Justin Timberlake Motherloves an Emmy Nom

Andy Samberg may have mixed feelings today. The “Saturday Night Live” star partners with pop star Justin Timberlake on very funny short films on the show. Samberg conceives and co-writes them. But it’s Timberlake who got an Emmy nomination today for their work on the hilarious “Motherlover.”

Justin isn’t the only “SNL” actor with an Emmy nomination. Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig each picked up citations for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Poehler was nominated last year. This marks a new incursion into the Emmys by “SNL,” which used to not be ready for prime time.

It’s not completely unprecedented however: back in the 1970s, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd all got acting nominations. The amazing Radner won — it was a category called Outstanding Single Performance’in 1978.

For Justin, it’s a tip of the hat. He’s been a hit as a comedy star on “SNL,” proving to be an excellent mimic and game for anything. He could revive variety TV as a host if he wanted to, and some network — probably HBO — should persuade him to stop trying dramatic movie roles and do this instead. He’s a winner.