Why Stranger Things didn't get a Best Drama Emmy nomination
- TV Show
Splitting Stranger Things season 4 into two parts may have done its job in terms of viewer anticipation, but it worked against the show when it came to Emmys.
The Netflix smash sensation did not receive an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nomination from the Television Academy this year, nor did Sadie Sink as tomboy Max and Joseph Quinn as metalhead Eddie despite their standout performances. That's because of the eligibility rules.
The Academy did away with the "hanging episode rule" in June of last year. That rule allowed for a series, including limited and anthology, that premieres current-season episodes after the May 31 eligibility deadline but before the start of nomination round-voting to submit for consideration. The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season 4 were released as Vol. 1 on Netflix on May 27, 2022. The remaining two were then released as Vol. 2 on July 1.
The rules for final round Emmy voting also made it impossible for Stranger Things season 4 to be considered for Best Drama. Shows submitted in that category are required to provide six eligible episodes for judging. Even with the Vol. 2 episodes running upwards of four hours collectively, they still didn't meet the criteria.
Funny enough, Dacre Montgomery, who appeared briefly in season 4 as Billy, the deceased step-brother of Sink's Max, was the only actor submitted for Emmy consideration — for Guest Actor in a Drama Series. But that category was considerably stacked with high-profile submissions.
But don't fret, fans, the show did score six nominations in various craft categories, including two for stunt performance, non-prosthetic period or character makeup, and music supervision.
So far, Stranger Things has 12 career Emmy wins and 57 career nominations. Last year, the season 4, Vol. 1 episodes won statuettes for stunt coordination, sound editing, sound mixing, and prosthetics makeup (cheers to Vecna).
The show is now entering its fifth and final season, so it will have another chance at Emmys love, but the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin may be fully formed adults by the time that finally streams. Production is currently stalled until the ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood is resolved.
Meanwhile, a Stranger Things stage play and animated series are currently in the works.
Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights leading up to all the major award shows.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
Netflix’s hit sci-fi series follows a group of kids in the '80s battling supernatural forces in Hawkins, Ind.
| type |
|
| seasons |
|
| rating | |
| genre | |
| creator | |
| network | |
| stream service |