Emmys 2016 Nominations: 12 Major Shocks & Snubs
3. Shock - Middleditch And Ansari In Best Comedy Actor Race
Much like Ellie Kemper breaking into the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category, there were a couple of pleasant shocks on the male side of things as well.
Although Silicon Valley has picked up a number of nominations since its inception, its stellar cast have never received the recognition they deserve... until now. Thomas Middleditch, who leads the show as Pied Piper founder Richard, picks up his first nomination, and it's a long-time coming. The third season was superb, and while Middleditch doesn't quite get the lines of his cast mates, he grounds the show, and is hilarious in his own right, especially conveying the pain of those crushing defeats, and the ability to somehow pick himself up again.
Aziz Ansari is the newcomer into this category, for his Netflix series Master of None, which had its debut season last year. The show is heartfelt, hilarious, and offers a razor-sharp commentary on real-life on subjects such as diverse as racism and dating, and it's great to see Ansari recognised for that (he's also up for writing and directing, with the show itself nominated for Best Comedy Series).