Nominations for the 2025 Emmy Awards were announced Tuesday, with some key decisions shaking up predictions from awards experts as shows like “Squid Game” and “Handmaid’s Tale” came up nearly empty while surprise nominees like Meghann Fahy and Sharon Horgan made the cut.
Awards favorites like “Hacks” and “The White Lotus” gathered plenty of nods as expected, but below we’ve run down the biggest surprises and snubs from this year’s Emmy nominations.
Snub: “The Handmaid’s Tale”
The long-delayed final season of Hulu’s hit series made a splash with viewers, but did not make much of an impression in the lead categories for its final Emmys race. Despite historically securing nods in drama series and lead actress for star Elisabeth Moss, buzzier series like freshman hit “The Pitt” and HBO’s “The White Lotus” took the spotlight. The show did secure a nomination in the guest actress category for Cherry Jones, so that’s something!
Surprise: Meghann Fahy, “Sirens”
Netflix’s five-episode summer mystery “Sirens” may not be an obvious pick for the Emmys, but its lead star still made the cut. Fahy kept audiences guessing in her role as the unruly Devon DeWitt, a woman arriving at Michaela Kell’s (Julianne Moore) picture-perfect island retreat to stir trouble for her sister Simone (Milly Alcock). Her nomination is even more of a surprise given the competitive pool for the limited actress race this year, which also included Renée Zellweger for her latest turn as Bridget Jones.
Snub: “Squid Game”
After scoring an Emmy win for Best Actor and a nomination for Best Drama Series for Season 1, Netflix’s smash-hit “Squid Game” was completely shut out of this year’s Emmys for its second season. Like, literally. It received zero nominations. While Season 2 wasn’t as well-received as Season 1, the show was a mammoth hit for Netflix. Is there hope for a comeback for Season 3, which is eligible for next year’s Emmys? Or will “Squid Game” have to settle for adoration around the globe?
Surprise: Uzo Aduba, “The Residence”
Netflix may have canceled its whodunnnit comedy “The Residence,” but Emmy voters still showed up for Cordelia Cupp, its singular detective. From Shondaland and creator Paul William Davies, “The Residence” followed as Aduba’s Cordelia navigated the intricate rooms and relationships of the staff at the White House to solve the murder of its chief usher, played by Giancarlo Esposito. Though Netflix opted not to pursue future mysteries, Aduba’s performance edged out steep competition that included Natasha Lyonne’s own detective in Peacock’s “Poker Face.” Hopefully, Cordelia is celebrating the achievement with a well-deserved bird-watching vacation.
Snub: “Late Night With Seth Meyers”
We saw this one coming when it was revealed the Outstanding Talk Show category would only have three nominees – and the Emmys are traditionally partial to the 11:30pm shows, not the 12:30 ones — but it’s still frustrating to see the critically adored show miss out. And not even a writing nomination? “Late Night” is consistently smart and funny in a way few late night shows are, and Meyers is the best talk show interviewer in the game right now. At least Meyers’ delightfully insane “Corrections” scored a nod.
Snub: Tyler James Williams and Paul Downs
The Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy category looks quite different this year, and past nominees Paul Downs (“Hacks”) and Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”) didn’t make the cut. Instead, the TV Academy chose to spread the love to Colman Domingo for “The Four Seasons” and Jeff Hiller in “Somebody Somewhere,” the latter of whom was a pretty major surprise given that the HBO comedy has flown under the radar.
Surprise: All the “Presumed Innocent” Love
While Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” received positive reviews and was a ratings hit, the show felt like something of an underdog heading into Emmy season. That turned out not to be the case as the series picked up four nominations for actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Ruth Negga.
Snub: Allison Janney, “The Diplomat”
An Emmy favorite (she’s won seven times), Allison Janney was a curious omission in the Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category for her scene-stealing turn in “The Diplomat.” The category was stacked with “White Lotus” stars to be sure, but the surprise addition of Julianne Nicholson from “Paradise” likely bumped Janney out of contention. No bother, Janney’s got an even bigger role in the next season of the Netflix series and will be right back in the mix next year.
Snub: Renée Zellweger for “Bridget Jones”
Renée Zellweger may have an Oscar, but the actress went overlooked in the Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her turn in the Peacock original film “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.” Instead, the category was filled out with performances from TV shows like “Black Mirror” (Rashida Jones), “The Penguin” (Cristin Milioti) and “Sirens” (Meghann Fahey). The film itself did score a nod in the Outstanding Television Movie category.
Surprise: Sharon Horgan for “Bad Sisters”
The TV academy can’t get enough of Sharon Horgan. Season 2 of her Apple TV+ dramedy (Horgan is both creator and star) secured a nod in the lead actress category. She faces some steep competition from celebrated performances by “Severance” star Britt Lower and Kathy Bates in “Matlock,” among others, but it was a delightful surprise to see her land in the category this year. With Horgan now focused on a new comedy series for HBO,it’s unlikely we’ll revisit the Garvey sisters’ journey anytime soon, but surely Emmy voters will follow her wherever she goes next.
Snub: Diego Luna, “Andor”
Diego Luna scored a Best Actor nomination for the first season of the stellar Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor,” but was shut out for the even-better second and final season of Tony Gilroy’s revolution opus. It’s a shame — Luna’s turn as Cassian Andor, over the course of these 24 episodes, charted a complete journey from uncaring bystander to revolutionary willing to die for the cause.
