‘MobLand' Emmys Shakeup: Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan Both Submitted for Lead Drama Actor, Helen Mirren Goes for Supporting (EXCLUSIVE)

Paramount+ is going all-in on its critically acclaimed British crime drama 'MobLand.'
Revealed to Variety exclusively, the company is launching an ambitious Emmy campaign that surprisingly places both Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan in the running for lead drama actor. The decision to push Brosnan as a co-lead — rather than a supporting contender as many had assumed — is one of several surprising moves in the streamer's Emmy strategy.
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Helen Mirren, meanwhile, will compete for supporting drama actress, avoiding a head-to-head clash with her own work in '1923,' Taylor Sheridan's Western drama, where she is considered a possible contender for lead drama actress.
Created by Ronan Bennett, 'MobLand' centers on Harry Da Souza (Hardy), a fixer for the powerful London-based Harrigan crime family, led by Conrad (Brosnan) and Maeve Harrigan (Mirren). As rival gangs threaten the family's empire, Harry is tasked with maintaining control and preventing a full-scale war.
The show has also delivered impressive ratings since its debut. According to the network, 'MobLand' logged 8.8 million global viewers in its first seven days — a 298% increase from premiere day — making it the biggest global series premiere week in Paramount+ history. It joined '1923' and 'Landman' as one of the platform's top three launches ever. The series also ranked in the Nielsen SVOD Original Top 10 for two consecutive weeks (April 14-21), becoming the seventh Paramount+ original to achieve that milestone since Q4 2024.
In a notable departure from industry norms, 'MobLand' submitted its Emmy entries for writing and directing not for its pilot episode but for later episodes in the season — a rare choice for a new drama. Typically, networks push pilot episodes in these categories, especially for first-year shows looking to make a splash. Instead, the writing submission came from Episode 105, 'Funeral for a Friend,' by Ronan Bennett and Jez Butterworth. Directing submissions included Guy Ritchie for Episode 102, 'Jigsaw Puzzle,' Anthony Byrne for Episode 109, 'Beggars Banquet,' and Daniel Syrkin for the same writing episode, 'Funeral for a Friend.' Paramount+ is betting on peak storytelling rather than premiere impressions to garner some recognition.
Hardy, previously Oscar-nominated for 'The Revenant' (2015), is known for intense, transformative turns in films like 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' 'Locke,' 'Bronson' and 'The Dark Knight Rises.' On the small screen, he's been praised for the British series 'The Take' and won a News & Documentary Emmy for producing the 2019 nature documentary 'Trophy.'
Brosnan, a Hollywood staple for over four decades, is celebrated for his tenure as James Bond in blockbusters like 'GoldenEye' and for Golden Globe-nominated performances in the comedy 'The Matador' (2006) and the TV miniseries 'Nancy Astor' (1985).
Mirren is one of two actors to win an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year. She has five Emmys to her name. She earned an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Queen' (2006) and a lead actress (limited) Emmy for 'Elizabeth I.' Helen Hunt is the only other actor to have achieved the same-year Oscar-Emmy feat for 'As Good as It Gets' and 'Mad About You.'
Paramount+ submitted 'MobLand' for 17 total categories, including outstanding drama series, supporting actor (Paddy Considine, Anson Boon, Daniel Betts), supporting actress (Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Jasmine Jobson, Mandeep Dhillon), and several technical achievements such as cinematography, production design, music composition, and more.
Below is the full list of Emmy submissions for 'MobLand.'
Variety Awards Circuit: Emmys
Outstanding Drama SeriesExecutive Producers: David C. Glasser, Kris Thykier, Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, Ronan Bennett, Jez Butterworth, Tom Hardy, Dean Baker, Anthony Byrne, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob YariProducer: Peter Heslop
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series105 – 'Funeral for a Friend': Ronan Bennett and Jez Butterworth, written by
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series102 – 'Jigsaw Puzzle': Guy Ritchie, directed by109 – 'Beggars Banquet': Anthony Byrne, directed by105 – 'Funeral for a Friend': Daniel Syrkin, directed by
Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour)101 – 'Stick or Twist': Stephan Pehrsson, BSC, director of photography106 – 'Antwerp Blues': David Katznelson, DFF, BSC, director of photography
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama SeriesTom Hardy as 'Harry Da Souza'Pierce Brosnan as 'Conrad Harrigan'
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesPaddy Considine as 'Kevin Harrigan'Anson Boon as 'Eddie Harrigan'Daniel Betts as 'Brendan Harrigan'
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesHelen Mirren as 'Maeve Harrigan'Joanne Froggatt as 'Jan Da Souza'Lara Pulver as 'Bella'Jasmine Jobson as 'Zosia'Mandeep Dhillon as 'Seraphina Harrigan'
Outstanding Casting for a Drama SeriesDes Hamilton, casting byJohn Papsidera, CSA, original casting by
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)101 – 'Stick or Twist'Andrew Purcell, production designerEd Turner, supervising art directorClare Keyte, set decorator
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series102 – 'Jigsaw Puzzle': Alexander Berner, ACE, and Danny Salas, edited by105 – 'Funeral for a Friend': Stuart Gazzard, edited by
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes101 – 'Stick or Twist'Rebecca Hale, costume designerAnnie Crawford, costume supervisorAimee Callaway, assistant costume designer
Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling101 – 'Stick or Twist'Debbie Ormrod, hair supervisorMarie Deehan, hair supervisorCate Hall, hair designerFrancesca Hissey, hairstylistStacey Holman, hairstylist
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)106 – 'Antwerp Blues': Ilan Eshkeri and Matt Bellamy, music by
Outstanding Music Supervision106 – 'Antwerp Blues': Pete Saville and Zoë Ellen Bryant, music supervisors
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)101 – 'Stick or Twist'Matt Skelding, sound supervisorBrian Gilligan, sound designerGray Aletter, sound designerIain Eyre, ADR supervisorLouisa Kearns, dialogue editorAli Hawkins, music editorZoe Freed, foley artistRebecca Heathcote, foley artist
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)102 – 'Jigsaw Puzzle'Martin Jensen, re-recording mixerMark Holding, production mixerSimon Clark, production mixer
Outstanding Title DesignKyle Cooper, creative directorBate Lommelen, directorRicardo Bardal, animatorKameron Cooper, editorCameron Niemeyer, editorGary Mau, compositor
Best of Variety
Emmy Predictions: The Art of the Submission Creates New and Viable Contenders
Emmy Predictions: Writing (Drama, Comedy, Limited) - Pilots, Finales and Everything In Between Fuel the Competition
Emmy Predictions: Directing (Drama, Comedy, Limited) - Will Ben Stiller, Philip Barantini and Seth Rogen All Become Award-Winning Auteurs?

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