Emmys: Hollywood on stand by for TV stars' big night

Television's most prestigious awards, the Emmys, will be handed out in Los Angeles on Monday night.

There has been a muted build-up to the event, with some pre-show festivities called off following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week.

The British film and television academy cancelled its traditional Hollywood tea party for nominees, while the Canadian consulate postponed its celebrations.

The ceremony itself is expected to reflect on the Queen's death.

Hosted by Saturday Night Live comedian Kenan Thompson, it will be the first full-scale Emmys since the pandemic. Last year's ceremony was staged outdoors and had limited in-person attendance.

Royal drama The Crown, which was last years' big winner, is not in contention for the 2022 awards. Filming on the latest series was put on pause "as a mark of respect" for the Queen, Netflix said last week.

Succession is the favourite to replace it in the hotly-contested best drama category.

Created by British writer Jesse Armstong, the show - a Machiavellian tale of a family vying for control of a media empire - has more nominations than any other programme, with 25 in total.

It is up against teen drama Euphoria; drug cartel series Ozark; Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul; throwback sci-fi drama Stranger Things, Korean thriller Squid Game; psychological coming-of-age series Yellowjackets and sci-fi mystery Severance.

If it were to take the trophy, Squid Game - in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and deadly versions of schoolyard games - would be the first foreign-language series to win best drama.

Succession is particularly well represented in the drama acting categories. Scottish actor Brian Cox, who plays media mogul Logan Roy, will compete for best actor against his on-screen son, played by Jeremy Strong.

There are also nominations for Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook as well as British cast members Matthew Macfadyen and Dame Harriet Walter, who plays Logan Roy's ex-wife Caroline.

Dame Harriet is also nominated for playing Deborah in Anglo-American football series Ted Lasso, which is the most-nominated comedy.

Other comedies in the running include school mockumentary Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building and long-running show Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has never won.

Hacks star Jean Smart will be hoping to win best lead actress for the second year in a row for her portrayal of Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance.

The shows with the most nominations:

Jason Sudeikis is shortlisted for playing the titular football coach in Ted Lasso, while there are also nods for British co-stars Brett Goldstein, Toheeb Jimoh, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles, Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham.

Other British prospects are Lily James, who is nominated for best actress in a limited series for playing Pamela Anderson in Pam and Tommy, and Killing Eve's Jodie Comer, who is up for outstanding actress in a drama series, a prize she took home in 2019.

The Liverpudlian is up against her co-star Sandra Oh for the award, as well as Laura Linney, Reese Witherspoon and Euphoria actress Zendaya, who won last year.

The other UK talent on this year's esteemed list includes Colin Firth for outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his role in The Staircase.

Firth is recognised in the same category alongside compatriots Himesh Patel and Andrew Garfield (who is British-American), as well as Michael Keaton and Sebastian Stan, Lily James' co-star in Pam and Tommy.

The series about the former couple's leaked sex tape is up for best limited series, alongside the aforementioned White Lotus.

They are in competition with three other dramas based on real-life stories - Dopesick, which chronicles the US opioid crisis, The Dropout, which depicts the fall from grace of biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes (starring Amanda Seyfried) and Inventing Anna, inspired by the story of Anna Sorokin/Delvey, who pretended to be a German heiress so she could convince rich New Yorkers to fund her lavish lifestyle.

Another British actor, Nicholas Hoult, is nominated for lead actor in a comedy series for his part in The Great, and will face competition from the likes of Atlanta creator and star Donald Glover.

The Emmys are voted for by more than 25,000 members of the US Television Academy, which represents those in front of and behind the cameras.

This year's awards honour the best TV shows that premiered or streamed between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.