When life gives you lemons, as Beyoncé taught the world over the weekend, you make Lemonade. And if you’re HBO, you take that Lemonade and have it in contention for an Emmy. The singer’s groundbreaking visual album’s 60-minute video was available to stream on HBO for more than a day after Beyoncé dropped the album, and now will compete in the 2016 Emmy awards in the ‘Variety Special’ category.
What is known for certain is that HBO executives plan to officially submit Beyoncé’s name as the credited director of the video production, sharing the credit with Kahlil Joseph. Whether or not the others credited as “additional directors” on the project, including Melina Matsoukas, Todd Tourso, Dikayl Rimmasch, and Jonas Akerlund, will get a nod remains unclear.
Given the diverse nature of the category, which last year saw Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special beat out Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek LIVE! and The Kennedy Center Honors to take the prize, Lemonade’s high profile buzz leads Variety to believe Beyoncé is a shoo-in for the award.
If nominated, this will be Beyoncé’s third Emmy nod, having previously received nominations for her Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show and for the On the Run Tour special with her husband, Jay-Z.
