One of the most influential couples in entertainment, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, will compete against each other at the 77th Emmy Awards.
Both are nominated in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category, a rare point at which the couple's professional lives actually intersect.
Emmy Face-Off: Beyoncé Bowl vs. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Show
Beyoncé's recognition is for the widely watched "Beyoncé Bowl," the NFL halftime concert that aired on Netflix during the Texans-Ravens Christmas Day game.
The show drew 27 million live viewers and eventually 50 million more who viewed it on demand, one of the most-watched NFL specials since 2001.
Meanwhile, Jay-Z is the executive producer for Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show that aired in February. That performance, filmed in New Orleans, attracted 133.5 million viewers — Apple Music, NFL, and Roc Nation said it was the "most watched Apple Music Halftime show EVER."
This is not the only category where Beyoncé is nominated. She was also nominated for Outstanding Direction for a Variety Special, Outstanding Production Design, and a Beyoncé Bowl splash of Outstanding Choreography.
Lamar's show picked up several similar honors, including nods for music production and choreography.
One Year After Grammy Frustration, a New Milestone
The Emmys showdown arrives about a year after Jay-Z publicly attacked the Recording Academy. Taking home the 2024 Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, he criticized the Grammys for Beyoncé not winning Album of the Year, despite her extended Grammy trophy tally.
"She has more Grammys than anyone and never won Album of the Year, so even by your own metrics, that doesn't work," he said during the ceremony. "Think about that."
Ironically, Beyoncé finally secured that long-awaited Album of the Year win in February at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Cowboy Carter.
Busy Year for Beyoncé
While the Emmy competition heats up, Beyoncé is busy performing on her "Cowboy Carter" Tour, which kicked off in April. The tour features dramatic stagecraft that includes a new golden flying horse unveiled after a stunt mishap with her prop bubble-gum car during a Houston show.
The 77th Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Sept. 14 from Los Angeles, with Nate Bargatze as host.
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