On Monday (July 14), nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced, and two of music’s superstars in Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé received nominations for their respective NFL halftime concerts. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Apple Music Halftime Show, which featured his hit single “Not Like Us”, was nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction and Outstanding Choreography (Variety/Reality).
The Super Bowl halftime show in February was produced by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Jesse Collins Entertainment, and garnered a record-setting viewing audience of 133.5 million viewers. Songs in the show included the now-iconic diss track against Drake (which included the audience filling in the “pedophile” line for Kendrick), as well as tracks from his GNX album “squabble up,” “peekaboo,” “tv off” and “luther” with SZA. 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams and veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson playing “Uncle Sam” also appeared in the concert along with Mustard.
The four nominations are the second time that Kendrick Lamar has been thusly honored, having taken part in the first Super Bowl Halftime Show to win an Emmy in 2022 which featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and 50 Cent. The show became an intense viral sensation, coming shortly after Kendrick Lamar won five Grammy Awards for “Not Like Us”, including Song of The Year and Record of The Year. It also has become a focal point of Drake’s current lawsuit against Universal Music Group, who he accused of defamation for heavily promoting the song.
Beyoncé’s nomination puts her up against the Compton, California rapper in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category, earned for her concert special during halftime between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. The special, produced by and aired on Netflix, featured the Grammy Award-winning singer performing hits from her Cowboy Carter album along with a performance by the The Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul marching band and Motion of the Ocean dance team.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held live on CBS on September 14, but the winners of the categories that Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé are nominated in will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys, which take place on September 6 and September 7.
Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé NFL Concerts Get Emmy Nominations
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