Beyoncé’s ‘Homecoming’ Documentary Lands Six Emmy Nominations
By Chris Willman
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – It’s going to be a busy awards season for Beyonce. She could be up for Grammys or Oscars in the next six months, but she’s already made a splash with the fresh crop of Emmy nominations. Her documentary/concert movie “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” has been nominated for six Emmys, and a win in most of those categories would go to her personally.
The Netflix film is up for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), directing, writing, music direction, production design and costumes. Beyoncé would share in the award for any of those categories except the last two, being credited as co-director, writer and co-musical director as well as a producer.
Beyoncé had previously been nominated for four but has not yet won one. Her prior noms were for variety special and variety special directing, both for her visual album “Lemonade” in 2016, plus best short form entertainment for her 2013 Super Bowl halftime show and special class program for “On the Run Tour.”
Her awards reach may stretch in the months to come as “Spirit,” the original song she co-wrote for “The Lion King,” is expected to be submitted for Oscar consideration. At the 2020 Grammys, either her “Lion King” companion album “The Gift” (which comes out Friday) or the soundtrack for “” could be in contention.
In a few categories, “Homecoming” will face off against a showcase for other formidable music stars. The competition for pre-recorded variety special includes “Springsteen on Broadway” and “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool.” The Bruce Springsteen showcase is also up for variety special directing. The Paul McCartney special is nominated for variety directing, writing, editing and sound mixing.
Reviewing “Homecoming” upon its premiere in March, Variety called it “a euphoria experience… What’s documented here is surely the first concert in history you could imagine Cecil B. DeMille and W.E.B. Du Bois being equally proud of. … For some of us who were actually there at Coachella, rewatching it on film a year later, ‘high water mark in 21st century entertainment’ actually almost feels like it’s underselling it, just a tad.”
