PureDWTS 2018 Emmy Awards – Nomination Predictions/Live Blog
Once again, this has snuck up on us 😛 I will try to do a live blog tomorrow morning once the announcements are up, but it may end up being more of a “this is what was announced” post with a short lag time…we shall see.
I think part of the reason we kinda spaced this is because it looks to be slim pickin’s for DWTS this year – the shortened (and simplified) spring season means fewer eligible routines for the Outstanding Choreography category, and with World of Dance‘s first season now eligible, I think we could witness a reduction in nominees from SYTYCD, and DWTS being shut out of the category completely. Additionally, part of me thinks that we may see WOD and possibly American Idol also picking up a few nominations in other categories (Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Makeup, Outstanding Hairstyling, Outanding Lighting Design, etc) that might have otherwise gone to DWTS – I don’t think the austerity measures that they appeared to take with the All-Athletes season helped, because they seemed to stick to simpler, “safer” hair, makeup, costuming, and staging.
As for Outstanding Reality TV Series/Reality Host – given that DWTS/Tom got shut out last year, I’m not optimistic they’ll somehow elbow their way back in this year, especially with WOD and AI in the mix; my guess is that RuPaul wins Outstanding Reality Host again, and RuPaul’s Drag Race could be the dark horse to win Outstanding Reality Series, with the boom in viewership they’ve experienced since moving the show from Logo to VH1. But I digress…
The discussion here at PureDWTS always seems to center around who’s getting nominated for the Outstanding Choreography Emmy, so we’ll focus on that. First things first: I don’t see anything from season 26 actually getting nominated. Sorry. Yes, I know you think Jenna did an amazing job with Adam; I don’t disagree. But I also don’t know that anything she gave him was groundbreaking enough to hold its own against the likes of Keone & Mari from WOD, or anything from the perennially-nominated Travis Wall on SYTYCD, or even any of the unbearably-formulaic-yet-constantly-nominated-nonetheless pro dances from Mandy Moore on DWTS. As Heidi & I seem to say year after year – it’s much harder for routines on DWTS to get nominated than it is for SYTYCD (and now WOD), since the celebs doing them are (usually) not professional dancers; additionally, the Academy tends to favor contemporary/modern styles over ballroom, so that’s an added hindrance. We addressed this at length here, if you want some further reading. If, by some miracle, DWTS does seem to eke a choreo nom out of season 26, I would think it would maybe be a “body of work” nom for Jenna w/Adam – I’d throw their cha-cha, their jazz, and their freestyle in it.
I think the only hope for DWTS in the Outstanding Choreography category (except for possibly a “body of work” that Mandy might submit for pro dances) lies with the season 25 top 3: Jordan & Lindsay, Lindsey & Mark, and Frankie & Witney. I think Jordan has dethroned Alfonso as the most talented male celeb with dance experience this show has ever seen, and Lindsey was no slouch, either – both had the skill set to make Lindsay & Mark’s already great choreo look FANTASTIC. Frankie is more of a dark horse, but the one dance that sticks out in my head is that dark, edgy “Every Breath You Take” contemporary he & Witney did for Halloween week. If I were Witney, I probably would have submitted that as a nomination on its own.
I think both Mark & Lindsay could go for “body of work” with their respective partners – if I were Mark (or whoever was submitting on behalf of Mark), I probably would have gone with he & Lindsay’s jive, their Viennese waltz, and that controversial “did Mark copy choreo?” robot Argentine tango – which may have actually been THE dance of season 25:
As for Jordan & Lindsay – I think a body of work of their contemporary, rumba, & Argentine tango could be a good mix:
At the end of the day, though, I think it may actually be Lindsey & Mark’s dances (particularly that Argentine tango) that have the potential to be the most competitive in the field of nominations, based on their uniqueness. Jordan’s dances are technically sound and well-executed…but may be lacking a bit in originality. They’re just really well-danced, as opposed to what I would consider “ground-breaking”.
As for other shows? I didn’t watch SYTYCD at all last season (minus a few cherry-picked dances that Jenna did), so I can’t really comment on who might be a contender there – anyone else want to weigh in? I can’t remember any standout pro dances Mandy did on DWTS, but at least one will probably get nominated; but I have a feeling that Keone & Mari have a very strong body of work from their time on WOD and could end up winning the whole shebang – I loved their “texting” dance and the one with the ribbons:
So let’s see where Heidi and Vogue’s heads are at…
Heidi: Heidi’s head is saying that it’s totally unfair that Nappytabs submitted for a choreo nom for World of Dance – totally bites. But, what can you do? Keone and Mari also submitted (and should, IMO, WIN). I’m trying to remember who else from WoD submitted – Nappytabs created a “for your consideration” video for the choreo on WoD that showed all those who submitted. Let me see if I can find it….
…this isn’t the one I was thinking of, this is a Nappytabs “FYC” video for show, I think.
Be honored if you watch. “For Your Consideration”. Sometimes I can’t believe what we get to do for a living. I truly believe our show could get a few Emmy Noms #Blessed #StartedFromTheBottomNowWeHere #CoExecutiveProducers @NBCWorldOfDance pic.twitter.com/Xq2KMdlhJ4
— Napoleon and Tabitha (@NAPPYTABS) June 15, 2018
The one above shows the “FYC” for choreography at the end which includes Nappytabs, Keone and Mari and Kinjaz. Honestly, with those three in the running I predict a DWTS shut out. It’s unfortunate, but the pros on DWTS are going to have to hope for a great pro dance these days. Keep in mind that these are likely the dances the SHOW submitted for the contestants. There’s no actual rule against a choreographer submitting his or her own work from the show on their own. So the field could be even wider. Not only that, but the pool just got massive, when you consider that DOZENS of different choreographers are working on WoD in a given season.
As for SYTYCD – it’s has a definite leg up on DWTS and Nigel campaigns like CRAZY for nominations. To my knowledge, no one from DWTS does that. I don’t even know if they do “FYC” videos, just submit the dances. I suspect that Nigel has met his match in JLo when it comes to campaigning…and I bet she wins. 😉
But I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. If anyone scores from DWTS, it will be either Mark or Jenna. But also note that they can submit three dances, but they can get nominated for just one of the three. Doesn’t have to be all three. It could happen, but I would be surprised.
Vogue: I’ve been gone all day and I’m a little spent, so, I’ll make this short. When I look back at the last two seasons, all I can think of in terms of “Emmy’s” for “mind blowing” creativity is Mark & Lindsey, Jordan & Lindsay, and Jenna & Adam. Like Court, I loved Mark & Lindsey’s tango and the costumes were off the hook. Despite all the criticisms at the time, I really loved Jenna & Adam’s Freestyle. I loved that Jenna took a risk and went with something so different. I’m a huge fan of Oriental influence in costuming and dancing, so I was in heaven. 🙂 I honestly can’t think of one bad dance from Jordan & Lindsay. Each week they were at another level in every area from technique to creativity. If they don’t get a nomination for one or more of their dances, I will be really surprised and disappointed. I agree with Court how Jordan surpassed Alfonso as the best dancer ever on Dancing With The Stars. Gawd, can we please have another “All Star Season”? I would love to see the two of them be pitted against one another. Can you imagine?
So those are our thoughts…what are yours?
ETA: So the choreography nominations have been announced…and in a stunning turn, not only was DWTS shut out, but so was WOD, and four of the five nominations in the Outstanding Choreography category went to SYTYCD, with the one wildcard nomination going to The Late Late Show with James Corden for one of their musical numbers. Nobody I’ve talked to seems to even recall any of the dances in four body of work nominations that SYTYCD got…so color me gobsmacked. Will update again once the reality categories are posted…discuss.
ETA2: This is Vogue. Although shunned in choreography and Best Reality Series, Dancing With The Stars ended up with 6 nominations for hair, makeup, etc.. To read more, see this report.
I agree with what you said about DWTS. Thinking about SYTYCD the one that comes to mind for a potential nom is the Sean Cheeseman “Still I Rise” comtemporary number. As for WOD, I’m really hoping Keonie and Mari get nominated!
Only s25 of dwts is eligible to be nominated at least for choreography. Nothing from s26 choreography wise is eligible. Do you think Lindsay would submit Jordan’s Foxtrot?
Hi !
I for one had a problem with Adam’s freestryle, as much as I liked him, because of asian influence in it that didn’t had any justification (don’t know if this was discussed here) and the lack of “dancing” really and even if their contemp was great, it’s not as wow as the one we can see on SYT.
So I agree with you, Lindsay, Witney and Mark are the biggest chances for the show to snag or nom (Mandy didn’t do anything that impressive or memorable IMO).
I think Lindsey and Mark’s freestyle could have been nominated but the execution was a bit lacking compare to their AT or their jive, which was my fave dance of them on execution and creativity.
For Witney and Frankie, the contemp is the only piece that stands out but there wasn’t that much dancing in it, it was still great but maybe that could be a con.
For Lindsay and Jordan, it could be the three you said but on visual impact, I think their first Charleston and the Freestyle might seems more competitve.
Season 26 I think isn’t eligible this year for nominations, but I believe only Jenna or Sharna would stand a small chance. I think Jenna has a few of Adam’s routines she could submit, and I really enjoyed Sharna and Josh’s freestyle which was imo one of Sharna’s best work. (Still sad her suicide squad VW with James & Jenna, which just hit 13 million views on YouTube was never nominated)
As for season 25, which is eligible, I think Mark and Lindsey’s AT stands the best chance. Mark’s creativity was in its own league that season. Lindsay and Jordan’s routines were also creative, but I’m not sure it can compete with WOD and SYTYCD, but fingers crossed for Linds.
Zoe, we’ve been Emmy watching for YEARS. You are dead wrong on Season 26. You might want to actually LOOK at the rules and eligibility period before you go spouting off as if you know shit.
Many years, there’s been some question if the last two weeks of the spring season could be nominated (although always “eligible”) because they are performed and aired well after the DVD of the dances are due to the academy. This year the season was over by more than a week before the eligibility period ended, plus Derek got nominated for something well after the DVD date, so I feel confident that the freestyles can be submitted this year.
Keone and Mari might also add the routine they choreographed later last season in SYTYCD. They did a really, really cool piece for Taylor Sieve and Robert Roldan to “Numb and Getting Colder” by Flume.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s certainly a pretty cool piece that apparently took them two years to get cleared for TV.
And I’m sure there will be a couple from SYTYCD that will get nominated, but really no one piece comes to mind for choreography.
Last year, SYTYCD went outside the box and brought in some new choreographers off of their giant heap and some old choreographers like Brian Friedman returned.
To be honest, the only thing that stuck out from last season were the partnerships themselves. Koine, Taylor, and Lex were just absolutely brilliant to watch all season.
I agree, Justin. This is the first time that no one for SYTYCD stood out when it came time for noms. Of course, they will probably get one or two, but this is the first time that I can’t remember one that is worthy.
Does it have to be an all-star and contestant routine or can it be a group all-star routine from SYTYCD? If I had to choose, I’d personally, choose the latter. The group all-star routines, especially, from Travis Wall were phenomenal and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t nominated.
For Dancing With The Stars I think the best chances for choreography go to Lindsay for all of Season 25, Mark for all of Season 25, Witney for her contemporary dance with Frankie and Sharna for her freestyle last season.
For so you think you can dance I saw someone already mention the rise routine which I agree would be a great choice. Mia Michaels also returned with a cute dance featuring a couple that were dating in real life at the time of the episode which made it super special. I agree the choreography otherwise for so you think you can dance didn’t stand out as much as other years
I didn’t watch World of Dance last year so I don’t have a comment on that
Forgive me if I’m wrong but didn’t Lindsay have help from Alan Salazar in season 25? I remember him mentioning his involvement on Instagram.
Choreo: Mark B. and it will be well deserved. Mark is excellent. I will be happy when dwts return with some of the great dancers we all met in the beginning -seasons.
@Mandy,
I think Courtney talked about it in the past but Alan is a ghost choreo. And he assisted Lindsay on the contemp, he didn’t do the whole routine. I don’t think he was involved in their other dances.
Also, most of the pros have used ghost choreo in the past and it isn’t against you but I find it a bit annoying that people are only bringing this up for Lindsay and Witney (and now Jenna). I think it was said on this blog that Lindsay has been doing her own choreo for the last few years. If she gets a nomination, it will be because she earned it.
@Philomene – THANK YOU! For awhile, I feel like I was the only person realizing that people only seem to bring Alan up whenever it pertains to Lindsay or Witney, and it’s starting to feel rather targeted. Part of me wishes that Alan had actually followed the rules of ghosting and not opened his mouth in the first place, because now it seems like I can’t compliment anyone on choreography without some smug Twitter follower going “Ahem, Alan said he helped with that routine, Lindsay didn’t choreograph it.” Keyword here is HELPED – meaning it was a collaborative effort, and I know for a fact that Lindsay has been utilizing ghosts less and less in recent seasons. Is it so hard to believe that we have talented female pros capable of doing their own choreography??? And why is everyone suddenly so concerned about crediting some guy that only ghosts every now and then on DWTS? Feels like people just stirring the pot to me…
[…] Page PureDWTS 2018 Emmy Awards – Nomination Predictions/Live Blog Free DWTS Newsletter Want to receive the latest news on Dancing with the Stars sent […]
[…] Page PureDWTS 2018 Emmy Awards – Nomination Predictions/Live Blog Free DWTS Newsletter Want to receive the latest news on Dancing with the Stars sent […]
@Courtney @Philomene It was never my intention to target certain pros or stir the pot. I have loved watching Lindsay, Witney and Jenna since SYTYCD and I’m happy they’ve turned out to be excellent choreographers in addition to being excellent dancers. Thank you for setting the record straight, really appreciate it.
I watch SYTYCD just as faithfully as I’ve watched DWTS all these years. I’m not surprised AT ALL in the nominations for SYTYCD-Travis Wall is a no brainer; Mandy Moore has become a bit predictable with her choreography over the years but I’m still not surprised she’s been nominated-her name alone in the industry garners votes for an Emmy nom; I’m pleasantly surprised to see Christopher Scott nominated-there is one group routine he did last season that was sooo friggin cool! If there’s a SYTYCD choreographer that doesn’t deserve the Emmy nom, it’s Al Blackstone-he choreographed that pizza dance routine-it was a cute dance but not deserving of an Emmy nomination.
WOD was only on one season by the time Emmy nominations rolled around? Maybe the show needs to be given more time to make a name for itself? Prove itself? I bet next year we’ll see WOD nominated for choreo for sure….
It’s VERY possible that WoD is hosed by it’s own format. Too much editing of the dances for time – and that lies with Nappytabs and JLo as exec producers.
The editing of the dances can seriously have a negative impact on the choreography, if it isn’t well done. And you’re only allowed to submit it as it was aired.
You might also be correct that it needs to make a name for itself. Totally NOT surprised that DWTS was shut out.
ABSOLUTELY not surprised that DWTS was shut out! As far as season 25 goes, Mark and Lindsey were standouts and his choreography is great; however, we all know that ballroom is not big on getting Emmy nominations:/
I actually think Jenna happens to be a better dancer and choreographer than both Witney and Lindsey, especially since Jenna has continued to work with SYTYCD. And she doesn’t seem to be shy about getting outside help either if she has to LOL I think, despite the fact that season 26 was soo short, Jenna made a name for herself and proved herself on DWTS-enough to possibly show that she can handle choreography. Who knows-she just might get an Emmy nomination in the future for DWTS?
I don’t know much about how the Emmy noms work but can’t awards performances be nominated for Oustanding choreo ? Like I’ve seen some great performances on the Grammys, Billboard, VMA, etc. so I’m really wondering why SYT got tht much nominations when there act weren’t THAT impressive compared to other years. I also get why DWTS didn’t get noms on that category but to give 4 to SYT seems a tad excessive.
Other than that I agree with you Anonymous and Princess Heidi, there is really heavy editing on WoD, especially on season 1 so maybe it’s somthing they will work on for season 2.
As MUCH as Mark deserves an Emmy, I’d be surprised if he actually was nominated for any. Heidi, I’m probably gonna sound nuts but it looks like DWTS is missing Mark just a little bit. At the same time, why in the world would he want to be on a show where he gets treated like garbage and not give him the appreciation and respect that he deserves? He doesn’t need DWTS anymore IMO. He may not have the same amount of success as Derek, but he is now in a league of his own. Alexander Jean, Jersey Boys, Greese! Now if you ask me, that’s BIGGER than DWTS. If he gets an Emmy nod, ALL The Better…!!!…
It feels to me that the Outstanding Choreography Emmy is becoming a bit slanted in favor of SYTYCD based on reputation of the choreographers and the fact that the show’s format allows those choreographers to have a bit of a blank canvas. Some of the dancers have limitations, but for the most part, they all end up working professionally after the show.
What I think hurts WOD other than the editing is that it’s not clear who’s actually choreographing the routines for the acts. We don’t know if the acts themselves are choreographing the routine unless they tell us. For instance, on the YouTube comments, Kyle Hanagami basically says he choreographed Zack and Ashley’s routine on the last show.
That unknown can’t help WOD at all.
Yes, Philomene, award shows can be nominated for Choreo – but the rules are so convoluted that there might be things preventing some of them. Like if the choreo was previously show in a music video or something. The choreo has to be original and for that show, I believe. Seriously, reading the rules will give you a migraine.
I agree, Anon – I think Jenna is probably the best female choreographer on DWTS. Only person who goes head to head with her is Lindsay (on the female side). I doubt she’ll earn a nomination from DWTS, but possibly SYTYCD. Good thing is, once the academy recognizes you, your path to Emmy gets a bit easier. There are lots of nominations this year that I think are a direct result of history.
CH, how many times do we have to block you?? NOTE: MARK DIDN’T GET AN EMMY NOMINATION. Sorry.
I don’t think the unknown aspect hurts at all, Justin. After all, but public isn’t voting on it and when the dances are submitted, the choreographer IS listed. And honestly, Nappytabs submitted – the are very well known.
If they were going with SYTYCD they should have nominated Sean Cheesman’s
“Still I Rise” So amazing and rather unique. One of the few SYTYCD dances I have actually watched over and over.
Forgot all about the Emmys. I want to say that I like all the choreography nominees but in all honesty I would change all of them. (Same for Supporting Actress in a Drama as well except for Newton but I digress). I guess I’m rooting for James Corden but not feeling any of them. Persoanlly would have given that Emmy to Witney for the one you posted or her paso with Frankie or Les Twins for “Some Minds” – Flume ft. Andrew Wyatt routine.