2022 Emmys: What to watch for on TV's biggest night

"Squid Games" could make history and "Succession" could win big with 25 noms.

September 9, 2022, 2:00 PM

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are almost here!

The star-studded event will take place on Monday, Sept. 12, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and fan-favorite shows like "Succession," "Ted Lasso" and "The White Lotus" could win big.

PHOTO: Emmy award statues are seen at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 18, 2016.
Emmy award statues are seen at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 18, 2016.
Invision/AP, FILE

Nominations for this year's Emmys were announced in July by actor and comedian J.B. Smoove and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Melissa Fumero.

Here is what to watch for on television's biggest night.

Who's hosting the 2022 Emmys?

"Saturday Night Live" star Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 Emmys, marking the first time the actor and comedian has hosted the awards show.

In a statement, Thompson called the job of hosting the ceremony "ridiculously exciting," adding, "Like all TV fans, I can't wait to see the stars from my favorite shows."

PHOTO: Kenan Thompson attends the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 17, 2018.
Kenan Thompson attends the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 17, 2018.
NBC via Getty Images, FILE

Thompson got his start in television on Nickelodeon with shows like "All That" and "Kenan & Kel," both with pal Kel Mitchell. At the same time, he starred as Russ in the "Mighty Ducks" film sequels.

While it's his first time hosting the Emmys, Thompson is a six-time Emmy nominee. He won an Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics for the song "Come Back Barack" on a 2017 episode of "SNL."

Which shows have the most Emmy nominations this year?

The show with the most nominations at the 2022 Emmys is "Succession," which is nominated a grand total of 25 times this year. To date, the series has 48 nominations and nine wins. Of its 25 nominations this year, 14 are for acting and one is for outstanding drama series, the top award of the night for non-comedies.

Next up in the standings are "Ted Lasso" and "The White Lotus," which garnered 20 nominations apiece. After that, "Hacks" and "Only Murders in the Building" snagged 17 each, while "Euphoria" scooped up 16 nominations.

"Barry," "Dopesick," "Severance" and "Squid Game" each have 14 nominations, while "Ozark" and "Stranger Things" each have 13. Rounding out the list of double-digit nominees are "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" with 12 nominations and "Pam & Tommy" with 10.

Who are first-time Emmy nominees this year?

Every year, there are actors who score their first Emmy nomination. This year, in the main acting categories, that crop of first-time Emmy nominees includes "Pam & Tommy" co-stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan, and "The Great" co-stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.

PHOTO: Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult appear in an episode of the Hulu series "The Great".
Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult appear in an episode of the Hulu series "The Great".
Gareth Gatrell/Hulu

One who really left a mark this year is Quinta Brunson, who raked in not one, but three Emmys as a first-time nominee. Brunson is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series (for acting), outstanding writing for a comedy series (for writing) and outstanding comedy series (for producing).

Other first-time Emmy nominees this year include Lee Jung-Jae ("Squid Game"), Adam Scott ("Severance"), Melanie Lynsky ("Yellowjackets"), Andrew Garfield ("Under the Banner of Heaven"), Oscar Isaac ("Scenes from a Marriage"), Himesh Patel ("Station Eleven") and Amanda Seyfried ("The Dropout").

PHOTO: Lily James and Sebastian Stan appear in the Hulu series "Pam & Tommy".
Lily James and Sebastian Stan appear in the Hulu series "Pam & Tommy".
Erin Simkin/Hulu

Historic nominees to watch for

In July, "Squid Game" continued to make history when it became the first-ever non-English drama series to be Emmy nominated.

The hit Netflix show -- which quickly became the most-watched series of all time on the platform -- received 14 Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series, outstanding directing for a drama series, outstanding lead actor and outstanding supporting actress.

PHOTO: Lee Jung-Jae appears in the Netflix series "Squid Game".
Lee Jung-Jae appears in the Netflix series "Squid Game".
Noh Juhan/Netflix

Other nominees include "Abbott Elementary's" Quinta Brunson. According to Variety, Brunson's three nominations for outstanding comedy series, lead actress in a comedy and writing for a comedy series make her the first Black woman to earn three nominations in the comedy categories in the same year.

PHOTO: Quinta Brunson appears in a scene from the ABC series "Abbott Elementary".
Quinta Brunson appears in a scene from the ABC series "Abbott Elementary".
Ser Baffo/ABC via AP

Big potential wins

With 25 Emmy nominations, "Succession" could win big this year, specifically in the acting categories, where the show earned a record-breaking 14 nominations -- the most ever for a series.

"Ted Lasso" and "The White Lotus" could also win many statuettes, as each show follows closely behind with 20 nominations each.

PHOTO: Julia Garner as Anna Delvery, Richie Herschenfeld as Richie Notar in episode of the Netflix series "Inventing Anna".
Julia Garner as Anna Delvery, Richie Herschenfeld as Richie Notar in episode of the Netflix series "Inventing Anna".
Nicole Rivelli/Netflix

For acting, Julia Garner and Sydney Sweeney are among stars who earned multiple nominations for more than one project. Garner picked up a supporting actress nod for her performance in the final season of "Ozark" and also earned one for lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for "Inventing Anna."

Sweeney, who is nominated at the Emmys for the first time, earned nods for supporting actress in a drama series for "Euphoria" and best-supporting actress in a limited series for "The White Lotus."

PHOTO: Sydney Sweeney appears in an episode of the HBO series "Euphoria".
Sydney Sweeney appears in an episode of the HBO series "Euphoria".
Eddy Chen/HBO

The 74th Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.

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