Chicago had a familiar face at the center of the 78th Emmy nominations morning before the nominations were even announced.
Liza Colón-Zayas, who won an Emmy for her role as Tina on FX/Hulu’s The Bear, joined Jeff Hiller of Somebody Somewhere to unveil the nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards on Wednesday morning. It was a fitting choice. Moments later, The Bear once again became the city’s biggest Emmy story.
The Chicago-set series earned 8 nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, keeping the FX/Hulu favorite firmly in the awards conversation. While The Bear may no longer be the unstoppable Emmy machine it was at its peak, the series remains one of television’s most recognized shows and continues to carry Chicago into one of the industry’s biggest awards races.
Ayo Edebiri earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sydney Adamu, while creator Christopher Storer landed a directing nomination for the episode “Bears.” The series also picked up nominations for cinematography, picture editing, sound mixing and guest performances from Rob Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis.
For Chicago viewers, The Bear remains the headline. The series has always been more than a restaurant show. It is a stress dream about ambition, grief, family, food, perfectionism and the emotional cost of trying to build something meaningful in a city that does not hand out anything easily. Even when viewers debate its pacing or whether it belongs in comedy, Emmy voters continue to recognize the craft behind the chaos.
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But The Bear was not the only Midwest-connected title to break through.
HBO Max’s DTF St. Louis had a huge nomination morning, earning 13 nominations overall. While the title points to Missouri, part of the limited series takes place in Chicago, giving it a legitimate regional connection for Reel Chicago readers. The show landed a nomination for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, along with major supporting acting nominations for Linda Cardellini, Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday.
The series also showed up in several craft categories, including cinematography, directing, editing, costumes, writing and sound mixing. For a limited series with a regional footprint, that is a serious showing.
Then there is Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Netflix’s Wisconsin-rooted true-crime entry, which earned 7 nominations overall. Charlie Hunnam was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing Ed Gein, while Laurie Metcalf earned a supporting actress nomination for her role as Augusta Gein. The series also picked up recognition in craft categories including cinematography, costumes, makeup, prosthetics and sound mixing.
Taken together, the Chicago and Midwest Emmy picture looks stronger than expected. The Bear remains the local heavyweight. DTF St. Louis gives the region a major limited-series contender with a Chicago connection. Monster: The Ed Gein Story adds a Wisconsin true-crime presence to the mix.
Not every Chicago-connected show broke through. The Chi, One Chicago, Dark Matter and Deli Boys were absent from the major nomination conversation. But between The Bear, DTF St. Louis and Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the Midwest still carved out a meaningful place on Emmy morning.
And for Chicago, it all started with Colón-Zayas at the podium. Here is the full list of nominees:
The Bear:
- Outstanding Comedy Series
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series — Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
- Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series — Christopher Storer, “Bears”
- Outstanding Cinematography for a Series — Half-Hour — Andrew Wehde, “Scallop”
- Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series — Joanna Naugle, “Bears”
- Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series — Half-Hour and Animation — “Scallop”
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series — Rob Reiner as Albert, “Tonnato”
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series — Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto, “Tonnato”
DTF St. Louis:
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — James Whitaker, “Cornhole”
- Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Molly Maginnis, “Cornhole”
- Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Steven Conrad
- Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Kevin D. Ross and Max Koepke, “No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way From Across The Street”
- Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — “Amphezyne”
- Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Steven Conrad
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Linda Cardellini as Carol Love-Smernitch
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Joy Sunday as Detective Jodie Plumb
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Jason Bateman as Clark Forrest
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — David Harbour as Floyd Smernitch
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Richard Jenkins as Detective Donoghue Homer
Monster: The Ed Gein Story:
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein
- Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Michael Bauman, “Buxom Bird”
- Outstanding Period Costumes — Joshua J. Marsh, “Mother!”
- Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup — Non-Prosthetic — “The Babysitter”
- Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup — “The Godfather”
- Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — “Sick As Your Secrets”
Not bad for a city that already knows how much pressure comes with being in the kitchen.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE, airing live coast-to-coast on NBC and streaming on Peacock, hosted by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay.
