Martin Short gets candid about ‘strange’ Emmy race with three very different projects

Short is nominated for his work on 'Only Murders in the Building', 'Match Game' and 'Marty, Life Is Short'

Martin Short is having an unusually busy Emmy season, finding himself at the centre of the awards conversation for three very different projects.

The veteran actor and comedian is nominated for his work on Only Murders in the Building, Match Game and Marty, Life Is Short, giving him an unusual presence across scripted comedy, game shows and a project centred on his own life.

Short spoke to Variety about the experience, admitting that being represented in such different categories has been a little surreal. Rather than viewing the nominations as a single awards campaign, he sees them as three separate parts of a career that has stretched across television, film, theatre and comedy.

His nomination for Only Murders in the Building comes for his performance as Oliver Putnam, the flamboyant Broadway producer he has played opposite Steve Martin and Selena Gomez since the Hulu series premiered in 2021. The role has earned Short multiple Emmy nominations and become one of his most celebrated television performances.

At the same time, Short is being recognised for Match Game, the celebrity panel game show that allows him to draw on a very different set of comedic skills. The project places him in front of a live audience and alongside a rotating group of celebrity contestants, making it a sharp contrast to his scripted work on Only Murders in the Building.

Then there is Marty, Life Is Short, the documentary project that turns the camera on Short himself and his extraordinary career. The series gives audiences a much more personal look at the performer, moving beyond his familiar comedic persona to explore his life and decades in entertainment.

The three nominations offer a snapshot of just how wide-ranging Short's career remains. He has spent decades moving between television, movies, Broadway and live comedy, and his current Emmy haul reflects that versatility rather than a single phase of his career.

Short has been a familiar presence at the Emmys for years, but this awards season puts him in a particularly unusual position. Instead of competing for recognition for one defining role, he has projects representing several distinct sides of his professional life.

His success with Only Murders in the Building has also introduced Short's distinctive brand of comedy to a new generation. His chemistry with Martin and Gomez has been central to the show's appeal, while Oliver's theatrical personality has given Short plenty of opportunities to combine physical comedy with the fast-paced dialogue for which he is known.

The three projects also demonstrate how differently Short can function on screen. Only Murders in the Building allows him to inhabit a fictional character, Match Game relies on his instincts as a performer and host, while Marty, Life Is Short asks him to reflect on himself and his own legacy.

For Short, that unusual combination has made this Emmy season unlike most others in his career. With three projects putting him in contention at the same time, the 2026 awards race has become an unexpected celebration of the many different ways he has spent his career entertaining audiences.