With his final comedy special, late comedianNorm Macdonaldhas become anEmmynominee. On Tuesday, NBC unveiled the full list of nominations for the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards. For his comedy specialNothing Special, which was released on Netflix after Macdonald’s death, Macdonald has scored three nominations. This marks the first time Macdonald has been recognized by the Television Academy for his comedy work.
Nothing Special is nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) with the other nominees includingAdele: One Night Only,Dave Chappelle: The Closer,Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, andOne Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. The special is also up for Outstanding Directing For a Variety Special againstAdele: One Night Only,Dave Chappelle: The Closer,Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, andThe Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, as well as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special againstAli Wong: Don Wong,The Daily Show WIth Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Globe - Hungary for Democracy,Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, andNicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo).
Two other beloved stars who’ve passed away will be recognized at the Emmys as well. Chadwick Boseman has earned a posthumous nod for his voice role as Star Lord T’Challa in theWhat If…?episode “What If… T’Chala Became a Star Lord?” Jessica Walter is also posthumously nominated for her voiceover work on the animated seriesArcher, her second consecutive posthumous nomination.
Related:Bob Saget Remembers His Final Exchange with Norm Macdonald, Shares Real Story Behind Roast
Norm Macdonald wrote and co-directedNothing Specialand served as an executive producer. The special was a surprise as Macdonald had recorded it in secret while keeping his cancer diagnosis secret from the world. It was not revealed until after Macdonald’s passing that he had recorded one last comedy special with the time he had left. The special was very well received by fans, making it bittersweet to get new material from Macdonald while also saying farewell to the iconic funnyman.
With its arrival on Netflix in May, the comedy special was also edited to include a follow-up discussion featuring many of Macdonald’s friends in comedy. That includes Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, David Spade, and Adam Sandler.
Macdonald died in September 2021 at the age of 61 due to acute leukemia. He had been diagnosed about nine years prior and had barely told anyone about his illness, preferring to fight his battle in secret. His death sent shock waves throughout the comedy world, in particular withhis close friend Bob Saget, who would pass away just a few months later. John Oliver and Lorne Michaels dedicated their wins at last year’s Primetime Emmy Awards to Macdonald.
Norm Macdonald: Nothing Specialis streaming on Netflix. The Primetime Emmy Awards is scheduled to air on NBC on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. To see what other shows have been nominated at the Emmys, you can read the full list of nominees atEmmys.com.
