It has been a truly remarkable year for actor and comedian Kenan Thompson. He just came off of his eighteenth year on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ his new sitcom ‘Kenan’ premiered on NBC with a stellar first season, and he is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a part of the Class of 2022. Now, adding on to all of those other accomplishments, Thompson has been nominated for two Emmy Awards!
The nominations for all the awards were announced Tuesday morning. Thompson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on ‘Kenan,’ and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on this latest season of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ He has been previously nominated twice for the Supporting Actor award, but this is his first time up for a Lead award.
‘Kenan’ is a comedy that premiered on NBC in February, with a strong first season that had solid ratings and good reception. NBC renewed the show for a second season in April, just three days after the season one finale aired.
In an Instagram post, Thompson expressed his gratitude, saying, “That’s two for your boy!!!! Thank you to the Academy members for voting for my TWO Emmy nominations I received today!!! I’m floored!!! And thank you to everyone who’s been watching and to those who have yet to tune in, I’m excited for you!!!”
In a video he posted on the social media platform, he also congratulated all his fellow nominees, especially the people from his SNL family. Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong were all nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, while second-year breakout star Bowen Yang joins Thompson as one of the eight nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Thompson’s fellow nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Anthony Anderson, from ‘Black-ish,’ Jason Sudeikis, a fellow SNL alum, from ‘Ted Lasso,’ William H. Macy, from ‘Shameless,’ and Michael Douglas, from ‘The Kominsky Method.’
Thompson has been a stellar performer throughout his entire career, and he is very deserving of these nominations. Few have had as illustrious and admirable careers as Kenan Thompson, who has always maintained class, humility, and, importantly, longevity. Here’s hoping that these nominations turn into wins for the worthy star!
The Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 19, with Cedric the Entertainer slated to host. The award show will air on CBS and be available to stream on Paramount+.
