NBC Sports Group, London Games Dominate Sports Emmy Nominations

NBC Sports Group rode the London Olympics wave to lead all networks in total Sports Emmy Award nominations, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced on Wednesday. NBC Sports Group’s haul of 58 nominations easily bested ESPN networks’ 43, marking the first time since 2008 that the Disney-owned media company was not atop the Sports Emmy nomination mountain (when HBO’s 31 nods beat out ESPN’s 27).

As expected NBC’s coverage of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London trounced the competition, earning 14 nominations 0 more than doubling any other sports program of the year.

Breaking Down the Nominations
Following NBC Sports Group’s (NBC, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, nbcolympics.com, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, nbcsports.com, Telemundo), 58 noinations and ESPN’s (ESPN, ESPN 2, grantland.com, ABC, ESPN 3D, ESPNU, ESPNews) 43 nods, was by Turner Sports (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, truTV, NCAA.com) with 27. Fox Sports Media Group (Fox, Speed, Fox Soccer Channel) and HBO Sports tied for fourth place with 17 apiece, followed closely by NFL Network’s (NFL Network, NFL Media, NFL.com) 16 nominations and CBS Sports’ (CBS, Showtime, CBS Sports Network) 15 nods. Rounding out the pack were MLB Network with nine and DirecTV and YouTube with one nomination apiece.

In terms of individual networks, NBC led the way with 36, followed by ESPN with 23; HBO with 17; Fox, NFL Network, and TNT with 13 apiece; and CBS and ESPN2 with 10 each.

The London Games dominated nearly every category with a total of 14 nominations, followed by NBA on TNT and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which each took home six nominations. ESPN’s E:60 was next with five nominations, followed by a five way tie for four nominations made up of HBO’s 24/7, HBO and NFL Films’ Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, MLB on Fox, ESPN’s Outside the Lines, and NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Fox, NBC Top Tech Categories
As for the Technical Achievement categories, NBC’s Olympics coverage also won the day – garnering nominations for Outstanding Technical Team Remote, Outstianding Technical Team Studio, and two nods in the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award category (for the Multiscreen Olympics and the 360 Cam). Fox Sports was a close second, as the network’s MLB on Fox was nominated for Outstanding Technical Team Remote and it notched three Wensel Technical Achievement Award nods – for Phantom Camera on MLB on Fox, 3D Cutaway Car on NASCAR on Fox, and Super Zoom on NFL on Fox. NBC’s America’s Cup World Series, ESPN3D/CBS’s the Masters and ESPN3D’s Winter X Games coverage rounded out the Technical Team Remote category, while MLB Tonight on MLB Network and UEFA Euro 2012 on ESPN won nominations for Technical Team Studio.

Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage of the Sports Emmy Awards from SVG in the coming days. In the meantime, here is the full slate of nominations:

Outstanding LIVE SPORTS SPECIAL
The 96th Indianapolis 500, ABC
The 108th World Series, FOX
The Army‑Navy Game, CBS
The Masters, CBS
Super Bowl XLVI, NBC

Outstanding LIVE SPORTS SERIES
ESPN Monday Night Football, ESPN
NASCAR on FOX, FOX / SPEED
NBA on TNT, TNT
NFL on FOX, FOX
Sunday Night Football, NBC

Outstanding LIVE EVENT TURNAROUND
Down the Stretch (The Honda Classic), Golf Channel/PGA Entertainment
Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC
Inside the Headsets (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All‑Star Race), SPEED/NASCAR Media Group
Monster Energy SuperCross (Salt Lake City), CBS/Feld Motor Sports
USA Pro Challenge (The Race of Truth), NBC/Blink Productions 

Outstanding PLAYOFF COVERAGE
National League Championship Series (Cardinal vs. Giants), FOX
NBA Playoffs, TNT
NFC Divisional Playoff (49ers vs. Saints), FOX
NFL Wild Card Saturday (Bengals vs. Texans; Lions vs. Saints), NBC
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, CBS / tbs / TNT / truTV

Outstanding Live Event AUDIO / SOUND
MLB Network Spring Training Game (Indians vs. Diamondbacks All Audio), MLB Network
MLB on FOX, FOX
NASCAR on FOX, FOX

Outstanding Post Produced AUDIO / SOUND
24/7 (Pacquiao‑Marquez 4), HBO
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Measure & Motion), NBC
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films
NBA on TNT, TNT

Outstanding TECHNICAL TEAM REMOTE
America’s Cup World Series, NBC/America’s Cup Event Authority
Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC
MLB on FOX, FOX
The Masters, ESPN3D/CBS
Winter X Games 2012, ESPN3D

Outstanding TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO
Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC / Bravo / MSNBC / NBC Sports Network / Telemund0
MLB Tonight, MLB Network
UEFA Euro 2012, ESPN

The George Wensel TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Games of the XXX Olympiad ( The Multi‑Screen Olympics), NBC Sports Group
Games of the XXX Olympiad / NBC Golf Tour (360 Cam), NBC
MLB on FOX (Phantom Camera), FOX
NASCAR on FOX (3D Cutaway Car), FOX
NFL on FOX (Super Zoom), FOX

Outstanding EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL
Michael Waltrip Racing All Access (Inside Michael Waltrip Racing: A Championship Quest), SPEED/NASCAR Media Group
One Heartbeat, CBS Sports Network
Outside the Lines (Believe), ESPN
Still Standing: The Earl Campbell Story, NBC Sports Network/NFL Films
Tecmo Super Bowl, NFL Network/NFL Films

Outstanding SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story, ESPN2
Dream Team, NBA TV/NBA Entertainment
Klitschko, HBO/Broadview Pictures
Namath, HBO
The Announcement, ESPN

Outstanding EDITED SPORTS SERIES / Anthology
30 for 30, ESPN
A Football Life, NFL Network/NFL Films
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, HBO
The Franchise: A Season with the Miami Marlins, Showtime/MLB Productions

Outstanding STUDIO SHOW ‑ WEEKLY
College Gameday, ESPN
Football Night in America, NBC
Inside the NBA, TNT
Inside the NFL, Showtime/NFL Films

Outstanding STUDIO SHOW ‑ DAILY
Inside the NBA, TNT
MLB Tonight, MLB Network
NFL Live, ESPN2
NFL Total Access, NFL Network
Pardon the Interruption, ESPN/Rydholm Projects

Outstanding GRAPHIC DESIGN
Games of the XXX Olympiad, NBC / NBC Sports Network
MLB Network Division Series (The Scrapbook), MLB Network
Sport Science, ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPNews/Base Productions
Sunday Night Football, NBC
UEFA Euro 2012, ESPN

Outstanding PRODUCTION DESIGN / ART DIRECTION
MLB Postseason on TBS (Studio ORAD), tbs
NCAA March Madness (Brackets Everywhere), truTV
Outside the Lines (Defiance: The Story of FC Start), ESPN
Sunday Night Football (Open), NBC

Outstanding SHORT FEATURE
College Gameday (Fist Bump: A Brotherly Bond), ESPN
E: 60 (Perfect), ESPN2
Inside the NFL (One Last Wish: The Danny Webber Story), Showtime
MLB on FOX (Negro Leagues), FOX
NFL Films Presents (Slackliner), NFL Network/NFL Films
NFL GameDay Morning (Immaculate Remembrance), NFL Network
SportsCenter (Kick of Hope), ESPN
SportsCenter (Run With Me), ESPN

Outstanding LONG FEATURE
E: 60 (Mike Powell: In Relentless Pursuit), ESPN2
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Olga Korbut), NBC
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Chancellor Lee Adams: The Fighter), HBO
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Steve Gleason: Tragic Hero), HBO
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Two of a Kind), HBO

Outstanding OPEN / TEASE
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Measure & Motion), NBC
MLB Network Division Series (The Scrapbook), MLB Network
NBA on TNT (All‑Star Game Tease), TNT
NBA on TNT (Brooklyn Nets/New York Knicks Spike Lee Tease), TNT
NCAA March Madness (Brackets Everywhere), truTV/CBS Sports/Turner Sports
Red Bull Signature Series (Show Open), NBC/Red Bull Media House
Sunday Night Football (Opening Tease), NBC
         
Outstanding NEW APPROACHES SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Live from London), NBCOlympics.com
March Madness Live, NCAA.com
NFL RedZone, NFL Network
Red Bull Stratos: Space Jump, YouTube/Red Bull Media House
Super Bowl XLVI Extra, NBCSports.com

Outstanding NEW APPROACHES SPORTS PROGRAMMING
ESPNU Unite, ESPNU
Everything to Prove, NFL.com/NFL Films
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Countdown to London), NBCOlympics.com
Royce White Battles Anxiety on Draft Day, grantland.com
The Arnold Palmer, grantland.com
The NFL Season: A Biography, NFL Media

Outstanding NEW APPROACHES SPORTS PROGRAMMING SHORT FORMAT
ESPNU Unite Social Highlight, ESPNU
Story Time with Jalen Rose (Jalen Rose Steals Patrick Ewing’s TV), grantland.com
Numbers Never Lie Whiteboard, ESPN2
Speaking Out, NFL Media
Sport Science, ESPN/Base Productions

Outstanding CAMERA WORK
24/7 (Pacquiao‑Marquez 4), HBO
E: 60 (Remember Bluffton), ESPN2
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Measure & Motion), NBC
Ironman World Championship, NBC/Ironman Productions
NFL Films Presents, NFL Network/NFL Films
Outside the Lines (Breaking the Silence), ESPN
          
Outstanding EDITING
24/7 (Pacquiao‑Marquez 4), HBO
Being: Liverpool, FOX / FOX Soccer Channel
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Profiles of the London Games), NBC
Grand Slam Tennis (Australian Open, Wimbledon & US Open), ESPN2
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films
NBA on TNT, TNT
Outside the Lines (Breaking the Silence), ESPN

Outstanding SPORTS JOURNALISM
E: 60 (Beitar Jerusalem), ESPN2
E: 60 (Busted Coverage), ESPN2
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel(Hockey’s Darkest Day), HBO
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Your Brain on Football), HBO

The Dick Schaap WRITING AWARD
24/7 (Pacquiao‑Marquez 4), HBO
30 for 30 (Ghosts of Ole Miss), ESPN
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Measure & Motion), NBC
NFL Films Presents (Like a Rose), NFL Network/NFL Films
Open Championship (Old), ESPN
The Open Championship (Essays), ESPN

Outstanding Sports Personality ‑ STUDIO HOST
James Brown, CBS / Showtime
Bob Costas, NBC / NBC Sports Network
Rich Eisen, NFL Network
Ernie Johnson, TNT / NBA TV
Dan Patrick, NBC / NBC Sports Network /DirecTV

Outstanding Sports Personality ‑ PLAY‑BY‑PLAY
Mike Breen, ABC
Mike Emrick, NBC / NBC Sports Network
Al Michaels, NBC
Jim Nantz, CBS

Outstanding Sports Personality ‑ STUDIO ANALYST
Charles Barkley, TNT / NBA TV
Tony Dungy, NBC
Boomer Esiason, CBS
Harold Reynolds, MLB Network
Bill Ripken, MLB Network
Kurt Warner, NFL Network

Outstanding Sports Personality ‑ SPORTS EVENT ANALYST
Ato Boldon, NBC
Cris Collinsworth, NBC
Jon Gruden, ESPN
Jim Kaat, MLB Network
Mike Mayock, NFL Network / NBC

Outstanding Sports Personality ‑ SPORTS REPORTER

Andrea Joyce, NBC / NBC Sports Network
Pierre McGuire, NBC / NBC Sports Network
Lisa Salters, ESPN
Michele Tafoya, NBC
Tom Verducci, MLB Network / TBS

Outstanding MUSIC COMPOSITION / DIRECTION / LYRICS
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins, HBO/NFL Films
Namath, HBO/NFL Films
Road to the Super Bowl, NFL Network/NFL Films

Outstanding SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT‑ INSTITUTIONAL
It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports (Shake On It, The Name, Born Into It), ESPN/Wieden & Kennedy
MLB Postseason on TBS (Bruce Springsteen ‑ Land of Dreams), tbs
NBA on TNT: John Turturro ‘Claude X: Street Artist’ (Intro, Prolific, Struggle), TNT
NCAA March Madness (Brackets Everywhere), Turner Sports
Nothing Beats First Place (Worse, Painful, Scary), ESPN/Wieden & Kennedy
The Voice of Golf (Confessions, Navigation, Costumes), CBS/Concentrate Films

Outstanding SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT ‑ EPISODIC
A Football Life (Life Story), NFL Network/NFL Films
Feherty Live from Ryder Cup (Pro America, Pro Europe, Split Decision), Golf Channel/NBC Sports Agency
Games of the XXX Olympiad (Britain Just Got Great), NBC
The Dream Team (Trailer), NBA TV/NBA Entertainment
The Triple Crown (Trailer), NBC