors and joys of my career, and our cast and crew is deeply grateful for this acknowledgment."