The 2025 Emmy nominations have sparked outrage among fans, particularly regarding the snubs of ‘Squid Game’ and Diego Luna. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest surprises.
‘Squid Game’ and Diego Luna: The Year’s Biggest Emmy Snubs
Hell hath no fury like a TV fan scorned.
Following the announcement of the 2025 Emmy nominations, Gold Derby users were outraged that several top contenders failed to hear their names called. Nearly half of the people we polled said that Squid Game was the biggest snub, having received zero bids for Season 2 after winning six trophies for Season 1 in 2022.
Among the list of snubbed Squid Game actors: Lee Jung-jae, who won the last time he was eligible for playing Seong Gi-hun (Player 456); Choi Seung-hyun as the villainous Thanos (Player 230); Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man; Park Sung-hoon as trans contestant Cho Hyun-ju (Player 120); Kang Ae-shim as protective mother Jang Geum-ja (Player 149); Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul, the North Korean defector who’s now a pink-clad soldier; and Gong Yoo as the Recruiter on the outside.
Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk was overlooked for producing, writing, and directing Season 2 — he received all three noms for Season 1 and won the directing prize. And none of the below-the-line crafts from Squid Game earned any love, either. (Note: the third and final season dropped in June, so it will be eligible at the 2026 Emmys.)
Other Notable Snubs
Other contenders who received support in our snap poll were Diego Luna for Andor, Patrick Schwarzenegger for The White Lotus, Elisabeth Moss for The Handmaid’s Tale, and Selena Gomez for Only Murders in the Building. Finally, there’s Yellowjackets, which received a combined 10 nominations for its first two seasons, but came away empty-handed for Season 3.
“I am gutted for Only Murders in the Building – Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Melissa McCarthy should have all been nominated. The campaign for the show was basically posters and a late FYC virtual event; it seems Hulu was low on the budget for only two fields, drama and limited. They just left the SAG ensemble win carry the campaign, like that helped OINTB in the past.”
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Poll Results: What’s the Biggest Emmy Snub?
- 49 percent: Squid Game
- 17 percent: Diego Luna
- 12 percent: Patrick Schwarzenegger
- 11 percent: Elisabeth Moss
- 8 percent: Selena Gomez
- 3 percent: Yellowjackets
The good news for Luna and Gomez is that they are still nominated as producers this year, since Andor and Only Murders in the Building received bids for Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series, respectively. Andor‘s second season earned 14 total nominations overall, up from eight in Season 1. Meanwhile, Only Murders‘ fourth season garnered a series-low seven nominations, down from 21 for Season 3, 11 for Season 2, and 17 for Season 1.
Even without Schwarzenegger, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan failing to make the final ballot, The White Lotus pulled in 23 nominations for Season 3, the same as in Season 2, and up from 20 in Season 1. Eight of their costars — Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Sam Rockwell, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Aimee Lou Wood, and Scott Glenn — did make the cut with Emmy voters, and will be scheduling their next vacation for Los Angeles on Sept. 14.
“Not Sam Rockwell over Patrick Schwarzenegger.”
The Handmaid’s Tale and Yellowjackets both disappointed with their respective sixth and third seasons. The former show sailed off into the sunset with just a sole bid for guest actress Cherry Jones, who won in 2019 for playing Holly, the mother of Moss’ June. Moss may have been robbed for the final season, but she still has two Emmys keeping her company for producing and starring in the debut season of The Handmaid’s Tale in 2017.
