Emmy nominations 2025 snub Andor, Squid Game, Poker Face, and more top shows of the year

The 2025 Emmy nominations, unveiled on July 15, 2025, handed Severance (27 nods) and The Penguin (24) a commanding lead while consigning several critical and ratings powerhouses to the growing list of Emmy Awards snubs. Shows such as Squid Game Season 2, Poker Face Season 2, and Andor were expected to ride precursor buzz and huge fan interest into multiple marquee slots.

Instead they joined a surprising roll call of omissions that also included The Handmaid’s Tale’s swan-song season and high-profile actors like Diego Luna and Natasha Lyonne.

With the 77th Primetime Emmys set for September 14, 2025 on CBS/Paramount+, the gap between industry forecasts and the Television Academy’s final ballot has fired up fresh debate over how genre, language and platform politics shape recognition.

This piece unpacks the most talked-about Emmy Awards snubs, why they happened and what industry voices are saying about them.

Major Emmy Awards snubs of 2025: Where expectations and reality diverged

Andor earned a coveted drama series berth yet saw its entire principal cast shut out. Squid Game followed its record-setting first season with a complete wipeout. Poker Face slipped from multiple top-tier nominations last year to just two craft-area nods.

Observers note a crowded eligibility window (June 1, 2024–May 31, 2025) and an influx of new prestige titles (The Studio, The Pitt, Paradise) that squeezed returning favorites. This underscores the surprise that Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård and Genevieve O’Reilly stood aside while Andor still counted 14 overall nominations.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s global juggernaut fell flat. Industry analysts point to voter fatigue and formidable newer dramas filling the eight-slot field for Outstanding Drama Series, leaving Squid Game Season 2 with zero mentions despite record viewing figures.

Why Andor, Squid Game and Poker Face were left on the sidelines

1) Acting-category logjams. Drama Lead Actor featured past winners Pedro Pascal, Adam Scott, and Gary Oldman, plus newcomer Noah Wyle; comedy lead actress made room for Uzo Aduba’s breakout in The Residence. With finite slots, voters often reward new names first.

2) Campaign strategy and timing. Squid Game dropped its second season in late December 2024, leaving a shorter runway for campaign events. Poker Face streamed weekly through July 10 2025, pushing much of its critical conversation outside the eligibility window.

3) Genre and language bias. Non-English titles have penetrated the Emmys before, but multiple insiders say sustaining that traction is harder when fresh U.S. prestige dramas debut each cycle. Korean-language Squid Game faced direct competition from eight English-language heavyweights.

As per the Los Angeles Times report dated July 15, 2025, creator Tony Gilroy reflected on Andor’s journey:

“It’s hard to imagine that I’ll ever be as deeply invested with as much and so submerged with so many people in such a huge endeavor.”

His pride in the series’ craft nods sat alongside disappointment that none of his actors were recognized. Rian Johnson, executive producer of Poker Face, highlighted Lyonne’s behind-the-scenes focus on her cast. As per the NBC Insider report dated July 10 2025, he recalled,

“Natasha would tell me, ‘Yeah, Cynthia’s jazzed.’ She’s sending me all these emojis about how excited she is...A text chat with Natasha is a wild ride.”

Johnson’s remarks came hours before nominations confirmed that only Cynthia Erivo (guest actress) made the ballot.

What this year’s Emmy Awards snubs signal for 2026 campaigns

Publicists are already recalibrating. Disney has hinted at a dedicated acting push for Andor’s final season, building individual spotlights around Diego Luna and Adria Arjona rather than ensemble reels.

Netflix, having seen Squid Game shut out, is expected to stagger Season 3’s release to avoid the late-year publicity crunch. Peacock may pivot Poker Face toward guest-acting showcases after Erivo’s recognition, rather than a straight comedy series bid.

Beyond individual strategies, the omissions underline two structural truths. First, the Television Academy’s fixed category caps cannot keep pace with an ever-growing content slate; reform proposals (e.g., percentile-based nomination thresholds) may resurface at next winter’s rules committee.

Second, sustained voter engagement, FYC events, peer-group screenings, and visible craft-team participation remain decisive, especially for returning series competing against shiny newcomers.

Whether the 2025 Emmy Awards snubs become springboards or warning signs will be clear only when next season’s ballots drop. For now, the conversation echoes across guild events, press rooms and social feeds, reminding studios that in peak-TV politics, prestige alone is never a guarantee of Emmy gold.

Stay tuned for more updates.