When it was released a year ago this month, HBO’s The Last of Us, an adaptation of the video game of the same name, took the world by storm as it not only had the second-biggest viewership for a pilot episode in a decade for HBO (behind House of the Dragon), as well the biggest ever growth going into the second episode for the production house, but many also called it one of, if not the greatest video game adaptation ever made.
And it seems awards voters agree, as The Last of Us has already earned eight awards at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
These eight wins came from a total of nineteen nominations at the Creative Arts ceremony, landing trophies in the following categories:
- Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series
- Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
- Outstanding Main Title Design
- Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie
- Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup
- Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
As this is the Creative Arts aspect of the Emmys, many of the awards are geared towards a variety of more technical achievements in television and given the astonishing work in The Last of Us, from the makeup to the special effects, sound mixing, and even the stirring main title intro, it’s no wonder the show came away with this many awards. Of particular note, however, are the final three awards listed.
Nick Offerman deservingly won the guest actor award for his powerful performance as Bill in the show’s third episode, with the actor finally overcoming years of being totally overlooked – nary a single nomination! – for his iconic performance as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation. The winner for best guest actress then, Storm Reid, is only twenty years old and already has an Emmy award under her belt, proving that the future is bright for the young star, who is shaping up to be one of the go-to leading ladies of Hollywood in the years to come. Finally, the award for sound mixing is of particular note as Calgary native, Michael Playfair, was one of the three to win it.
However, The Last of Us is significant for Canada not just because one of its own won an award for his impressive work on the show, but because it was pretty much entirely shot in Canada, specifically Alberta. This helps create a great deal of work for the film and television professionals of Canada, but it also offers significant stimulation to the local economy, especially when you consider that the first season alone of The Last of Us cost an estimated $100 million, and given its ever-burgeoning success it is incredibly likely that HBO will pump even more money into its upcoming second season, which will begin shooting this month in Vancouver.
With the Primetime Emmy Awards set to air on January 15th (which, as it happens, is the exact day The Last of Us premiered last year), Canadians should be rooting for the continued success of The Last of Us, which has an additional five nominations in the major the following categories:
- Outstanding Drama Series
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Pedro Pascal)
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Bella Ramsey)
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Peter Hoar)
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Craig Mazin)
Although, if The Last of Us’ three Golden Globes losses are anything to go by, it will face incredibly stiff competition against awards darling Succession. Perhaps The Last of Us might be able to snipe a category here or there, we will just have to tune in on January 15th to find out.