2025-07-15T22:39:00Z

The recent television landscape has shown that few series can truly dominate viewership like Netflix's much-anticipated second season of “Squid Game.” This thrilling series has captivated audiences across the globe, securing its place as one of the most-watched shows in the United States for the 2024-2025 TV season. The impact of 'Squid Game' is undeniable; when taking into account multiplatform viewing—spanning broadcast, cable, and streaming—it became evident that no other series could come close to matching its popularity.

However, in a surprising twist, the show received no recognition from the Television Academy this year, failing to secure a single Emmy nomination when the announcements were made on Tuesday. This omission has left many questioning how such a highly acclaimed series, which made a significant mark during its first season, could be entirely overlooked in its second outing.

To contextualize this, it is important to remember that during its inaugural season, “Squid Game” garnered a staggering 14 nominations and won six, including prestigious awards for outstanding drama directing (awarded to the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk) and outstanding lead actor in a drama (for Lee Jung-jae). Given this history, the blank slate for Season 2 has left many, including Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, pondering the reasoning behind the snub.

Bajaria expressed her disbelief during an interview with Variety, stating, “‘Squid Game’ had an incredible cultural impact. Biggest show in the world.” She conveyed her disappointment for both Director Hwang and the cast, emphasizing the global audience's affection for the series. “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.”

Despite this lack of recognition, Bajaria firmly believes that the absence of Emmy nods does not diminish “Squid Game”’s status as one of Netflix’s premier offerings. She argued that excellence in television should be acknowledged, and the absence of nominations is surprising given the quality of storytelling presented in the series.

On a contrasting note, the second most-watched series on Netflix last season, “Adolescence,” received a commendable 13 nominations, the most of any show on the streaming platform this year. Bajaria highlighted the groundbreaking nature of “Adolescence,” noting that it is not only a hit in viewership—amassing 142 million views—but also has a significant cultural impact, even influencing legal reforms in the UK. “To be recognized for their amazing storytelling with Emmy nominations, but also that kind of cultural impact, that’s really amazing.”

In terms of nominations, Netflix has asserted its dominance in the limited or anthology series category, with three titles up for consideration: “Adolescence,” “Black Mirror,” and “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Overall, Netflix received an impressive 120 nominations this year—an increase from the previous year's 107—second only to HBO Max, which led with 142 nominations. Other notable shows from Netflix that received multiple nominations include “Bridgerton,” “Love on the Spectrum,” and “Sirens.” Bajaria noted that these nominations were achieved across 44 different titles, showcasing Netflix's commitment to a diverse range of programming.

Reflecting on the results, Bajaria stated, “This goal is always to aim for excellence and great entertainment across all categories of TV.” She expressed excitement about the recognition across various program categories, including drama, comedy, stand-up, limited series, documentaries, animation, and unscripted content.

Additionally, among this year's standout nominations in the variety special (pre-recorded) category, Netflix secured five out of six slots, largely due to its investment in ongoing comedy projects, including “Adam Sandler: Love You,” “Ali Wong: Single Lady,” and “Sarah Silverman: PostMortem.” In the live special category, Netflix's “Beyoncé Bowl” also earned a nomination, underscoring the platform's growing footprint in live entertainment—a domain they have only begun to explore in the past two years.

In the talk show category, “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney” received recognition for technical direction and camerawork, and Bajaria hinted at potential future discussions with Mulaney regarding the direction of the show. Despite its cancellation, “The Residence” secured a nomination for lead actress in a comedy series, awarded to Uzo Aduba. Bajaria confirmed that they had anticipated Aduba's recognition due to her remarkable performance, regardless of the show's fate. “We always thought she would get nominated… We loved what it was. She did a great job and we love Shondaland and Paul, it was really well done.” However, she acknowledged that the cancellation came for various reasons, underscoring the complexities involved in the decision-making process behind show renewals.