He’s no longer a nightly presence on TV, but Conan O’Brien is still a fixture at the Emmys, picking up three new nominations Tuesday morning.
O’Brien is nominated for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special as host and executive producer of Conan O’Brien Must Go. The HBO Max travel series will compete against Finding Your Roots, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Tucci in Italy, and The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation.
He’s also up for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program as part of the show’s writing team, which includes José Arroyo, Mike Sweeney, and Jessie Gaskell. Their submission to Emmy voters was the Austria episode, representing the series’ second season.
O’Brien’s third nomination this year is for hosting The Oscars, a gig that was so well received that he was quickly asked and agreed to return next year. The telecast was nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), giving O’Brien another shot at Emmy gold. Among the nine producers credited on the special are two of his longtime collaborators: Sweeney and Jeff Ross.
While those are the only categories where O’Brien himself is eligible for a trophy, his comedic legacy showed up elsewhere in Tuesday’s nominations, with Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor picking up three nominations of its own.
The Netflix special honored O’Brien with a night that revisted many of his most iconic late-night moments. The ceremony was recognized in three categories: Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.
O’Brien has won five Emmy Awards over the course of his carrer, most recently in 2024, when he took home Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program for Conan O’Brien Must Go. He was also nominated for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special, ultimately losing to My Next Guest’s special with John Mulaney.
