The2025 Emmy Nominationshave been revealed and, shockingly,Squid Gameis not among them. The K-drama phenomenon debuted on Netflix to massive audience popularity and critical acclaim in 2021, showcasing an incredibly tense story in a disturbingly vibrant world, all serving as a scathing indictment of capitalistic practices.
For its first season,Squid Gamewas nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards and won six,including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Hwang Dong-hyuk for the episode “Red Light, Green Light”).Squid Gameseason 2 was eligible for the 2025 Emmys, and received no nominations.
PerVariety, Netflix chief content officerBela Bajaria expressed her own disappointment atSquid Gameseason 2 being snubbed for the Emmys.“I am disappointed for Director Hwang and the cast,” says Bajaria, finding it “surprising” that this “excellence in television and excellence in storytelling” was not “recognized.” Check out this excerpt from her interview:
“Squid Game had an incredible cultural impact. Biggest show in the world,” [said Bajaria]. “That first season really made Emmy history, and people loved this last season too. I am disappointed for Director Hwang and the cast. For Director Hwang to not be recognized in that way, considering the amount of audiences around the world who loved it so much and that it really resonated with people… I’m disappointed when it doesn’t get recognized in the way that it should have.”
Bajaria said she doesn’t think the lack of a Season 2 Emmy nod takes away from the show’s status as a Netflix “crown jewel… but here’s the thing, I think if you’re really looking at excellence in television and excellence in storytelling, it is in every single way. So when you deliver that, yes, it’s surprising when it doesn’t get recognized.”
What No Emmy Nominations & Netflix’s Comments Mean For Squid Game
Netflix Stands With The Show, Which May Have Simply Lost Due To Competition
Squid Gameseason 2 upheld the first season’s quality,building upon the story, characters, and key themes in organic and impactful ways. WhileSquid Gameseason 3 may have been divisivedue to it ultimately starting to lose its footing, the sophomore outing deserved the same kind of recognition as its predecessor. Sadly, the television academy seems to have been overwhelmed with other submissions.
Severanceleads this year with 27 nominations, while a selection of shows from HBO, plusAndor, Adolescence, The Bear, andThe Pitt, take up space in many of the major categories. It’s understandable thatSquid Gamewas edged out by this roster, but it still seems as though it should have gotten at least a few nods.
Lee Jung-jae’s performance, for instance, only gets better in season 2 (Diego Luna was also snubbed forAndorin the lead drama series actor category). However,Netflix is right thatSquid Game’s status as a culturally iconic project is not going to go away,and they support the production team and are proud of their work.
Our Take On Squid Game Season 2 Getting No Emmy Nominations
A Blow For Squid Game In The Wake Of Season 3
Squid Gameseason 3 has seen massive viewership numbers despite criticism of some story decisions, yet it is defeating for the show to be so seriously snubbed by the Emmys right after wrapping up its run on a slightly disappointing note.The third season will be eligible for next year’s Emmy Awards,by which time it will probably have lost much of its momentum.
Everything Bajaria said aboutSquid Game’s excellence is true, but it is still turning out to be a show on a downward trend towards the end, instead of delivering a new season always better than the last and reaping the rewards for that. However, the legacy ofSquid Gamewas cemented long ago, even if 2025 brings regular frustrations to the series.
