ADVERTISEMENT EMMY® NOMINATIONS OUTSTANDINGINCLUDING 5 LIMITED SERIES OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE KERRY WASHINGTON OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL LYNN SHELTON “EXPLORES RACE AND CLASS INSIDE THE LENS OF MOTHERHOOD.” AUGUST 11, 2020 US $9.99 JAPAN ¥1280 33 CANADA $11.99 CHINA ¥80 UK £ 8 HONG KONG $95 EUROPE €9 RUSSIA 400 0 09281 02371 5 AUSTRALIA $14 INDIA 800 0811 WV Disney ABC_BARCODE_CVR1.indd 1 8/7/20 11:22 AM Big Business, How John Legend built an empire with a purpose Bigger Love Music Mogul of the Year AWARDS HQ with Michael Schneider DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX EVERY MONDAY JOIN OVER 75,000 SUBSCRIBERS IN THE KNOW Michael Schneider looks at the week ahead, cuts through the buzz & hot topics and maps out the Emmy® race as it unfolds. &RQVLGHULW\RXUɌLUVWVWRSHDFK0RQGD\RQWKH(PP\nH[SUHVV SIGN UP NOW 9$5,(7<&20˕1(:6/(77(56!$:$5'66($621 CONTENTS P.3 4 A ‘Bigger’ Impact John Legend, Variety’s Music Mogul of the Year, takes on 2020 with his trademark passion. By A.D. AMOROSI P.5 2 Taking ER: RON STEPHENS II; MAKEUP: PAM FARMER; (COVER) JACKET & TURTLENECK: BERLUTI; (THIS PAGE) COAT & SHIRT: PAUL SMITH PAUL & SHIRT: COAT (THIS PAGE) BERLUTI; & TURTLENECK: JACKET (COVER) FARMER; PAM II; MAKEUP: STEPHENS RON ER: a Stand Black artists are fighting for equal- ity and equity in the music biz. By SHIRLEY HALPERIN and JEREMY HELLIGAR P.6 5 Contenders: The Nominees Brand recognition might help nominated adaptations. Plus: A look at crafts hopefuls and the guest actor and actress categories. P.7 9 Walk of Fame Honoree Anthony Anderson reflects on his wide-ranging career as he gets a star on Hollywood Boulevard. By SCOTT HUVER (COVER & THIS PAGE) PHOTOGRAPHS BY RAMONA ROSALES; STYLING: DAVID THOMAS/THE WALL GROUP; ASSISTANT STYLIST: MATTEO PIERI; BARB MATTEO STYLIST: ASSISTANT GROUP; WALL THOMAS/THE DAVID STYLING: RAMONA ROSALES; BY PHOTOGRAPHS & THIS PAGE) (COVER VARIETY 3 CONTENTS TOP BILLING P.7 9 15 VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Anthony Anderson’s Networks feel they can win Walk of Fame honor big this election season, but will be the event’s first coverage will look different socially distanced ceremony 17 VIEWERS ARE HOOKED Discovery sinks its teeth into auds with its long-running Shark Week franchise 23 IN THE RUNNING Don’t expect the quieter Emmy campaigns to continue after the pandemic eases 26 THE BIG TICKET “Nailed It!” host Nicole Byer talks about the Netflix hit and making Emmy nom history EXPOSURE Variety, VOL. 349, NO. 2 (USPS 146- 820, ISSN 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the fourth week of June, the first week in July, and the 27 DEVOUR fourth and fifth weeks in December, with 40 special issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), We Are Rewind’s retro-style June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) and Dec (6) cassette deck helps music by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, lovers indulge in mixtapes a division of Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing 28 DIRT offices. Postmaster send address changes to: Variety, P.O. Box 15759, Kat Von D puts her Hollywood North Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. Hills home on the market Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40043404. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International Box 697 STN A, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6N4. Sales agreement No. FOCUS 0607525. Variety ©2020 by Variety Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V logo are trademarks of Penske Business Media. Printed in the U.S.A. 85 TCA AWARDS TV critics org has long cham- P.2 9 pioned acting categories that combined the genders ELIZABETH MORRIS/HBO Scribe Eric Warren Singer lists house in Hancock Park ARTISANS 87 VIEW FROM THE TOP Team of DPs advised hemo- philiac climber on shooting a doc about his Everest ascent 88 SPACE INVADER VFX pros were tasked with creating a believable and scary alien for “Sputnik” 89 TOON REPRESENTATION Black-owned animation studio LOVECRAFT: JILL FURMANOVSKY; MERCURIADIS: LA; GROUP CHMONT/CORE Lion Forge aims to add more diversity to the medium REVIEWS “It’s rooted in the idea that the P.9 1 songwriter is not getting their fair share of the income.” 91 TV Merck Mercuriadis on the idea behind Hipgnosis “Lovecraft Country” “Lovecraft Songs, the music IP company he started with Country” songwriter-producer Nile Rodgers P.94 92 FILM review “Unhinged” ANDERSON: CRAIG SJODIN/ABC; WARREN’S HOUSE: KELLER WILLIAMS LAR WARREN’S CRAIG SJODIN/ABC; ANDERSON: 4 VARIETY “STUNNING PE “GROUNDBREAKING” 10 EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES “FEROCIOUS” CATE BLANCHETT OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS UZO ADUBA TRACEY ULLMAN OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS MARGO MARTINDALE “POIGNANT” “BRILLIANCE” USE YOUR PERSONAL FX FYC CODE TO WATCH ALL EPISODES ON FXVIP.DIGITALSCREENERS.COM EXPIRES 8/31/20 Untitled-8 1 8/7/20 5:49 PM RFORMANCES” EXCLUSIVELY “MAGNIFICENT” Untitled-8 2 8/7/20 5:49 PM VARIETY IS OWNED & PUBLISHED BY PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION Cynthia Littleton Michelle Sobrino-Stearns Jay Penske Interim Editor-in-Chief Group Publisher & Chief Revenue Officer Chairman & CEO EDITORIAL FEATURES SALES MARKETING George Grobar Chief Operating Officer Lesley McKenzie Steven Gaydos Donna Pennestri Dea Lawrence Managing Editor Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher Chief Marketing Officer Gerry Byrne Vice Chairman Global Content/Executive Editor Millie Chiavelli Daniel Holloway Tim Gray SVP, Sales & Global Partnerships John Ross Mark Howard Executive Editor, TV VP, Features & Events Senior Vice President Dawn Allen Chief Advertising and Brent Lang VP, Film & Talent Tim Boyer Partnerships Officer Executive Editor, Film & Media Andrew Barker Creative Director Michelle Fine-Smith Sarlina See Senior Features Writer Shirley Halperin VP, Global Consumer Partnerships Susanne Ault Chief Accounting Officer Executive Editor, Music Leo Barraclough Jason Greenblatt Director, Programming International Features Editor, London Craig Perreault Ramin Setoodeh VP Digital Sales Dayna Wolpa New York Bureau Chief Peter Caranicas Chief Digital Officer Eric Legendre Director, Event Marketing Managing Editor, Features Kate Aurthur Co-Managing Director, International Sales Jamie Aronson Todd Greene Editor-at-Large Shalini Dore EVP, Business Affairs & Lindsey Elfenbein Director, Event Marketing Features News Editor General Counsel Manori Ravindran Managing Director, Global Summits David S. Cohen International Editor Diane Garrett & Strategic Partnerships Senior Producer, Variety Content Studio Debashish Ghosh Editor, Features Kate Roach Managing Director, Jem Aswad Holly Dillon John Hopewell Sales Director Senior Producer, Variety Content Studio International Markets Senior Music Editor International Features Editor, Madrid Henry Deas Gordon Cox Lauryn Kistner Jenny Connelly Carole Horst Director, Markets & Festivals Senior Brand Marketing Manager SVP, Product Legit Editor Managing Editor, Features Patrice Atiee Matt Donnelly Emma Schmidt Ken Delalcazar Jenelle Riley Director, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Event Marketing Senior Film Writer Associate Features Editor SVP, Finance Judi Pulver Bill Edelstein Alex Bullard Malina Saval Director, Music Advertising Tom Finn Associate Editor Manager, Features Editor, Features SVP, Operations Christie Ricci Whitney Cinkala Terry Flores Danielle Turchiano Director, Business Development Associate Brand Manager Nelson Anderson Senior Editor Senior Features Editor, TV Valerie Fatehi Bianca Caloca VP, Creative Angelique Jackson Chris Willman Director, Strategic Partnerships Associate Manager, Event Marketing Film & Media Reporter Editor, Features Joni Antonacci Amy Jo Lagermeier Elaine Low Victoria Lennox VP, Production Operations Director, Strategic Partnerships Senior TV Writer ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Media Partnerships Associate Cristina Quitania Rebecca Bienstock Gene Maddaus Robyn Ozaki Manager, Summits & Strategic Partnerships VP, Talent Relations Senior Media Writer Raul Aguila Designer Creative Director Kevin Tague Marc Malkin Casey Kwan Gerard Brancato Manager, Consumer Brand Partnerships Senior Film Awards, Events & Junior Designer VP, PMC Digital Acquistion Jennifer Dorn Natasha Millman Lifestyle Editor Hanna Hensler Jacie Brandes Photo Director Associate Manager, Strategic Partnerships Dave McNary Marketing Coordinator Ted Keller VP, Portfolio Sales Film Writer Sean Soper Maya Steinberg Design Director Associate Manager, Strategic Partnerships Anne Doyle Mackenzie Nichols Event Marketing Coordinator Elliot Stokes VP, HR Staff Writer Stefan Nicoll Ana Geoana Art Director Account Manager (Spain, Portugal, Joe Otterson Business Development Coordinator Mara Ginsberg James Slocum Latin America) Senior TV Writer VP, HR Special Projects Art Director William Lin Michael Schneider PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION Young Ko Haley Kluge Sales Executive, Asia Senior Editor, TV Awards VP, Finance Deputy Art Director Kimberly Cervantes Ellen Dealy Todd Spangler Richard Maltz Sales Planning Manager VP, Audience Marketing Gabriel Koen New York Digital Editor Senior Photo Editor Amanda Schulze Natalie Longman VP, Technology Brian Steinberg Alex Gitman Media Planner Production Director Senior TV Editor Kevin Labonge Photo Editor Isabella Dalena Mike Petre VP, Global Partnerships Sylvia Tan Tarryn Silver VCS Associate Project Manager Director, Distribution & Licensing Associate Editor Production Designer Sadi Kuperman Andrea Wynnyk Jazz Tangcay Noemi Lazo Michael