The Emmy Award statue — The Emmy Award Statue

With the Star Wars universe making a much larger push into the television world this past year, it seems natural that the shows would garner a bit more attention from awards shows, including the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the Emmys). The 2020 Emmy nominations were announced today, and Star Wars shows did quite well. In total, 16 Star Wars Emmy nominations were announced, with 15 going to season 1 of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian Leads the Way

Season 1 of The Mandalorian was fantastic, surprising fans in just about every way. A harkening back to “old school” Star Wars, the series was praised by fans and critics alike. That praise has resulted in 15 total nominations for the show this year. Most of the nominations are in technical and design categories like Costuming or Sound Editing, but one key nomination stands out: Outstanding Drama Series.

Other non-technical nominations include Taika Waititi for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance as IG-11 and Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon for Outstanding Guest Actor (Drama). Ludwig Göransson was nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, much deserved considering how popular the themes of the show have become. Star Wars Resistance was also nominated for Oustanding Children’s Program.

Can The Mandalorian Win?

A Star Wars series being considered for the top drama prize in its medium is something that hasn’t happened since the original film was nominated for Best Picture at the 1978 Academy Awards. It faces stiff competition, with 2017 winner The Handmaid’s Tale among the other nominees.

Unlike the Oscars, the Emmys have been much kinder to fantasy and sci-fi programs. HBO’s Game of Thrones won Outstanding Drama four of the last five years, opening the door for a potential win. Still, past winner The Handmaid’s Tale and critical darling Killing Eve could prevent The Mandalorian from claiming the top prize.

The Clone Wars Shut Out

What is somewhat surprising is the lack of nominations for The Clone Wars. The final season, particularly the final four episodes, were incredibly well received by fans and critics. The animation improved significantly as well. The Clone Wars has won Daytime Emmy awards in the past, so it is strange to not see the final season even nominated.

The last time a Star Wars property won a full Emmy (not Daytime) was 2005. The animated Clone Wars shorts by director Genndy Tartakovsky won Outstanding Animated Program at the 2005 awards.