Apple TV+’s dark sci-fi office drama “Severance” on Tuesday led the contenders for the Emmy Awards, television’s version of the Oscars, with a whopping 27 nominations.

“The Penguin,” HBO Max’s Batman villain spinoff series, came in second with 24. HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” and Apple’s “The Studio” tied for third with 23 nominations each.

In the comedies, behind “The Studio” were “Hacks” at 14 and “The Bear” at 13.

The announcement from the Television Academy was the official start of the race to the 77th Emmy Awards, set for September 14 in Los Angeles.

After last year’s record-breaking 18 Emmy Awards for Japan-set historical epic “Shogun,” this year’s drama competition looks to be more nuanced.

“Severance,” in which employees of biotech company Lumon have their memories surgically separated between their “innie” work lives and their “outie” personal lives, is clearly the early favorite, with star Adam Scott a nominee for best actor.

But he will compete with “ER” veteran Noah Wyle, who leads “The Pitt” — HBO Max’s take on the travails of a Pittsburgh emergency room team during one 15-hour shift, covered effectively in real time.

“It’s ER on steroids!” Deadline awards expert Pete Hammond told AFP of the show, which earned 13 nods.

Those two shows will battle for best drama honors with Disney+’s “Star Wars” offshoot “Andor,” Netflix’s “The Diplomat,” HBO’s apocalyptic video game adaptation “The Last of Us,” Hulu political thriller “Paradise,” Apple’s spy drama “Slow Horses,” and HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

Scott and Wyle have stiff competition for best actor: Oscar winner Gary Oldman in “Slow Horses,” Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) and Sterling K. Brown (“Paradise”).

“The Penguin” is competing for best limited series honors against “Dying for Sex” (FX) and three Netflix efforts: buzzy teen murder saga “Adolescence,” “Black Mirror,” and true-crime saga “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

– Comedy crapshoot –

In the comedy categories, “The Studio,” a satire starring Seth Rogen that eviscerates the film industry, emerged as a clear favorite alongside perennial nominees “Hacks” and “The Bear.”

“Hacks” — starring Jean Smart as a stand-up comedian who locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant — won for best comedy and best actress in September last year.

“The Bear,” a dark satire set in the Chicago restaurant world, took the top prize at the previous ceremony (held in January 2024 due to Hollywood strikes), and its star Jeremy Allen White has two trophies for best actor.

Other nominees for best comedy series are perennial ABC nominee “Abbott Elementary,” rom-com “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix), Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Apple’s “Shrinking,” and FX’s vampire laughfest “What We Do in the Shadows.”

Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Brenda Song (“Running Point”) unveiled the key nominations in a livestreamed ceremony.

Voting members of the US-based Television Academy will then have a month to catch up on their viewing before final-round voting begins in mid-August.

The September 14 gala will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze.

For the full list of nominees, keep scrolling.

Outstanding Drama Series

Andor

The Diplomat

The Last of Us

Paradise

The Pitt

Severance

Slow Horses

The White Lotus

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Hacks

Nobody Wants This

Only Murders in the Building

Shrinking

The Studio

What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Adam Scott, Severance

Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters

Britt Lower, Severance

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Seth Rogen, The Studio

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Uzo Aduba, The Residence

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Zach Cherry, Severance

Walton Goggins, The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus

James Marsden, Paradise

Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus

Tramell Tillman, Severance

John Turturro, Severance

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Patricia Arquette, Severance

Carrie Coon, The White Lotus

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise

Parker Posey, The White Lotus

Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ike Barinholtz, The Studio

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Michael Urie, Shrinking

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Kathryn Hahn, The Studio

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Catherine O’Hara, The Studio

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Adolescence

Black Mirror

Dying For Sex

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

Meghann Fahy, Sirens

Rashida Jones, Black Mirror

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Michelle Williams, Dying For Sex

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent

Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Rob Delaney, Dying For Sex

Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Ashley Walters, Adolescence

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Erin Doherty, Adolescence

Ruth Negga, The Penguin

Deirdre O’Connell, The Penguin

Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

Jenny Slate, Dying For Sex

Christine Tremarco, Adolescence

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

The Amazing Race

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Survivor

Top Chef

The Traitors

Outstanding Talk Series

The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary, Quinta Brunson

Hacks, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky,

The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, and Eric Notarnicola,

Somebody Somewhere, Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Bridget Everett,

The Studio, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez,

What We Do in the Shadows, Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms,

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Andor, Dan Gilroy (for episode “Welcome to the Rebellion”)

The Pitt, Joe Sachs (for episode “2:00 P.M.”)

The Pitt, R. Scott Gemmill (for episode “7:00 A.M.”)

Severance, Dan Erickson (for episode “Cold Harbor”)

Slow Horses, Will Smith (for episode “Hello Goodbye”)

The White Lotus, Mike White

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Adolescence, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham

Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali (for episode “Common People”)

Dying For Sex, Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwhether (for episode “Good Value Diet Soda”)

The Penguin, Lauren LeFranc (for episode “A Great or Little Thing”)

Say Nothing, Joshua Zetumer (for episode ‘The People in the Dirt”)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Conan O’Brien

Cunk on Life, Charlie Brooker, Ben Caudell, Erika Ehler, Charlie George, Eli Goldstone, Jason Hazeley, Lucia Keskin, Diane Morgan, Joel Morris, Michael Odewale

Sarah Silverman: PostMortem, Sarah Silverman

SNL50: the Anniversary Special, James Anderson, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Mike DiCenzo, James Downey, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fowlie, Alison Gates, Sudi Green, Jack Handey, Colin Jost, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker, Auguste White

Your Friend, Nate Bargatze, Nate Bargatze

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear (for episode “Napkins’)

Lucia Aniello, Hacks (for episode “A Slippery Slope”)

James Burrows, Mid-Century Modern (for episode “Here’s To You, Mrs. Schneiderman”)

Nathan Felder, The Rehearsal (for episode “Pilot’s Code”)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, The Studio (for episode “The Oner”)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Janus Metz, Andor (for episode “Who Are You?”)

Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt (for episode “6:00 P.M.”)

John Wells, The Pitt (for episode “7:00 A.M.”)

Jessica Lee Gagné, Severance (for episode “Chikhai Bardo”)

Ben Stiller, Severance (for episode “Cold Harbor”)

Adam Randall, Slow Horses (for episode “Hello Goodbye”)

Mike White, The White Lotus (for episode “Amor Fati”)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie

Philip Barantini, Adolescence

Shannon Murphy, Dying For Sex (for episode “It’s Not That Serious”)

Helen Shaver, The Penguin (for episode “Cent’anni”)

Jennifer Getzinger, The Penguin (for episode “A Great or Little Thing”)

Nicole Kassell, Sirens (for episode “Exile”)

Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day