Emmys 2021: Everything to know about TV's biggest awards show

TV's biggest night comes to small screens Sunday.

When Emmy nominations were announced in July by father-daughter acting duo Ron Cephas Jones ("This Is Us" and "Lisey's Story") and Jasmine Cephas Jones ("Blindspotting" and "Hamilton"), Apple TV+'s upbeat "Ted Lasso" became the first new show to receive 20 nominations in its inaugural season, besting a freshman record set by Fox's "Glee." HBO's horror drama "Lovecraft Country" received 18 nominations, shortly after it was canceled.

The year's biggest unscripted moments were also recognized. Oprah Winfrey's CBS sitdown with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earned a nod for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special, and FX and The New York Times' documentary "Framing Britney Spears" earned two. HBO Max's "Friends" reunion, which brought together all six cast members, is a contender in four categories.

Here's what else you need to know about the awards show.

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When are the Emmys and how can I watch?

The awards ceremony will air Sept. 19 on CBS (8 EDT/5 PDT) and stream on Paramount+. The show is to be broadcast from outside the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and will include "a limited audience of nominees and their guests," according to the TV Academy.

Who is hosting the Emmy Awards?

Comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer, who stars on CBS sitcom "The Neighborhood," will emcee. He follows last year's ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, who started a trashcan fire that Jennifer Aniston extinguished.

Cedric, a first-time host, told USA TODAY Sunday's ceremony will be an "intimate" affair amid the mutating coronavirus. "It was going to be a much bigger audience there," Cedric says. "At first, the idea was to really bring it back full steam ahead and now, with the new variant, there’s been some sizing down."

But don't expect Cedric to poke fun at any stars the way Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Kimmel have done at previous awards shows.

"We’ve all been through a lot the past few years," he says, "So the idea of cynicism and mean-spirited jokes is not going to be what the vibe is at all."

The comedian aims to bring a "celebratory" tone to the Emmys, a night to salute how "TV got us all the way through (the pandemic) with most of us being stuck at home."

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Who is nominated for an Emmy?

“The Mandalorian,” the hit Disney+ series set in the “Star Wars” universe, tied the fourth season of Netflix's British monarchy series “The Crown" with 24 nominations apiece, including best drama.

Both shows were trailed by Disney+'s inaugural Marvel show “WandaVision,” which earned 23 nods, including best limited series, best actress (Elizabeth Olsen) and best actor (Paul Bettany). "Lasso," starring Jason Sudeikis as a soccer coach transplanted to London, was the most nominated comedy.

The limited series categories are stacked this year, with Netflix’s “The Queen's Gambit,” HBO’s “I May Destroy You” and “Mare of Easttown” all picking up multiple nominations. (See the list of all the nominees in the major categories.)

HBO and HBO Max picked up the most nominations (130), followed closely by Netflix, with 129.

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Who was shockingly snubbed?

For all the worthy nominees, there were plenty of surprising omissions. Critically acclaimed and fan-favorite series and actors were left off the list, including Nicole Kidman (HBO's "The Undoing"), Ethan Hawke (Showtime's "The Good Lord Bird") and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Peacock's "Girls5Eva"), to name a few. USA TODAY'S TV critic Kelly Lawler has addressed several more snubs.

Who will win at the Emmy Awards?

This year's Emmy race has been full of predictable frontrunners ("Lasso," Jean Smart from "Hacks") and some hopeful spoilers (Bowen Yang of "Saturday Night Live," "The Boys"). With many perennial Emmy winners not in contention this year because of COVID-related production delays – "Succession," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "The Morning Show," "Better Call Saul" and "Killing Eve" among them – there are more chances for newer and lesser-known series to triumph.

Our TV critic has shared her insight so readers can have the edge on their Emmy (virtual) office pools.

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Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Kelly Lawler and Patrick Ryan

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emmys 2021: Red carpet, TV channel info; everything you need to know