Aussie actors Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman and Sarah Snook score Emmy nods

Australian star power will shine bright at this year’s Emmy Awards with Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Toni Collette, Hannah Gadsby and Sarah Snook picking up nominations.

Blanchett and Jackman are used to attending the Oscars and other film industry awards ceremonies, but successfully crossed over to be in the running for TV’s highest honour.

Blanchett was nominated for lead actress in a limited TV series or movie category for her performance in Mrs America.

HuJackman received his nod for lead actor in a limited TV series or movie for Bad Education.

Collette was nominated for her supporting role in Unbelievable.

Sarah Snook also received her honour for a supporting performance in the TV series Succession.

While Hannah Gadsby is up for outstanding writing for a variety special for Douglas.

HBO’s Watchmen dominated Tuesday’s nomination ceremony with 26 nods. The HBO series, which captured America’s deep unease as it faces racial and political clashes amid a pandemic, was nominated as best limited series and received bids for cast members including Regina King and Jeremy Irons.

King was part of a vanguard of actors of color who showed that TV academy voters took heed of the social climate.

The Amazon comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is the second most-nominated series with 20, followed by Netflix’s “Ozark” with 18.

The strong showing by Netflix’s “Ozark” helped the streaming service achieve a record-setting 160 nominations that bested onetime perennial leader HBO, which earned 107 nods.

Streaming newcomer Apple TV+ earned attention in its first season with Jennifer Aniston’s best drama actress bid for “The Morning Show.” Another streaming newbie, Disney+, saw its Star Wars franchise spinoff, “The Mandalorian,” claim a best drama nomination among its hefty 15 total nods.

“This year, we are also bearing witness to one of the greatest fights for social justice in history. And it is our duty to use this medium for change,” Frank Scherma, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy said at the outset of the presentation.

Diversity was especially notable in the comedy categories after being nearly absent last year.

“Ramy,” which finds nuanced humor in a young Muslim American’s crisis of identity and faith, earned a best actor bid for its star and co-creator, Ramy Youssef. Issa Rae returned to the best comedy actress category for her series “Insecure,” which earned a best comedy bid.

“Schitt’s Creek,” the quirky little show that went without Emmy recognition until last year, received 15 nominations for its final season, including for best comedy series and lead acting nods for Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.

“The Good Place,” also at an end, earned a best comedy bid and, for Ted Danson, a best comedy actor nomination.

The farewell was less fond for other shows that wrapped last season, with no major bids for “Modern Family,“ “Homeland” or “Silicon Valley.”

But the late Fred Willard received a nod for his “Modern Family” guest appearance. A posthumous nomination also went to director Lynn Shelton, for the limited series “Little Fires Everywhere.”

Among the honorees whose nomination collided with current events — Brad Pitt who earned a nod for a guest appearance playing Dr. Anthony Fauci on “Saturday Night Live.”

A high energy Jones kicked off Tuesday’s announcement by appearing on a virtual set and joking that she was told there would be many others on set to announce the nominees, but instead she was locked in a studio with only a cameraman.

Joining Jones on Tuesday were presenters Laverne Cox (“Orange is the New Black“), Josh Gad (“Frozen“) and Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black“). Cox, Gad and Maslany appeared on by video feeds.

The Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be presented Sept. 20 on America’s ABC.

READ THE FULL LIST OF NOMINEES HERE:

The nominees for best comedy series are: “Curb Your Enthusiasm“; Dead to Me“; “The Good Place“; “Insecure“; “The Kominsky Method“; “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel“; “Schitt’s Creek“; “What We Do in the Shadows.”

The nominees for best drama series are: “Better Call Saul“; “The Crown“; “Killing Eve“; “The Handmaid’s Tale“; “The Mandalorian“; “Ozark“; “Stranger Things“; “Succession.”

In addition to “Watchmen,” the nominees for best limited series are: “Little Fires Everywhere“; “Mrs. America“; “Unbelievable“; “Unorthodox.”

The nominees for drama series actress are: Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show“; Olivia Colman, “The Crown“; Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve“; Laura Linney, “Ozark“; Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve“; Zendaya “Euphoria.”

The nominees for drama series actor are: Jason Bateman, “Ozark“; Sterling K. Brown, “This is Us“; Billy Porter, “Pose“; Jeremy Strong, “Succession“; Brian Cox, “Succession“; Steve Carell, “The Morning Show.”

The nominees for lead actor in a comedy series are: Anthony Anderson, “black- ish“; Don Cheadle, “Black Monday“; Ted Danson, “The Good Place“; Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method“; Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek“; Ramy Youssef, “Ramy.

The nominees for lead actress in a comedy series are: Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me“; Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel“; Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me“; Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek“; Issa Rae, “Insecure“; Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish.”

The nominees for best TV movie are: “American Son“; “Bad Education“; “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones“; “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie“; “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend.”