According to Variety, only 11 of the show’s 20 Season 51 hosts were submitted for consideration in the guest comedy acting categories, a notable change from the previous season, when every host appeared on the Emmy ballot.
The network’s selections include a mix of awards favorites, comedy veterans and major music stars. In the guest comedy actor category, NBC submitted Bad Bunny, Ryan Gosling, Harry Styles, Jack Black, Colman Domingo, Will Ferrell and Connor Storrie. On the actress side, Amy Poehler, Olivia Rodrigo, Melissa McCarthy and Ariana Grande were put forward.
The names missing from the list have generated just as much attention. Among those not submitted are Sabrina Carpenter, Matt Damon, Alexander Skarsgård, Glen Powell, Josh O’Connor, Finn Wolfhard, Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser and Teyana Taylor. Several of those hosts delivered some of the season’s most discussed episodes, making their absence one of the more notable developments of the Emmy campaign.
Inside NBC’s Emmy Strategy for Saturday Night Live Season 51
NBC’s decisions appear to reflect a combination of strategy, visibility and awards positioning. Some of the hosts who secured submissions were attached to the season’s strongest ratings performances. Grande’s December episode attracted approximately 5.4 million viewers, making it the most watched installment of the season, while Rodrigo’s May appearance drew nearly 5 million viewers. Both ultimately received Emmy backing.
That approach does not fully explain every choice, however. Skarsgård’s January episode, which also served as the show’s landmark 1,000th episode, ranked among the season’s most watched broadcasts with roughly 4.8 million viewers. Despite those numbers and widespread attention surrounding the milestone event, he was not included among the submissions.
Season 51 itself was a particularly eventful chapter for the long running sketch series. The show featured hosts ranging from first timers such as Connor Storrie to returning veterans like Will Ferrell, and delivered some of its strongest audiences of recent years. Ariana Grande’s holiday episode became a standout, while hosts including Sabrina Carpenter, Matt Damon and Alexander Skarsgård generated significant buzz both on air and across social media.
The Emmy submissions represent only the first stage of the process. Voting for nominations is currently underway, with the official nominees set to be announced on July 8. Until then, NBC’s selective approach has already created one of the more intriguing talking points of this year’s awards season, particularly given the number of recognizable names left on the sidelines.