Los Angeles (AFP)

'Baby Yoda' from 'The Mandalorian' and Marvel superheroes from 'WandaVision' gave Disney + 's Enchanted Kingdom a chance to shine against Netflix's hugely popular' The Crown 'royal saga in the Emmy race , whose nominations were unveiled on Tuesday.

Dominating the flagship category of Best Drama Series, "The Crown", which chronicles the history of the British Royal Family in romantic fashion, and "The Mandalorian" each landed 24 nominations for the very prestigious awards ceremony - the Oscar equivalent for television.

Hulu's dystopian "The Handmaid" (21 nominations) and the first season of the comedy "Ted Lasso" broadcast by Apple TV + (20 nominations) are also in pole position for the 73rd edition of the Emmy Awards, the winners of which will be announced at an in-person ceremony on September 19 in Los Angeles, with "a limited audience."

Some form of return to normal: last year's edition was broadcast from an empty theater, with the winners accepting their awards from home.

The arrival of the Covid-19 had forced the shootings to lower the curtain and upset the television production programs.

And the 25,000 TV Academy voters also spent months stranded at home, sifting through a small selection of series from their couch.

- Not so limited series -

The best limited series category - productions that only have one season - will undoubtedly be the most contested.

They have become increasingly competitive in recent years, attracting big names from Hollywood to the most prestigious projects of the small screen.

On the menu, a fight between the saga of Marvel superheroes "WandaVision", a series taking up, by decades and over the episodes, the codes of American sitcoms, the chess games of the "Lady's Game", "Mare of Easttown ”or the acclaimed“ I May Destroy You ”by HBO, which tells the story of rape.

In its category of best drama series, the series "The Crown", which has reacted even within the British royal family, is therefore opposed to "The Mandalorian", whose adorable "baby Yoda" has boosted subscriptions to the Disney + platform, but also "The Scarlet Servant" or the very popular "Chronicle of the Bridgertons".

The final season of "Pose", where star Elton John made a surprise appearance, is also in competition.

The three previous seasons of the globally successful royal series had also been nominated for Best Drama Series, but like all other Netflix productions, "The Crown" never won.

It could also offer awards to its main actors: Emma Corrin for her portrayal of Princess Diana, Josh O'Connor who plays Prince Charles, or Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II.

- The Disney surprise + -

The race between streaming platforms is intensifying, as traditional American TV groups fade away.

Like Disney, which has spent billions to place Marvel superheroes and other global franchises on its very young Disney + video-on-demand platform, and finds itself in a bitter standoff with its competitors Netflix and HBO Max.

The Enchanted Kingdom can boast of having created a surprise in the race for awards, with two series in the lead: "WandaVision" and "The Mandalorian".

Thanks to its subsidiaries ABC and Hulu, it is at the top of the nominations.

HBO, with its HBO Max platform, has hit the Netflix post - the two have been vying for the lead in recent years.

© 2021 AFP