Paramount+ is considering the love for ‘Madison’ at the Emmys.
The Taylor Sheridan-produced neo-western is set to be in the running for 20 Emmy Awards after its first season, with a total of 27 bids, Variety exclusively reported.
This freshman drama centers on the Clyburn family, who relocate from New York City to the Madison River Valley in Montana after a life-altering tragedy, and will compete in the Outstanding Drama Series category. The streamer had already renewed the show for seasons 2 and 3 ahead of the series and second season premieres, respectively.
Legendary and talented performer Michelle Pfeiffer, who anchors the series as Cliburn matriarch Stacey, is the only lead actress. The 67-year-old star, who was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Limited/Movie) for the 2017 TV movie The Wizard of Lies, is having one of the biggest years in television. This also includes additional Emmy bids for the Apple TV comedy “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” where she will compete for a supporting role in a comedic actress, and the Prime Video film “Oh. What. Fun.” A long-time Hollywood favorite, Pfeiffer has been nominated for three Oscars for her roles in Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), and The Field of Love (1992).
Kurt Russell, who plays Preston Clyburn, the husband of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stacey, dies in a plane crash in the pilot, but appears in all six episodes. He has been nominated for several supporting drama actors. Russell, who was once nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actor (Limited/Movie) for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the 1979 TV movie Elvis, could earn a second nomination in 47 years. If confirmed, it would mark the longest period of Emmy acting nominations for a performer, exceeding the 33 years between Mary Kay Place’s 1977 win for “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (then called “Continuous Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series”) and her 2010 guest drama actress nomination for “Big Love.”
In terms of the longest period between a performer’s first nomination and their most recent nomination, Russell is tied for fourth-longest with Henry Winkler (Happy Days to Barry) and Michael Douglas (San Francisco to The Kominsky Method). They are preceded by Carol Burnett (age 62, from “The Garry Moore Show” to “The Palm Royale”), Betty White (age 60, from her first nomination in 1951 to “Hot in Cleveland”) and Diana Rigg (age 51, from “The Avengers” to “Game of Thrones”).
Russell will be chosen as one of five supporting actors, including Patrick J. Adams as Russell McIntosh, Ben Schnetzer as Madison River Valley Sheriff Van Davis, Kevin Zegers as Clyburn’s neighbor Cade Harris, and Matthew Fox as Preston’s brother Paul Clyburn. The supporting cast includes Beau Garrett as Cliburn’s eldest daughter Abigail Reese, Elle Chapman as younger daughter Paige McIntosh, Amia Miller as Bridget Reese, Alaina Pollack as Macy Reese, Rebecca Spence as Stacey’s friend Liliana Weeks, and Danielle Vasinova as Kestrel Harris.
Will Arnett will be competing for a guest drama actor nomination to play Phil Yorn in the season finale, episode 106, “Give Permission,” the same episode that Sheridan submitted for Outstanding Drama Writing. Sheridan is also preparing for the second season of “Landman,” and is attracting attention from the Emmy Awards. Although the rules allow participants to participate in multiple programs, they do not plan to submit a series of written expressions this term.
Sheridan’s choice for the season finale is interesting. Many freshman series have shown nominating success with pilot/first episode (Season 1) episodes, as evidenced by “Bad Sisters” (“The Prick” with Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel and Brett Baer) and last year’s “The Pit” (“7:00 AM” with R. Scott Gemmill). The last time a season 1 finale was submitted and won was 2019’s “Succession.” In terms of nominations, it was 2022’s “Squid Game.”
Christina Alexandra Volos plays a dual role in the campaign, entering the award for Outstanding Director in a Drama Series and Outstanding Cinematography (1 hour) for episode 102, “Let the Land Hold Me.” Last year, Jessica Leigh Gagne made history as the first woman to receive double nominations in the same category, winning cinematography. Will Volos follow in her footsteps?
On the craft side, Paramount+ is fielding 13 subcategories. All official episode submissions will be announced at a later date.
The deadline for submissions to the Emmy Awards is May 7th, and voting for the nomination round will take place from June 11th to June 22nd. Nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 8th.
“Madison”
The complete list of Emmy submissions is below.
Outstanding Drama Series Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Michelle Pfeiffer Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams, Ben Schnetzer, Kevin Zegers, Matthew Fox Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Beau Garrett, Elle Chapman, Amia Miller, Alaina Pollack, Rebecca Spence, Daniel Vasinova Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Will Arnett (Episode) Drama Series Director: Christina Alexandra Volos (Episode 102, “Let the Land Hold Me”) Drama Series Written by: Taylor Sheridan (Episode 106, “Give Me Permission”) Series Cinematography (1 hour): Christina Alexandra Volos (Episode 102, “Let the Land Hold Me”) Drama Series Casting: John Papsidera Narrative Contemporary Program (1+ hour): Charice Cárdenas, Fernando Carrion, Amy Frazzini, Steven Dudolo, Brian Venegas Contemporary costumes: Emma Potter Contemporary hairstyling Contemporary makeup (not prosthetics) Main title design Series music composition (original dramatic score): Breton Vivian Original main title theme music: Breton Vivian Picture editing for drama series: Chad Galstar for comedy or drama series Sound editing (1 hour): Jay Nirenberg Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (1 Hour) Special Effects in a Single Episode
