“Yes, Chef” is now part of Emmy history. The Bear has notched a record-breaking 23 Emmy nominations , setting a new high for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series. The record previously belonged to 30 Rock , which earned 22 nominations 15 years ago.
Funny? Ebon Moss-Bachrach, from left, Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White in The Bear. Credit: AP The Bear , – honoured overnight for its second season , which premiered in June 2023 – scored significantly more nominations compared with its first season, when it had 13. Its principal actors — Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach — all landed nominations.
It also got nods in technical categories such as sound mixing and picture editing. The Bear , which already won best comedy at the strike-delayed Emmys in January, will be the heavy favourite going in. The record-setting status of The Bear , however, will surely draw a renewed round of scrutiny of how shows get slotted into different categories at the Emmys.
Going back to last year, some industry insiders gnashed their teeth at the Emmy success of The Bear . Should it be honoured? Absolutely. But, seriously, in the comedy categories? Alan Sepinwall, a TV critic for Rolling Stone , raised the point recently, asking whether “this story of toxic workplaces, addiction and mental illness, and ruinous personal relationships was a barrel of laughs.
” Given that The Bear beat out 30 Rock — a beloved series that would never be mistaken .