“Watchmen” (HBO) and “Unbelievable” (Netflix) lead the 36th annual Television Critics Association (TCA) Awards tally with four nominations apiece. Topping the networks for the second straight year is HBO with 16 nominations. Netflix follows with 10 noms, while FX/FX on Hulu earned seven nods. Hulu and PBS/PBS Kids are tied for fourth with six nominations, and NBC has five. Rounding out the rest are AMC and Pop TV with three nominations each; CBS/CBS All Access and Disney+ with two; and ABC, AppleTV+, Bravo TV, Comedy Central, ESPN, MSNBC and TBS, which each have one.
The 2020 TCA Awards are headlined by the Program Of The Year category, presenting an intriguing matchup that pits three newcomers against three established favorites. The exceptional contenders include: HBO’s riveting and timely tale “Watchmen,” Netflix’s powerful inspired-by-true-events series “Unbelievable,” FX on Hulu’s second wave feminism docudrama “Mrs. America,” HBO’s darkly comic media dynasty drama “Succession,” AMC’s beloved “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul,” and Pop TV’s hilarious satirical sitcom “Schitt’s Creek.”
This year’s nominees reflect the expansiveness of the TV landscape, fueled by first-year series such as “Watchmen,” “Ramy” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” as well as stars and creators such as Issa Rae, Regina King, and Ramy Youssef, among others. This was also a strong year for newly launched streaming services Disney+ and AppleTV+, whose original offerings “The Mandalorian,” “Encore!” and “The Morning Show,” respectively, earned the platforms their first nominations in their inaugural seasons.
The 2020 TCA Awards put the spotlight on an eclectic roster of television content spanning a variety of platforms and genres, as it celebrates the best series, creators and stars of the 2019-2020 season. More than 200 professional television critics and journalists from the United States and Canada voted for programming showcased on broadcast, cable and streaming outlets.
The TCA presents awards in several different categories honoring outstanding achievements in news and information, youth, reality, drama, comedy, miniseries, and sketch/variety shows. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be a formal in-person awards presentation. Winners will be announced later this summer.
“This was an incredible year for television, offering a variety of groundbreaking new series with fresh perspectives and renewed vigor for some veteran favorites,” said Sarah Rodman, TCA president and executive editor at Entertainment Weekly. “Although we sadly will not have the opportunity to gather to honor these creative achievements in person, we look forward to sharing our selections for the season’s top programs when the winners are unveiled later this summer.”
Here’s a rundown of 2020 Television Critics Association nominees–excluding the Career Achievement and Heritage Award winners, which will be announced along with the winners later this summer:
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America” – FX on Hulu
Kaitlyn Dever, “Unbelievable” – Netflix
Regina King, “Watchmen” – HBO
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True” – HBO
Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul” – AMC
Jeremy Strong, “Succession” – HBO
Merrit Wever, “Unbelievable” – Netflix
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things” – FX
Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me” – Netflix
Elle Fanning, “The Great” – Hulu
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” – Pop TV
Issa Rae, “Insecure” – HBO
Ramy Youssef, “Ramy” – Hulu
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
“60 Minutes” – CBS (2012 Winner in Category)
“Frontline” – PBS (Eight-time Winner in Category)
“Hillary” – Hulu
“The Last Dance” – ESPN
“McMillions” – HBO
“The Rachel Maddow Show” – MSNBC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY
“Cheer” – Netflix
“Encore!” – Disney+
“Holey Moley” – ABC
“Making It” – NBC
“Top Chef All-Stars L.A.” – Bravo
“We’re Here!” – HBO
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
“Carmen Sandiego” – Netflix
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” – PBS Kids (2016 Winner in Category)
“Molly of Denali” – PBS Kids
“Odd Squad” – PBS Kids
“Wild Kratts” – PBS Kids
“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” – PBS Kids
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN SKETCH/VARIETY SHOWS
“A Black Lady Sketch Show” – HBO
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” – Comedy Central
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” –TBS
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” – HBO (2019 and 2018 Winner in Category)
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” – NBC
“Saturday Night Live” – NBC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIE OR MINISERIES
“Little Fires Everywhere” – Hulu
“Mrs. America” – FX on Hulu
“Normal People” – Hulu
“The Plot Against America” – HBO
“Unbelievable” – Netflix
“Watchmen” – HBO
OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
“The Great” – Hulu
“The Mandalorian” – Disney+
“The Morning Show” – AppleTV+
“Never Have I Ever” – Netflix
“Watchmen” – HBO
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” – NBC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
“Better Call Saul” – AMC (2019 Winner in Category)
“The Crown” – Netflix
“Euphoria” – HBO
“The Good Fight” – CBS All Access
“Pose” – FX
“Succession” – HBO
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
“Better Things” – FX
“Dead to Me” – Netflix
“The Good Place” – NBC (2018 Winner in Category)
“Insecure” – HBO
“Schitt’s Creek” – Pop TV
“What We Do in the Shadows” – FX
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
“Better Call Saul” – AMC
“Mrs. America” – FX on Hulu
“Schitt’s Creek” – Pop TV
“Succession” – HBO
“Unbelievable” – Netflix
“Watchmen” – HBO
NETWORK TALLY
HBO – 16
Netflix –10
FX/FX on Hulu – 7
Hulu – 6
PBS/PBS Kids – 6
NBC – 5
AMC – 3
Pop TV – 3
CBS/CBS All Access – 2
Disney+ – 2
ABC – 1
AppleTV+ – 1
Bravo TV – 1
Comedy Central – 1
ESPN – 1
MSNBC – 1
TBS – 1
PROGRAMS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
“Watchmen,” HBO – 4
“Unbelievable,” Netflix – 4
“Better Call Saul,” AMC – 3
“Mrs. America,” FX on Hulu – 3
“Schitt’s Creek”, Pop TV – 3
“Succession,” HBO – 3
“Better Things,” FX – 2
“Dead to Me,” Netflix – 2
“The Great,” Hulu – 2
“Insecure,” HBO – 2
