As anticipation builds for the 76th Emmy Awards, the Television Academy has already kicked off the accolades with its juried category awards, recognising exceptional talent in specialised fields such as Animation, Costume Design, Emerging Media Programming, and Motion and Title Design. The awards were determined through a one-step voting process by a panel of industry professionals. This year’s early standout is Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai, which has clinched three awards ahead of the main event, setting a strong precedent for the upcoming ceremony.
Blue Eye Samurai excelled in the Animation category, securing wins for Character Design by Brian Kesinger, Production Design by Toby Wilson, and Storyboard by Ryan O’Loughlin. The show’s distinct visual and narrative style, particularly in Episode 5, The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride, received high praise, highlighting the contributions of the French animation studio Blue Spirit. The studio, co-producing under the guidance of creative duo Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, celebrated a significant victory with these accolades.
The series, set in Japan’s Edo period, follows the journey of Mizu, voiced by Maya Erskine, a swordmaster of mixed heritage who confronts societal challenges and plots revenge against four men, one of whom might be her father. This gritty narrative and its bold animation style have not only garnered critical acclaim but have also led to the green-lighting of a second season, with potential plans for up to four seasons and spin-offs, pending Netflix’s continued support.
Blue Eye Samurai also remains in contention for the Outstanding Animated Program Emmy, facing stiff competition from titles such as X-Men ’97 and Scavengers Reign. While it was the only show to win more than one individual award at this stage, HBO and Max ultimately topped the leaderboard with four total wins across different categories. Their victories included Background Design for an episode of Scavengers Reign, Character Animation for the Adventure Time spinoff Fionna and Cake, Character Design for the recently canceled Clone High reboot by Lord Miller, and Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Programming for Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Notably, Scavengers Reign has since found a new home on Netflix.
Other winners from this early round of Emmys include Peacock’s stop-motion interview series In the Know and the Ron Howard documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man, highlighting the diverse range of content and creative visions celebrated by the Television Academy this year. The full list can be found on the Emmys website.
The 76th Emmy Awards will be held on 15 September.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
Kevin Low
