Larry David’s beloved comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is gearing up for a grand showing at the Primetime Emmys. The 12th and final season of the HBO/Max series has submitted for 35 nominations, including the top prize for outstanding comedy series.
Playing a fictionalized version of himself, David is again vying for the lead comedy actor category. He hopes to unseat last year’s winner and current frontrunner, Jeremy Allen White from “The Bear.” Though David is a two-time Emmy winner for writing and creating “Seinfeld,” he has yet to win as an actor despite six nominations, the last of which came in 2008.
Supporting actors J.B. Smoove, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, two-time former nominee Cheryl Hines and Tracey Ullman will also compete in the main acting categories, as well as a posthumous submission for Richard Lewis, who died in February.
The network has opted to submit 15 performers for the guest acting categories, including Steve Buscemi, Ted Danson, Saverio Guerra, Sean Hayes, Greg Kinnear, Conan O’Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Vince Vaughn, Allison Janney, Ellia English, Sanaa Lathan, Sienna Miller, Keyla Monterroso Mejia and Stephanie Styles. This impressive roster will compete with multiple contenders from FX’s “The Bear” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Five guest actors have been nominated for “Curb” in the past: Shelley Berman, Michael J. Fox, Lin Manuel Miranda, Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader.
Two episodes are being submitted for directing nominations: previous Emmy winner Robert B. Weide for “The Colostomy Bag” and Jeff Schaffer for the series finale “No Lessons Learned.” Out of its 51 Emmy nominations, “Curb” has won just two statuettes — one for directing and another for single-camera picture editing (Steve Rasch for “Palestinian Chicken” in 2012).
Due to the Television Academy’s rules regarding percentage credits for writers, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is not eligible for writing categories. All writers on the show, which is largely improvised, are credited as “story by,” without “teleplay” or “written by” designations.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” began as a one-hour HBO special meant to document Larry David, co-creator of “Seinfeld,” returning to stand-up comedy. Since its premiere in 2000, the show has become iconic due to its unique format and spontaneous dialogue. David’s self-portrayal has captivated audiences, garnering a devoted fan base and significant critical acclaim. Will the TV Academy feel inclined to reward the series as it competes for Emmys one last time? Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” in 2020 is the last show to win for its final season. Before that, it was CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond” in 2005, which had won one time prior.
The full list of “Curb’s” Emmy submissions is below. The eligibility deadline for all series concluding their runs is May 31. The nominations-voting-round is open from June 13-24.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
- Outstanding Comedy Series
- Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — Larry David
- Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — JB Smoove, Jeff Garlin, Richard Lewis
- Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, Tracey Ullman
- Guest Actor in a Comedy Series — Steve Buscemi, Ted Danson, Saverio Guerra, Sean Hayes, Greg Kinnear, Conan O’Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Vince Vaughn
- Guest Actress in a Comedy Series — Allison Janney, Ellia English, Sanaa Lathan, Sienna Miller, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Stephanie Styles
- Directing for a Comedy Series — Jeff Schaffer (1210: “No Lessons Learned”); Robert B. Weide (1208: “The Colostomy Bag”)
- Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) — David Saenz de Maturana, Production Designer (1206: “The Gettysburg Address”)
- Casting for a Comedy Series — Allison Jones, casting by
- Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour) — Patrick Alexander Stewart, Director of Photography (1206: “The Gettysburg Address”)
- Picture Editing for a Comedy Series — Roger Nygard, ACE, Edited by (1203: “Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug”); Steven Rasch, ACE, Edited by (1206: “The Gettysburg Address”)
- Contemporary Costumes — Leslie Schilling, Costume Designer (1206: “The Gettysburg Address”)
- Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) — Thomas C. Kolarek, Department Head Makeup (1210: “No Lessons Learned”)
- Music Supervision — Steven Rasch, Music Supervisor (1206: “The Gettysburg Address”)
- Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation — Bobby Mackston, Supervising Sound Editor (1210: “No Lessons Learned”)
- Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation — Chuck Buch, Sound Mixer, Earl Martin, Re-Recording Mixer (1209: “Ken/Kendra”)
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