# When An Actor Is Nominated For An Emmy, Is It For A Singular Performance Or The Whole Show?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-actor-is-nominated-for-an-emmy-is-it-for-a-singular-performance-or-the-whole-show/1000249>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 13, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-actor-is-nominated-for-an-emmy-is-it-for-a-singular-performance-or-the-whole-show/1000249 "2024-04-13T22:35:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-actor-is-nominated-for-an-emmy-is-it-for-a-singular-performance-or-the-whole-show/1000249/1 "2024-04-13T22:35:08Z")

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An actor on a comedy I watch turned in a performance for the ages.\* Could he get an Emmy nomination based on that bit alone, or does the Television Academy (or whatever it’s called) consider the actors’ performances across the entirety of his/her scenes in all episodes of this season?

\*It doesn’t seem to be up on YouTube, but it’s Nigel’s lapdance scene in _Ghosts_. I was straight howling with laughter.

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**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-actor-is-nominated-for-an-emmy-is-it-for-a-singular-performance-or-the-whole-show/1000249/2 "2024-04-13T23:15:16Z")

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The wannabe nominees (or someone with a vested interest) must to submit a reel that they prepare with their application. So they get to pick and choose what they want to be considered for.

That said, the voters can use any criteria they want. If they are regular watchers of the show in question they’ll base it on their full experience. But most people aren’t watching every show, so they are asked to watch the submitted clips and judge based on that. Of course people being people, many won’t even do that so they vote based on reputation or personal relationships.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-actor-is-nominated-for-an-emmy-is-it-for-a-singular-performance-or-the-whole-show/1000249/3 "2024-04-16T21:43:07Z")

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Moving to cafe society.