Jay-Z has received another Emmy nomination for directing Rihanna’s halftime show at the 2023 Super Bowl. This marks his third primetime Emmy nomination, following his win for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which featured renowned artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent. He also received a nomination for the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which showcased a performance by The Weeknd.
While Jay-Z is known for his role as an executive producer for the 2021 and 2022 Halftime Shows through his company Roc Nation, alongside Jesse Collins Entertainment and DPS, he took on the additional role of directing for Rihanna’s remarkable performance. Jay-Z shares the executive producer credit with Hamish Hamilton.
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Jay-Z will face stiff competition from acclaimed directors like Paul Miller, who directed “Carol Burnett: 90 Years Of Laughter + Love” produced by NBC and Silent House Productions, Joel Gallen, who helmed Netflix’s “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” Glenn Weiss, the director of “The Oscars,” and Linda Mendoza, who directed Netflix’s “Wanda Sykes: I’m An Entertainer,” in the Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special Emmy Award category.
During Rihanna’s halftime show, she announced her second pregnancy, and Jay-Z joined her on stage for their collaboration on the song “Umbrella.”
Rihanna’s performance was a blend of her popular songs, including a mashup of classics like “Pon de Replay,” “Don’t Stop the Music,” “Rude Boy,” “S&M,” “Diamond,” and “This is What You Came For.” She then proceeded with “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name,” and “Work” featuring Drake (or A$AP Rocky). The performance continued with a piano medley of “California King Bed,” “Stay,” and “Love on the Brain,” concluding with “Umbrella” featuring Jay-Z and “We Found Love.”