Cedric the Entertainer will host the ceremony, which will air on CBS in the US
bbc Cedric the Entertainer will host the ceremony, which will air on CBS in the US

Stars of the small screen are gearing up for the Emmy Awards, which will take place in Los Angeles later.

The ceremony comes after a year of increased TV viewing prompted by lockdown restrictions around the world.

The Crown and The Mandalorian lead this year's nominations, while Ted Lasso and The Queen's Gambit are also expected to perform well.

 

Cedric the Entertainer will host the ceremony, which will see many of the nominated stars attend in person.

Last year comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel hosted a largely virtual ceremony amid coronavirus restrictions.

Here are seven things you need to know ahead of the ceremony.

1. It's time for some new blood

All three of the big winners at last year's Emmys are absent this year.

That's because Succession had a year off during the pandemic, Schitt's Creek ended after its sixth season, and Watchmen did not have plans to continue after its first series.

That has left room for plenty of new TV shows to make their mark. In fact, four of the best comedy nominees this year have been recognised for their first season - Ted Lasso, The Flight Attendant, Hacks and Emily in Paris.

Ted Lasso in particular is a red-hot favourite, having made history for the most nominations for a new comedy. You can measure the love for the show by the fact that so many of its actors have also been individually nominated.

The show's four nominees in best supporting actor in a comedy (Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed and Jeremy Swift) mean Ted Lasso has equalled a record set by Modern Family.

2. Michael K Williams could win a posthumous Emmy

The highly respected actor, known for such roles as Omar Little in The Wire and Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire, died earlier this month aged 54.

Williams, who had previously been nominated at the Emmys but had never won, is up for best supporting actor in a drama at Sunday's ceremony for his performance as Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country.

Posthumous wins in Hollywood aren't as common as you might think. It was only five months ago that Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for best actor, a trophy that had been widely expected to be won by the late Chadwick Boseman.

If Williams does win he'll become only the seventh posthumous winner in the Emmys' 73-year history, following on from Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Raul Julia, Diana Hyland, Marion Lorne and Alice Pearce.

3. Courteney Cox could finally get an Emmy... sort of

 

Cox has previously said she was hurt not to be nominated for her acting work on Friends
bbc Cox has previously said she was hurt not to be nominated for her acting work on Friends

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