Dave Chappelle lands Emmy nomination for Netflix special 'The Closer'

Jul. 12—Dave Chappelle took a lot of heat for his controversial 2021 Netflix stand-up comedy special "The Closer," but that didn't stop him from being embraced by the Television Academy today.

"The Closer," Chappelle's sixth special for Netflix, received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special (Stan Lathan). Chappelle has previously won five Emmys, most recently in 2021 for guest hosting "Saturday Night Live."

Last October, "The Closer" was criticized for what many viewers felt were transphobic and homophobic remarks. Netflix employees were so enraged by the special they staged a walkout, resulting in a confrontation between supporters of the trans community and supporters of Chappelle.

Chappelle continues to defend his work, addressing the controversy in a speech released July 7 on Netflix (titled "What's In A Name?") which took place last month at Chappelle's alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.

The 74th annual Emmy Awards will be televised Monday, Sept. 12 on NBC. For a complete list of nominees, visit https://www.emmys.com/.