This Is Us is an American romantic family drama television series created by Dan Fogelman that premiered on NBC on September 20, 2016. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Ron Cephas Jones, Jon Huertas, Alexandra Breckenridge, Niles Fitch, Logan Shroyer, Hannah Zeile, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, Lonnie Chavis, Eris Baker and Faithe Herman. This Is Us is filmed in Los Angeles.
The series has been nominated for Best Television Series – Drama at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and Best Drama Series at the 7th Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as being chosen as a Top Television Program by the American Film Institute. Sterling K. Brown has received an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics’ Choice Award, and an NAACP Image Award for his acting in the series. Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2017, the series received ten Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, with Brown winning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
In September 2016, NBC picked up the series for a full season of 18 episodes. In January 2017, NBC renewed the series for two additional seasons of 18 episodes each. In May 2019, NBC renewed the series for three additional seasons. The fifth seasonpremiered on October 27, 2020.
Series overview
The series follows the lives of siblings Kevin, Kate, and Randall (known as the “Big Three”), and their parents Jack and Rebecca Pearson. It takes place mainly in the present and uses flashbacks to show the family’s past. Kevin and Kate are the two surviving members from a triplet pregnancy, born six weeks premature on Jack’s 36th birthday in 1980; their brother Kyle is stillborn. Believing they were meant to have three children, Jack and Rebecca, who are white, decide to adopt Randall, an African American child born the day before and brought to the same hospital after his biological father William Hill abandoned him at a fire station. Jack dies when his children are 17 and Rebecca later marries Jack’s best friend Miguel. Randall becomes a successful finance professional and marries college classmate Beth; they raise two daughters (Tess and Annie) and adopt a third, Deja. Kevin becomes a successful actor while struggling to be taken seriously. After lacking direction much of her life, Kate meets and marries Toby, pursues a career in music, gets a degree, and becomes a mother.
Most episodes feature a storyline taking place in the present (2016–2021, contemporaneous with airing) and a storyline taking place at a set time in the past; but some episodes are set in one time period or use multiple flashback time periods. Flashbacks often focus on Jack and Rebecca c. 1980 both before and after their babies’ birth, or on the family when the Big Three are children or adolescents (and played by two sets of younger actors); these scenes usually take place in Pittsburgh, where the Big Three and their parents are born and raised. As adults, Kate lives in Los Angeles, Randall and his family are in New Jersey (and later Philadelphia), and Kevin relocates from Los Angeles to New York City and back again. Various other time periods and locations have also served as settings, and some episodes have focused on the earlier experiences of other characters, including Randall’s family members William, Deja, and Beth. Beginning in the second season, the show also uses flashforwards to show a later time period, when Randall’s daughter Tess is an adult and an elderly Rebecca is on her deathbed.
Cast and characters
Main cast members (left to right) Jones, Watson, Brown, Ventimiglia, Moore, Hartley, Metz, and Sullivan at PaleyFest 2017.
- Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson: Rebecca’s first husband, Kate and Kevin’s biological father, and Randall’s adoptive father.
- Also portrayed by Joaquin Obradors as a child (recurring season 2–4).
- Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson: Jack’s wife; Kate and Kevin’s biological mother, and Randall’s adoptive mother, grandmother to Deja, Tess, and Annie Pearson, Hailey and Jack Damon, and Nicholas and Franny Pearson.
- Also portrayed by Ava Castro and Kya Kruse as a child (recurring season 2–4).
- Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson: Jack and Rebecca’s adopted son, Kate and Kevin’s adopted brother; Tess, Annie and Deja’s father, and Jack and Hailey Damon’s and Franny and Nick Pearson’s uncle.
- Also portrayed by Niles Fitch (ages 16–18) and Lonnie Chavis (ages 9–12).
- Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson: Jack and Rebecca’s biological daughter, Kevin’s biological sister, and Randall’s adoptive sister; Deja, Tess, Annie, Franny, and Nick’s aunt; Toby’s wife and Jack and Hailey Damon’s mother.
- Also portrayed by Hannah Zeile (ages 16–18) and Mackenzie Hancsicsak (ages 9–12).
- Justin Hartley as Kevin Pearson: Jack and Rebecca’s biological son; Kate’s biological brother, and Randall’s adoptive brother, father to Nick and Franny, and uncle to Deja, Tess and Annie Pearson and Jack and Hailey Damon.
- Also portrayed by Logan Shroyer (ages 16–18) and Parker Bates (ages 9–12).
- Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth (Clarke) Pearson: Randall’s wife, and mother of Deja, Tess and Annie.
- Also portrayed by Rachel Hilson (ages 16–18) and Akira Akbar (child).
- Chris Sullivan as Toby Damon: Kate’s husband and Hailey and Jack Damon’s father.
- Also portrayed by Luke Clark as a teenager, and Dylan Gage as a child.
- Ron Cephas Jones as William “Shakespeare” Hill: Randall’s biological father.
- Also portrayed by Jermel Nakia as a young adult (main seasons 1–2; guest season 3–4).
- Jon Huertas as Miguel Rivas: Jack’s best friend and Rebecca’s second husband (recurring season 1; main season 2–present).
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Sophie: Kate’s childhood best friend as well as Kevin’s childhood love and ex-wife.
- Also portrayed by Amanda Leighton (ages 15–19) and Sophia Coto (ages 10–12) (recurring season 1; main season 2; guest season 3–present).
- Eris Baker as Tess Pearson: Randall and Beth’s older daughter (recurring season 1; main season 2–present).
- Also portrayed by Iantha Richardson as a young adult (guest season 2–3).
- Faithe Herman as Annie Pearson: Randall and Beth’s younger daughter (recurring season 1; main season 2–present).
- Melanie Liburd as Zoe Baker: Beth’s cousin and Kevin’s ex-girlfriend (guest seasons 2 & 5; main season 3).
- Also portrayed by Brianna Reed as a teenager and Dakota Baccelli as a child (guest season 2–3).
- Lyric Ross as Deja Pearson: Randall and Beth’s adopted daughter (recurring season 2; main season 3–present)
- Also portrayed by Makenzie Lee-Foster as a child (recurring season 2–4).
- Asante Blackk as Malik Hodges: Deja’s classmate and later boyfriend; has an infant daughter from a prior romantic relationship. (main season 4–present).
- Griffin Dunne as Nicholas “Nicky” Pearson: Jack’s brother and Kevin, Kate and Randall’s uncle (recurring seasons 3 & 5; main season 4).
- Also portrayed by Michael Angarano as a young adult, and Donnie Masihi as a child (guest season 3–4; recurring season 2–4).
- Caitlin Thompson as Madison Simons: Kate’s best friend and mother of Kevin’s twins, Franny and Nick. (recurring season 1–4; main season 5)
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Avg. viewership (inc. DVR) (in millions) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||||
| 1 | 18 | September 20, 2016 | March 14, 2017 | 6 | 14.70 | ||
| 2 | 18 | September 26, 2017 | March 13, 2018 | 4 | 17.43 | ||
| 3 | 18 | September 25, 2018 | April 2, 2019 | 6 | 13.80 | ||
| 4 | 18 | September 24, 2019 | March 24, 2020 | 9 | 11.54 | ||
| 5 | 18 | October 27, 2020 | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Production
 |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2018)
|
Development
This is Us originally began as an 80-page movie script that Dan Fogelman was developing while working for ABC Studios in the spring of 2015. The story line, which Fogelman admitted to not having a definite direction, revolved around the lives of eight adults who, as it would be revealed, were octuplets. After moving to an eight-figure deal with 20th Television, Fogelman made the decision to develop a TV series from the characters of his original script, cutting a few characters and shortening the script to 45 pages before bringing it to the studio. Jennifer Salke, president at NBC, commented on the conception of a title for the series, saying “The title didn’t come easy…but This Is Ustapped into everything, and the show’s about us.” It has been revealed that other ideas for the title included 36, Happy Birthday, and The Story of Us. Despite positive reviews from both 20th Television and sister company, Fox, there were concerns regarding the lack of views it would attract on the network, leading Fox to sell it to NBC. Fox did so because NBC promised to use the high volume of viewers from The Voice and the Summer Olympics to bring additional viewers to the series, and Fox wanted to solidify the reputation of its studio among writers and directors as placing shows where they are most likely to succeed, even if it is not Fox. On September 27, 2016, NBC picked up the series for a full season of 18 episodes. In January 2017, NBC renewed the series for two additional seasons of 18 episodes each. The second season premiered on September 26, 2017. The third season premiered on September 25, 2018. In May 2019, NBC renewed the series for three additional seasons. The fourth season premiered on September 24, 2019. The fifth season premiered on October 27, 2020.
Filming locations
In addition to Los Angeles, some scenes are also shot on location in New York City. In the first season, once Kevin has moved to New York, one can recognize some of its sights. In episode 7 for example, the refurbished Commodore Criterion building at the crossing of Broadway and 5th Avenue serves as the background for the scene where Kevin ends up in a fight with his brother.
Commitment to diversity
Fogelman intentionally recruited behind-the-scenes talent that would reflect the diversity of his cast, with the goal of bringing greater authenticity to the dialog and storylines. These include black directors Regina King and George Tillman Jr. and black female writers Kay Oyegun and Jas Waters (part of a 30% black core writing staff that far outpaces the industry standard of 5%). In addition, Fogelman’s sister Deborah, whose struggles with weight were one of the initial inspirations for the show, serves as a consultant.
Release
In May 2017, Hulu acquired the SVOD rights to new and past episodes of the series to air exclusively on Hulu, in addition to NBC.com and the NBC app.
DVD releases
| DVD title | Season(s) | Aspect ratio | Episode count | Total running time | Release date(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 1 | 16:9 | 18 | 775 minutes | September 12, 2017 |
| The Complete Second Season | 2 | 776 minutes | September 11, 2018 | ||
| The Complete Third Season | 3 | 775 minutes | September 10, 2019 |
International versions
| Country/language | Local title | English translation | Channel | Date aired/premiered | End date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Turkey |
Bir Aile Hikayesi | A Family Story | FOX | March 9, 2019 | October 19, 2019 |
 Netherlands |
Dit zijn wij | This Is Us | KRO-NCRV | November 14, 2019 | Present |
 France /  Belgium |
Je te promets | I Promise you | Salto / RTL TVI / TF1 | January 22, 2021 | Present |
Reception
Critical response
Throughout every season to date, the series received critical acclaim from critics with an average rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 92% approval rating for the first season with an average rating of 7.68/10 based on 68 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Featuring full-tilt heartstring-tugging family drama, This Is Us will provide a suitable surrogate for those who have felt a void in their lives since Parenthood went off the air.” Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 76 out of 100 based on 34 reviews, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.
Season 2 received a 92% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 7.95/10. The site’s consensus reads: “This is Us continues to tug at heartstrings with an emotional exploration of family that ensures viewers will want to keep the tissues close — and their loved ones closer”.
Season 3 received a 94% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average of 7.17/10. The site’s consensus reads: “With a lot of love, hugs, and tears, season three of This is Us continues to please fans with new intense storylines”.
Season 4 received a 90% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews, with an average of 7.25/10 The site’s consensus reads: “This Is Us reaffirms that it is more than just a mystery box in its fourth season, pressing on with some of its most central questions answered — but its emotional power intact.”
Entertainment Weekly gave the first few episodes of This Is Us a rating of B, calling it “a refreshing respite from the relational violence and pessimism that marks the other buzz soaps that have bubbled forth from a culture of divisiveness”. Moreover, they praised all the actors, specifically Sterling K. Brown, for being able to navigate “his scenes with such intelligence, authenticity, and charisma”.
Ratings
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | TV season | Viewership rank |
Avg. viewers (millions) |
18–49 rank |
Avg. 18–49 rating |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) |
||||||||
| 1 | Tuesday 9:00 pm | 18 | September 20, 2016 | 10.07 | March 14, 2017 | 12.84 | 2016–17 | 6 | 14.70 | 5 | 4.6 |
| 2 | 18 | September 26, 2017 | 12.94 | March 13, 2018 | 10.94 | 2017–18 | 4 | 17.43 | 2 | 5.4 | |
| 3 | 18 | September 25, 2018 | 10.54 | April 2, 2019 | 8.22 | 2018–19 | 6 | 13.80 | 4 | 3.8 | |
| 4 | 18 | September 24, 2019 | 7.88 | March 24, 2020 | 7.96 | 2019–20 | 9 | 11.54 | 6 | 2.9 | |
| 5 | 18 | October 27, 2020 | 7.30 | TBA | TBD | 2020–21 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
Outside of the regular Tuesday 9:00 pm, the first season’s first two episodes and eleventh episode aired on a Tuesday at 10:00 pm, while the second season’s fourteenth episode, “Super Bowl Sunday”, aired on a Sunday at 10:15 pm.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | African-American Critics Association Awards | Top Ten TV Show | This Is Us | Won | |
| American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 TV Programs of the Year | This Is Us | Won | ||
| Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Most Exciting New Series | This Is Us | Won | |||
| 2017 | ACE Eddie Awards | Best Edited One Hour Series for Commercial Television | David L. Bertman (for “Pilot”) | Won | |
| American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 TV Programs of the Year | This Is Us | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Dan Fogelman, Jess Rosenthal, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Ken Olin, Donald Todd, Charles Gogolak, KJ Steinberg, Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, Joe Lawson, Steve Beers, Vera Herbert and Bekah Brunstetter | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown (for “Memphis”) | Won | |||
| Milo Ventimiglia (for “Moonshadow”) | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Ron Cephas Jones (for “Memphis”) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Chrissy Metz (for “Pilot”) | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Brian Tyree Henry (for “Memphis”) | Nominated | ||
| Gerald McRaney (for “The Big Day”) | Won | ||||
| Denis O’Hare (for “Last Christmas”) | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series | Bernard Telsey and Tiffany Little Canfield | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) | Zoe Hay, Heather Plott, Elizabeth Hoel-Chang, Judith Lynn Staats and John Damiani (for “I Call Marriage”) | Nominated | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Chrissy Metz | Nominated | ||
| Mandy Moore | Nominated | ||||
| Best Television Series – Drama | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Outstanding Music Supervision – Television | Jennifer Pyken | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Actor in a Show | Mandy Moore | Nominated | ||
| Show of the Year | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Tearjerker | Milo Ventimiglia and Lonnie Chavis (Jack and Randall at Karate) | Won | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Won | ||
| Outstanding Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Youth | Lonnie Chavis | Nominated | |||
| Peabody Awards | Entertainment and Children’s programs | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| People’s Choice Awards | Favorite Actor in a New TV Series | Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Actress in a New TV Series | Mandy Moore | Nominated | |||
| Favorite New TV Drama | This Is Us | Won | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Director | Dan Fogelman | Nominated | ||
| Grand Prize | This Is Us | Won | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Breakout Star | Chrissy Metz | Nominated | ||
| Choice TV Actor: Drama | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | ||||
| Choice TV Show: Drama | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Achievement in Drama | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding New Program | This Is Us | Won | |||
| Program of the Year | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Drama | Vera Herbert (for “The Trip”) | Won | ||
| New Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Won | |
| Best Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Chrissy Metz | Nominated | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Sterling K. Brown | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Chrissy Metz | Nominated | |||
| Best Television Series – Drama | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama | Jennifer Pyken | Nominated | ||
| Best Song/Recording Created for Television | “We Can Always Come Back To This” | Nominated | |||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Musical Moment | Kate sings “Landslide” | Nominated | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Youth | Lonnie Chavis | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Susan Kelechi Watson | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series | Vera Herbert (for “Still Here”) | Nominated | |||
| People’s Choice Awards | The Drama Show of 2018 | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| The Drama TV Star of 2018 | Justin Hartley | Nominated | |||
| Chrissy Metz | Nominated | ||||
| The Female TV Star of 2018 | Mandy Moore | Nominated | |||
| The Male TV Star of 2018 | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | ||||
| The Show of 2018 | This Is Us | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Contemporary Costumes | Hala Bahmet and Elinor Bardach | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Ron Cephas Jones | Won | |||
| Gerald McRaney | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) | Zoe Hay, Heather Plott, Luis Garcia, Elizabeth Hoel-Chang and Tania McComas | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Music Supervision | Jennifer Pyken | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Eris Baker, Alexandra Breckenridge, Sterling K. Brown, Lonnie Chavis, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Justin Hartley, Faithe Herman, Ron Cephas Jones, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Chris Sullivan, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Kelechi Watson and Hannah Zeile | Won | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Won | |||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | This is Us | Won | ||
| 2019 | Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Justin Hartley | Nominated | |||
| Humanitas Prize | 60-Minute Drama | Kay Oyegun (for “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life”) | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Award | Best Episodic Drama | Dan Fogelman, Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Ken Olin, Charles Gogolak, Jess Rosenthal, Steve Beers, KJ Steinberg, Kevin Falls, Julia Brownell, Vera Herbert, Bekah Brunstetter, Shukree Hassan Tilghman, Cathy Mickel Gibson and Nick Pavonetti | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Drama Show | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Eris Baker, Sterling K. Brown, Niles Fitch, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Justin Hartley, Faithe Herman, Jon Huertas, Melanie Liburd, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Lyric Ross, Chris Sullivan, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Kelechi Watson and Hannah Zeile | Won | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Drama | Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (for “The Car”) | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Milo Ventimiglia | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Mandy Moore | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Chris Sullivan | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Michael Angarano (for “Songbird Road: Part One”) | Nominated | ||
| Ron Cephas Jones (for “A Philadelphia Story”) | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Phylicia Rashad (for “Our Little Island Girl”) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Siddhartha Khosla (for “Songbird Road: Part One”) | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Drama TV Actor | Justin Hartley | Nominated | ||
| Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Asante Blackk | Nominated | |||
| Justin Hartley | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Susan Kelechi Watson | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Casting Society of America | Television Series – Drama | Tiffany Little Canfield, Josh Einsohn and Bernie Telsey | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Drama | Eboni Freeman (for “Our Little Island Girl”) | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Ron Cephas Jones (for “After the Fire”) | Won | ||
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Phylicia Rashad (for “Flip a Coin”) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling | Michael Peter Reitz, Katherine Rees, Germicka Barclay, Renia Green-Edittorio and Corey Hill (for “Strangers: Part Two”) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | Siddhartha Khosla and Taylor Goldsmith (for “Strangers”) | Nominated | |||
| People’s Choice Awards | The Show of 2020 | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| The Drama Show of 2020 | Nominated | ||||
| The Male TV Star of 2020 | Sterling K. Brown | Won | |||
| The Drama TV Star of 2020 | Nominated | ||||
| Mandy Moore | Won | ||||
| The Female TV Star of 2020 | Nominated | ||||
| 2021 | Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Justin Hartley | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | This Is Us | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Susan Kelechi Watson | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Youth | Lyric Ross | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated |