TV
Squid Game Season 2 Snubbed at 77th Primetime Emmy Awards
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the list of nominees for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on the 16th (local time). Despite being a highly anticipated Netflix release and a global hit, 'Squid Game Season 2' did not make it into any major categories.
This outcome is considered highly unexpected. Upon its release, Season 2 topped Netflix's global Top 10 series list, reaching number one in 93 countries, and was strongly anticipated to be nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Director, and Best Actor.
International media outlets have also expressed surprise at this unusual result. Forbes reported, "'Squid Game Season 2' was expected to be nominated in various categories such as acting, production design, visual effects, and stunt performance, but it was completely overlooked." Variety, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today also covered the news prominently.
Netflix's Head of Content, Bela Bajaria, told Variety, "'Squid Game' was a series that created a cultural phenomenon," and expressed disappointment at the outcome.
Local media have analyzed that Season 2 received lower evaluations due to its transitional structure leading to Season 3, affecting its completeness. However, Season 3 is eligible for the 78th awards in 2026, leaving room for additional nominations. Season 3, released last June, falls within the eligibility period for next year's awards (June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025).
Previously, 'Squid Game' Season 1 made history at the 2022 Emmy Awards by becoming the first non-English drama to win awards, including Best Director (Hwang Dong-hyuk) and Best Actor (Lee Jung-jae), claiming six awards in total. It was nominated in 14 categories, setting a record for the most nominations for a foreign language drama.
Season 3 has maintained its position in the Top 10 in 93 countries, recording 15.9 million views from the 7th to the 13th of its third week of release. Seasons 1 and 2 also continue to rank in weekly popularity, with 2.3 million and 3.2 million views, respectively, placing all three seasons in Netflix's Top 3 non-English series of all time.
Meanwhile, the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will be held on September 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, USA, and will be broadcast live on CBS.
