Stranger Things had their Emmy hopes cursed (presumably by Vecna)
Every year, the batch of Emmys contenders widens as the television academy skims through an ever-growing catalogue of hopefuls, a feat only amplified by the onset of streaming giants like Apple TV and Paramount. This year, the awards body reportedly received some 800 TV show submissions before arriving at its final crop of nominees, all of which were announced with varying degrees of deservedness overnight.
This year, Succession, Ted Lasso and White Lotus were among the most recognised shows, each bagging over ten nominations. The sheer volume of contenders makes this year’s nominees especially divisive, but even more contentious is the lengthy list of those excluded (and surprisingly awarded) by the television academy. Here’s the biggest snubs and surprises from this year’s Emmy nominations.
Snub: Atlanta misses out on Outstanding Comedy Series.
The first two seasons of Atlanta – Childish Gambino’s series about the rap scene of the titular state – earned 22 nominations. This time around, after a four-year hiatus between seasons, Atlanta’s Emmy successes have fizzled, earning only one major nomination in Donald Glover’s nod for Lead Actor.
Image via FX//
Surprise: Squid Game sweeps.
It might’ve been the biggest television event of 2021, but pundits didn’t expect the breadth of Squid Game’s Emmy nomination sweep some 10 months after its record-breaking premiere. This year, it made Emmys history as the first non-English series to be nominated for Best Drama, and swept the acting categories with Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon and Park Hae-soo all recognised for gritty performances.
Image via Netflix//
Snub: Sadie Sink suffers from Vecna’s curse.
Netflix found a surprise smash-hit in Squid Game, but its efforts were outdone by what is the streaming giant’s true flagship series: Stranger Things. This year, the sci-fi series garnered 13 nominations, but only one in the major category of Best Drama series. This reveals a snub for fan-favourite (and 90s pop reviver) Sadie Sink, who was given the majority of Stranger Things 4’s acting baggage for her portrayal of Max. The series did debut just before the Emmy submission deadline, and voters may not have had the necessary time to binge the season’s mammoth runtime.
Image via Netflix//
Surprise: Pam & Tommy becomes most nominated sex tape in history.
Pam & Tommy, the limited series chronicling the leak of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape, made off with 10 nominations this year, a surprise given it’s divisiveness among critics. Lily James scored a nod for her portrayal of the titular sex symbol, despite the controversy surrounding the real Pamela’s objection to the series. In any case, Pam & Tommy’s sweep makes for the Emmy’s first sex tape nomination, much to the dismay of Kim Kardashian.
Image via Hulu//
Snub: The Staircase loses out to… Inventing Anna?
In an overstuffed limited series category, White Lotus rightfully bagged the most nominations. While the academy was right on the money with the buzzy HBO hit (if you haven’t watched White Lotus yet, do yourself a favour), it somehow deemed Netflix’s Inventing Anna more worthy than The Staircase. The former is terribly-acted pulp (if you want to watch Inventing Anna, don’t) and follows 2021’s Emily in Paris nomination as the year’s biggest head-scratcher.
Image via HBO//
Surprise: Double-nomination for Sydney Sweeney
HBO’s dizzying high-school series Euphoria scored a nomination for Best Drama alongside two Emmy-firsts: one Zendaya’s second consecutive Best Actress nomination (making her the youngest two-time nominee) and another for first-time nominee Sydney Sweeney. While Sweeney’s Euphoria nod is deserved, her double Actress nomination for White Lotus is surprising given her character’s peripheral role in the starry ensemble show.
Image via HBO//
