- By Aarushi Raina
- Wed, 16 Jul 2025 01:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The 2025 Emmy nominations thrilled some and left others disappointed, including the Squid Game team. The Kdama series didn't receive a single nod during the nomination announcement on Tuesday. Severance, The White Lotus, The Studio, and others were among the leading nominees for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. It's not that Squid Game is new to the Emmys; in Season 1, the Korean series received 14 nominations and won six. However, its second season was completely ignored in this year's nominations. This not only left Squid Game fans shocked but also disappointed the show's content Chief, Bela Bajaria. She couldn’t believe that it didn't receive the recognition it deserved.
Debuted in September 2021, Squid Game became a global sensation thanks to its intense survival storyline and performances. This South Korean thriller, where contestants play high-risk children’s games for prize money, instantly broke all records on Netflix to become the most-watched show of all time. Despite that, it was snubbed at the Emmy 2025 nominations. The event was hosted by actors Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song.
Reacting to Squid Game being snubbed, Bela was quoted by Variety, saying, "Squid Game had an incredible cultural impact. Biggest show in the world. That first season really made Emmy history, and people loved this last season too. I am disappointed for Director Hwang and the cast. 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.”
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Bajaria thinks that season 2 not getting an Emmy nod will not take away Squid Game's status as a Netflix “crown jewel. She added, "but here’s the thing, I think if you’re really looking at excellence in television and excellence in storytelling, it is in every single way. So when you deliver that, yes, it’s surprising when it doesn’t get recognized.”
Interestingly, Netflix’s second most-watched show, Adolescence, managed to garner its first nomination, with 13 nominations in different categories.
Meanwhile, the Emmy Awards will air live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on September on CBS and will also be available for streaming on Paramount+.
