Beyoncé and Jay-Z Go Head-to-Head at the Emmys
Beyoncé is facing some familiar competition at the Emmys this year – her husband, Jay-Z. The power couple has been nominated in the same category, Outstanding Variety Special (Live), with Beyoncé nominated for her Netflix half-time show, "Beyoncé Bowl," and Jay-Z nominated as an executive producer for Kendrick Lamar’s "Apple Music Super Bowl Lix Halftime Show."
A Rare Occurrence
It’s not often that a husband and wife compete against each other in the same Emmy category. Both Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s half-time shows were critically acclaimed and groundbreaking, with Beyoncé playing the first NFL half-time show on Christmas Day and Lamar breaking records for the most-watched Super Bowl half-time show with over 133 million viewers.
Other Nominees in the Category
The music-related programming nominated in this year’s Variety Special (Live) category also includes "SNL50: The Return Concert" and "Live on Saturday Night," particularly "SNL50: The Anniversary Special." Beyoncé was also nominated for her concert, along with co-director Alex Rudzinski, marking her third nomination in this category after previously being nominated for "Lemonade" in 2016 and "Home: A Film by Beyoncé" in 2019.
Additional Nominations
Both Beyoncé and Lamar’s half-time shows were recognized in the choreography category for Variety or Reality Programming, with Charm La’Donna nominated for both shows. Tyrik Patterson, Christopher Grant, and Parris Goebel were also nominated for the choreography for "Beyoncé Bowl." Kendrick Lamar himself was nominated for the musical direction for the half-time show, along with James Poyser.
Music Categories at the Emmys
In the seven music-specific categories at the Emmys, other notable nominees include Hans Zimmer for his score "America," Adam Sandler with Dan Bulla for music and lyrics for "Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years" on "SNL50: The Anniversary Special," and Kristen Wiig, Sean Douglas, and Josh Greenbaum for music and lyrics for "Harper and Will Go West" on "Will & Harper."
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
- "Andor" – Brandon Roberts, composer
- "Based on a True Story" – Sherri Chung, composer
- "Cobra Kai" – Leo Birenberg, composer; Zach Robinson, composer
- "Compensation" – Theodore Shapiro, composer
- "The Studio" – Antonio Sánchez, composer
- "The White Lotus" – Cristobal Tapia de Veer, composer
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Film or Special
- "Black Mirror" – Ariel Marx, composer
- "Black Mirror" – Daniel Pemberton, composer
- "Die for Sex" – Ariel Marx, composer
- "Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez" – Thomas Newman, composer; Julia Newman, composer
- "The Penguin" – Mick Giacchino, composer
- "The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat" – Kathryn Bostic, composer
Outstanding Music Direction
- "The Apple Music Super Bowl LiXime Show with Kendrick Lamar" – Kendrick Lamar, music director; Tony Russell, music director
- "The Kennedy Center Honors" – Rickey Minor, music director
- "The Oscars" – Michael Bearden, music director
- "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" – Lenny Pickett, music director; Leon Pendarvis, music director; Eli Brueggemann, music director
- "SNL50: The Return Concert" – James Poyser, music director; Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, music director
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
- "Agatha All Along" – Kristen Anderson-Lopez, music & lyrics; Robert Lopez, music & lyrics
- "Andor" – Nicholas Britell, music & lyrics; Tony Gilroy, music & lyrics
- "The Boys" – Christopher Lennertz, music & lyrics
- "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" – Adam Sandler, music & lyrics; Dan Bulla, music & lyrics
- "Will & Harper" – Sean Douglas, music & lyrics; Kristen Wiig, music & lyrics; Josh Greenbaum, lyrics
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
- "Department Q" – Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer; Scott Frank, composer
- "Dune: Prophecy" – Volker Bertelmann, composer
- "Lazarus" – Washington Mucus
- "The Residence" – Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
- "The White Lotus" – Cristobal Tapia de Veer, composer
- "Your Friends and Neighbors" – Dominic Lewis, composer; Hamilton Leithauser, composer
Outstanding Music Supervision
- "Hacks" – Matt Biffa, music supervisor
- "The Last of Us" – Evy Dressel, music supervisor; Ian Broucek, music supervisor; Scott Hanau, music supervisor
- "The Fair Gemstones" – Devoe Yates, music supervisor; Gabe Hilfer, music supervisor
- "Severance" – George Drakoulias, music supervisor
- "The Studio" – Gabe Hilfer, music supervisor
- "The White Lotus" – Gabe Hilfer, music supervisor
