Vets Challenge Newbies in the Stunt Categories

The Mandalorian is a repeat winner in its specialty but has strong competition this year

This year’s contenders for outstanding stunt coordination and stunt performance are a healthy mix of Emmy veterans and first-time honorees, with CBS’ FBI: Most Wanted, Netflix’s Stranger Things and Disney+’s The Mandalorian earning two nominations each.

Two teams from Stranger Things were nominated for outstanding stunt performance: Courtney Schwartz and Michelle Andrea Adams, who both earned their first Emmy noms, and Jahnel Curfman (previously twice nominated for Netflix’s Cobra Kai), Niko Dalman and Shannon Beshears (they each earned their first noms). FBI: Most Wanted and The Mandalorian also picked up stunt performance nods, with the former’s Chad Hessler earning his second. The latter’s team is composed of 2021 winner Lateef Crowder, first-time nominees Paul Darnell and Ryan Ryusaki and JJ Dashnaw, who also is nominated for his stunt coordination work on the drama series.

Dashnaw, who earned his first Emmy nom last year for fellow Star Wars property The Book of Boba Fett is nominated in drama stunt coordination, alongside Declan Mulvey for

FBI: Most Wanted; Austen Brewer and Lance Gilbert for CBS’ S.W.A.T. (Brewer’s third consecutive nom for the series); John Koyama for Prime Video’s The Boys; and David Rowden for ABC’s The Rookie. The Mandalorian has the most wins in the category, having picked up Emmys in 2020 and 2021 for its first two seasons.

Wade Allen could collect his second Emmy for HBO’s Barry in the comedy stunt coordination category, having picked up the prize last year. Tom Place and Freddie Poole are firsttime nominees for their work on Peacock’s Poker Face and Paramount+’s Tulsa King, respectively, while Cobra Kai’s Ken Barefield earned his second consecutive nom for Netflix’s Karate Kid spinoff. The streamer has a second contender in the category with Wednesday, shared by two-time Emmy nominee Brett Chan and first-timer Jason Ng.

The Mandalorian earned two Emmy noms for drama stunt coordination and stunt performance; it won the former in 2020 and ’21 and the latter in ’21, too.