The Television Academy’s nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards have left a number of acclaimed and widely watched series without significant recognition, drawing attention to a split between Emmy voters and other awards bodies and audiences.
While the Academy propelled programs such as Severance, The White Lotus and The Last of Us into the spotlight this year, a range of dramas and comedies that earned praise from critics or popularity with viewers were minimally represented or entirely absent from major categories. The awards will honor shows that premiered between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, and air Sunday on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
AMC’s Interview with the Vampire has drawn consistent critical attention since its 2022 premiere, but major Emmy nominations have been scarce. Jacob Anderson’s portrayal of an aged, haunted vampire has been singled out by viewers and reviewers; he remains without a major Emmy nod even after two seasons. A third season of the series is expected in 2026.
Paramount+’s Western prequel 1923, headlined by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, similarly failed to secure substantial Emmy attention despite star power and prior recognition from other awards organizations. The series earned Golden Globe consideration last year but did not break through with Television Academy voters.
British spy drama The Day of the Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, entered awards season with nominations from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards but did not translate that momentum into Emmy nominations. Peacock’s 10-episode series faced heavy competition in drama categories and was overlooked by Emmy voters.
Netflix comedies and dramas also saw notable omissions. Running Point, a workplace-and-family dramedy led by Kate Hudson as the head of a professional basketball team, drew positive reviews for its ensemble performances but received no major Emmy nominations. Industry, HBO’s London-set series about young bankers, enjoyed what many critics called a strong third season bolstered by Kit Harington’s addition to the cast; it again missed major categories.
Apple TV+’s Your Friends & Neighbors, featuring Jon Hamm as a recently divorced hedge fund manager entangled in crime and romantic turmoil, was largely ignored beyond a nomination for its main title theme music. Amazon’s Overcompensating, created by and starring comedian Benito Skinner, was another comedy that failed to land nominations despite praise for its candid, provocative storytelling.
Black Doves, a Netflix spy thriller led by Keira Knightley that received a Golden Globe nomination, was also left off many Emmy shortlists. Netflix has renewed the series for a second season, giving the Television Academy another potential opportunity to recognize the show.
HBO’s long-running comedy The Righteous Gemstones concluded a four-season run without significant Emmy recognition in major categories, a point of frustration for some viewers and critics who highlighted performances such as Walton Goggins’ turn as Baby Billy Freeman. Ted Danson’s Netflix mystery A Man on the Inside, in which he plays a retiree-turned-amateur private investigator, also failed to secure an acting nomination despite Danson’s previous Emmy success; the series is set to add Mary Steenburgen in its second season.
The Emmys did not uniformly ignore shows with diminished quality. Several once-prominent series that drew less favorable reviews were also passed over this year; among those frequently cited by critics as having slid in quality were Yellowjackets, The Handmaid’s Tale and Squid Game.
Awards-season outcomes have reflected differing tastes among voters, critics and the viewing public. Some programs that amassed nominations or wins from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards did not find similar support from the Television Academy, while other Emmy favorites this year continued to consolidate voter attention across multiple categories.
The nominations underscore the subjective nature of awards recognition and the crowded field of high-profile television programming; industry observers note that eligibility windows and category competition can significantly affect which shows receive nominations. Two series noted by viewers as missing this cycle, The Morning Show and The Gilded Age, were ineligible because their seasons fell outside the Academy’s June-May eligibility window.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air Sunday on CBS and via streaming on Paramount+. As the industry watches which shows take home trophies, the divergence between critical acclaim, audience enthusiasm and Emmy recognition remains a topic of conversation among creators, performers and viewers alike.
