Norm Macdonald Receives Three Emmy Nods for Posthumous Netflix Special

Mar. 15, 2025

Norm Macdonaldis being remembered for his final work.The late comedian’s last Netflix projectNorm Macdonald: Nothing Special, which was released posthumously, was nominated for threeEmmy Awardson Tuesday including outstanding variety special (pre-recorded,) outstanding directing for a variety special and outstanding writing for a variety special.In the outstanding variety special category, Macdonald’s home-video-style comedy special is nominated alongsideAdele: One Night Only,Dave Chappelle: The Closer,Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to HogwartsandOne Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.Michael Ansell via GettyNothing Specialwas released on Netflix in May. The streamer revealed that Macdonald filmed the special in preparation for a medical procedure.“Norm was working hard preparing material for his Netflix special — until COVID shut things down,” a title card on the Netflix series explained. “In the summer of 2020, he was scheduled to undergo a procedure and as he put it, ‘didn’t want to leave anything on the table in case things went south.'“Macdonald diedin September 2021 of cancer, which he privately battled for nine years. He was 61. Though he didn’t address the cancer directly inNothing Special, he did make jokes about his own mortality, as well as teased how he’d like loved ones to react if he ever entered a coma.For more on the 2022 Emmy nominations, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.The special mainly features Macdonald running his set from a desk chair, though tributes from comedic friends of theSaturday Night Livealumare also featured. Appearances fromDave Chappelle,Molly Shannon,David Letterman,Conan O’Brien,Adam SandlerandDavid Spadepay homage to Macdonald’s long standing career and influence on the comedy genre as a whole.“This guy was, in a weird way, reconciling his mortality, hilariously. And ironically, he’s no longer with us,” Chappelle said. “We’re sitting in the aftermath of Norm Macdonald, watching him be incredibly alive.“The 2022 74th Annual PrimetimeEmmy Awardswill air Sept. 12 on NBC.

Norm Macdonaldis being remembered for his final work.

The late comedian’s last Netflix projectNorm Macdonald: Nothing Special, which was released posthumously, was nominated for threeEmmy Awardson Tuesday including outstanding variety special (pre-recorded,) outstanding directing for a variety special and outstanding writing for a variety special.

In the outstanding variety special category, Macdonald’s home-video-style comedy special is nominated alongsideAdele: One Night Only,Dave Chappelle: The Closer,Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to HogwartsandOne Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

Michael Ansell via Getty

Nothing Specialwas released on Netflix in May. The streamer revealed that Macdonald filmed the special in preparation for a medical procedure.

“Norm was working hard preparing material for his Netflix special — until COVID shut things down,” a title card on the Netflix series explained. “In the summer of 2020, he was scheduled to undergo a procedure and as he put it, ‘didn’t want to leave anything on the table in case things went south.'”

Macdonald diedin September 2021 of cancer, which he privately battled for nine years. He was 61. Though he didn’t address the cancer directly inNothing Special, he did make jokes about his own mortality, as well as teased how he’d like loved ones to react if he ever entered a coma.

For more on the 2022 Emmy nominations, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

The special mainly features Macdonald running his set from a desk chair, though tributes from comedic friends of theSaturday Night Livealumare also featured. Appearances fromDave Chappelle,Molly Shannon,David Letterman,Conan O’Brien,Adam SandlerandDavid Spadepay homage to Macdonald’s long standing career and influence on the comedy genre as a whole.

“This guy was, in a weird way, reconciling his mortality, hilariously. And ironically, he’s no longer with us,” Chappelle said. “We’re sitting in the aftermath of Norm Macdonald, watching him be incredibly alive.”

The 2022 74th Annual PrimetimeEmmy Awardswill air Sept. 12 on NBC.

source: people.com