Musicians at the Emmys: Rihanna, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Dolly Parton and Lizzo Score Nominations

Rihanna could score a touchdown at the 2023 Emmy Awards: The pop star is nominated for her explosive Super Bowl performance, where she debuted her baby bump and broke the internet.

Rihanna’s halftime show earned five Emmy nominations — and she specifically scored a bid for best variety special (live), which she shares with executive producer Jay-Z. The rap mogul is also nominated for best directing for a variety special, which he shares with Hamish Hamilton.

Jay-Z, along with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent, won best variety special (live) last year for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime performance. 

Elton John, Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Dolly Parton and Kid Cudi were among the pop stars who also scored Emmy nominations Wednesday.

John will compete with Rihanna and Jay-Z for best variety special (live), and if he wins, the Oscar, Grammy and Tony winner will become an EGOT. John, 76, earned a nomination for his final concert special, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, which aired on Disney+.

Sheeran picked up a nomination for best original music and lyrics for “A Beautiful Game” from Ted Lasso. He shares the nod with iconic pop producer Max Martin and singer-songwriter Foy Vance.

Lizzo, who won best competition program for Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls last year, is back with a nomination for best variety special (prerecorded) with HBO Max’s Lizzo: Live in Concert. 

Parton is also returning to the Emmys after winning in 2021: Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is up for outstanding television movie. She previously won in the same category for Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.

Selena Gomez, who earned her first Emmy nomination last year, didn’t score one this year, but her critically acclaimed Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, picked up a bid for its writers. Alek Keshishian and Paul Marchand will compete for best writing for a nonfiction program.

The Tupac Shakur documentary Dear Mama is up for two awards: best documentary or nonfiction series and best writing for a nonfiction program.

Another rapper was also honored posthumously: The Notorious B.I.G. Estate scored a nomination for best interactive program with The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience. Rock band Gorillaz are also in the category with the Google-powered Gorillaz Presents performance. 

Netflix’s Entergalactic, created and executive produced by Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, earned a nomination for best animated program.

Composer Nicholas Britell is a double nominee in best music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for Succession and Andor. Danny Elfman is competing in the same category for Wednesday, and Britell and Elfman are also both nominated for best original main title theme music for Andor and Wednesday, respectively. 

Hans Zimmer, an Oscar and Grammy winner who has been nominated at the Tonys and Emmys, is nominated this year for his work on AppleTV+’s Prehistoric Planet. He will compete for best music composition for a documentary series or special (original dramatic score).

Adam Blackstone won an Emmy last year as the musical director at the Super Bowl halftime show, and now he’s a double nominee for best music direction with Rihanna’s halftime show and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The Roku Channel’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story earned eight nominations, including best television movie. Yankovic earned nominations for his screenwriting and songwriting: He’s up for best writing for a limited or anthology series or movie and best original music and lyrics for “Now You Know.”