Fans were left puzzled when the 2023 Emmy nominations list didn’t feature some of their favorites, including Zendaya, Stranger Things, and Euphoria. The explanation behind these notable absences lies in the stringent eligibility rules set for the 75th Emmy Awards.
For consideration in the 2023 Emmys, which were broadcast in 2024 due to the Hollywood strikes postponing the event, programs had to air between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. Unfortunately, this timeframe didn’t align with the airing schedule of Euphoria’s second season, which was released in early winter 2022. Consequently, neither the show nor its cast qualified for nominations during this period.
Zendaya, who made history at the 74th Emmys by becoming the first Black woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice, along with being the youngest two-time winner for acting, will have to wait until the next chapter of the Euphoria story unfolds in 2025. This delay provides another opportunity for Zendaya and her co-stars to vie for Emmy recognition in the coming years.
Similarly, the 75th Emmys timeline rules affected Stranger Things. The fourth season of the Netflix sci-fi series was divided into two parts, with Volume 1’s seven episodes releasing on May 27, 2022, and Volume 2’s two episodes releasing on July 1, 2022. Although Volume 1 was eligible for the 2022 Emmy Awards, earning 13 nominations and winning five awards, Volume 2 missed the eligibility window for the 2022 awards by a few weeks. Moreover, it was deemed ineligible for the 2023 awards in most major categories due to new Emmys episode count criteria, which require shows to submit six episodes for consideration. Despite these setbacks, fans can anticipate the return of Stranger Things in the next season, as the production officially commenced for the fifth and final season on January 9.
