Musicians at the Emmys: Rihanna, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Selena Gomez, Dolly Parton, 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 outstanding variety special (live), which she shares with executive producer Jay-Z. The rap mogul is also nominated for outstanding 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 outstanding variety special (live) last year for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime performance. 

Elton John, Selena Gomez, 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 outstanding 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 outstanding 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.

Selena Gomez earned her first Emmy nomination last year for executive producing Only Murders In the Building and she’s nominated again for outstanding comedy series. 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 outstanding writing for a nonfiction program.

Lizzo, who won outstanding competition program for Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls last year, is back with a nomination for outstanding 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.

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

Another rapper was also honored posthumously: The Notorious B.I.G. Estate scored a nomination for outstanding 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 outstanding animated program.

Composer Nicholas Britell is a double nominee in outstanding 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 outstanding 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 outstanding 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 outstanding music direction with Rihanna’s halftime show and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.