This year offers one of the most unpredictable Animated Program Emmy races in a long time.
Most of the Animated Program Emmy winners this decade have been first season shows that were critically acclaimed and made major waves, at least among the animation community. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal in 2021, Arcane in 2022, and Blue Eye Samurai in 2024. The outliers were in 2020 when Rick and Morty got its second win and in 2023 when The Simpsons won. I noticed that when Rick and Morty won there was no freshman season nominees, and when The Simpsons won, the only new show was Entergalactic. That show wasn’t really a phenomenon in the animated community or among critics. This year, we are in a place where several narratives from the past could play out.
The nominees this year are as follows:
- The Simpsons
- Bob’s Burgers
- Love, Death & Robots
- Common Side Effects
- Arcane
Personally, I do not think Love, Death & Robots is a huge threat to win. It’s only now receiving its first Animated Program Emmy nomination here in its fourth season. The reviews for this season were respectable but nothing earth-shattering. It seemed to get in not because the Television Academy finally caught onto it or the momentum for the show had been growing too big to ignore, but because they needed to fill out a ballot. Also, the anthology aspect to the show might make it hard to reward the show as a whole with each episode being a new animation style and creative voice behind it.
Bob’s Burgers last win was in 2017 and has been a reliable nominee each year since. At first, I dismissed its chances since I fell off the show a few years back, but after catching up on the last two seasons, I am a lot more impressed with it. Their submission episodes have some pretty heavy emotions in them. Last year’s submission, “The Amazing Rudy,” made me cry, something I didn’t expect from Bob’s Burgers. This year’s submission, “They Slug Horses, Don’t They?,” has some strong moments between Tina and Louise dealing with the vast differences in their personalities. Also, it offers some great in-universe animation of the drawings the kids create as a way of fighting and defending their feelings, as well as a melancholy song over the credits with the two of them just looking at each other. I do not know if it can win but the show overall is doing things worthy of a win.
Most people believe that Arcane is the frontrunner, and it makes sense on paper. It is a recent previous winner, its animation is still beautiful, and it had acclaim from critics when it first came out for this season. Yet, the reaction overall to the full season has been very mixed. Many believe that the story felt rushed and some of the characters’ journeys weren’t treated with the same care they had in the first season. Even those who liked the second season agree it is not as good as the first season. Yet there could be still enough love to push it over, similar to Rick and Morty’s second win. It is a safe bet and that is what most people think, but I am leaning against it right now.
Going with the first season of the critically acclaimed show idea, Common Side Effects fits the bill very nicely. When it first came out, critics liked it, but it wasn’t a big hit for them right away. As the show progressed, the excitement for it grew. It was able to create a credible conspiracy drama, character study, and a touch of humor with a very distinct animation style. It has two big hurdles though, in that, while definitely well liked, it never quite hit the zeitgeist as many of those first-time winners did when they came out. Also, like Joseph Bennett’s other show Scavenger’s Reign, Common Side Effects plays with twisting reality in its visuals, and I can see that being distracting for some. There is a big difference from Scavenger’s Reign with Common Side Effects slowly building up the more fantastical elements, but they haven’t overtaken the show. Rather they present it as an intriguing mystery to build off into the second season. I think with the more recent Academy members it is higher than most people have it, but I do see its weaknesses.
Then we have The Simpsons whose episode “Bart’s Birthday” made quite a splash when it came out, breaking into the wider entertainment conversation in a way I haven’t noticed for The Simpsons in a long time. Played as the show’s series finale, written by AI with celebrity guests watching in the audience, it pokes fun at famous television endings’ cliches. We have Bart within the episode fighting the changes that are wrapping up his and everyone else in Springfield’s lives. It made for a lot of meta commentary on the long-running show (with still no end in sight) with critics getting behind its creative premise. The Simpsons have won with less acclaimed or well known episodes than this one, and with the race feeling so open-ended right now, this feels like the safest bet.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if four out of the five of these shows win the Animated Program Emmy. For me personally, Common Side Effects should win, though a Bob’s Burgers win would also make me happy. Overall this remains hard to predict and, while I feel comfortable with my choice now, I could see my heart overriding my head at any moment.
