Amazon is setting up a “bait” to lure Emmy voters.
Variety exclusively reports that the streamer’s six-part British miniseries “Bait,” starring Riz Ahmed, is ramping up for Emmy season, with plans to submit in 21 categories, including outstanding limited series and anthology series.
“Bait” follows Shah Latif (Ahmed), a struggling British Pakistani actor who navigates an existential crisis as he auditions for the role of James Bond amid cultural backlash, professional pressures and strained family relationships. The Prime Video series, which premiered worldwide on March 25 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, has been well-received by critics and currently has a 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
On the Emmys front, “Bait” will have a wide-ranging campaign spanning major series and craft categories.
Ahmed, an Oscar winner for producing the live-action short The Long Goodbye (2021) and a Best Actor nominee for the intense drama Sound of Metal (2020), has established himself as a multi-talented actor across film, television and theater. At the 2017 Emmy Awards, he made history as the first South Asian Muslim man to win an acting Emmy for his role as Nasir Khan in the HBO miniseries The Night Of. That same year, he earned his second nomination for guest acting on the HBO comedy Girls. He has garnered a lot of attention with his campaign and is likely to aim for a second nomination for the Best Actor Award (limited).
Guz Khan, who plays the Shah’s cousin Zulfi, will be competing for the Best Supporting Actor (Limited) award, while Sheeba Chaddha, who plays Tahira, will be competing for the Best Supporting Actress award. Actors can self-submit for Emmy consideration, and many of the final choices for Craftsman episode submissions won’t be fully revealed until nomination voting begins in June.
Director Bassam Tariq will produce episode 3, titled ‘House or Home’, which will also serve as the official written contribution to screenwriter Azam Mahmood.
In addition to Ahmed, Ally Moore, Ben Carlin and Jake Fuller will serve as executive producers on the series, with Chris Sherif, Karen Joseph Adcock, Dipika Guha, Prashanth Venkataramanujam and Azam Mahmood serving as producers.
This year’s Emmy Awards timeline begins with nomination round voting from June 11th to 22nd, followed by nominations on July 8th.
The complete list of “Bait” submissions for the Emmy Awards is below.
Limited or Anthology Series Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Riz Ahmed Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Guz Khan Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Sheeba Chadda Director in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Bassam Tariq, Episode 3: “House or Home” Script in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Episode 3: “House of Home” Azan Mahmood Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Shooting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, or Film Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Production Design (30 Minute Narration Program) Contemporary Costumes Contemporary Hair Styling Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetics) Title Design Music Composition for Limited or Anthology Series, Movies or Specials (Original Dramatic Score) Music Supervision Sound Editing for Limited or Anthology Series, Movies or Specials Sound Mixing for Limited or Anthology Series or Movies Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming Stunt Performances Special Effects (Season or Episode TBA)
All six episodes of “Bait” are currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
