As Emmy voting continues through Tuesday, June 23rd, there are an overwhelming number of shows to choose from over the past year, with major titles like “Severance,” “The Studio,” and “The Last of Us“ expected to score big. But despite the eligibility period for shows having passed on May 31st, a few of this year’s eligible shows have new seasons premiering while Emmy voting and, crucially, campaigning are still happening.
Take “The Bear,“ last year’s expected winner for Best Comedy Series, which lost out at the last minute to the beloved third season of “Hacks.“ While there’s been much speculation about why “The Bear“ stumbled at the last minute despite breaking nomination records, with reports of whisper campaigns and industry-wide confusion about its comedy designation, timing is a huge factor.
While voters were technically voting for Season 2, the much more critically underwhelming Season 3 premiered in late June, which may have soured viewers’ tastes by the time it came to filling in those competitive ballots. So, while “The Bear“ is no longer seen as the frontrunner as it was last year, things could change depending on how Season 4 is received when it releases on June 25th, especially if it ends up being the final season.
Another show that could see a tide turn is Netflix’s “Squid Game.“ Season 2 was released at the tail-end of the holidays last year, and despite being critically well-received and becoming 2024’s most-viewed series in a single week, the show just didn’t catch the cultural zeitgeist the same way Season 1 did. For reference, Season 1 received 14 Emmy nominations and saw actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee You-mi take home Emmy awards, while major pundits are mixed on whether Season 2 will even make the cut for Outstanding Drama Series.
But with Season 3 premiering June 27th and bringing the “Squid Game“ saga to an official close, the show could regain steam. While the first season had a whole storyline across nine episodes, Seasons 2 and 3 were initially written as one season that got split in half, leaving Season 2 with a cliffhanger and just seven episodes. So, with Season 3 hoping to complete the story, Emmy voter interest may be reignited, and the show could also benefit from meeting the current political moment if Netflix campaigns it right. After all, “Squid Game“ is a fatally anti-capitalistic show about how profit and entertainment are valued over human lives. Sound relevant at all?
Some cases are even more confusing for Emmy pundits and voters alike. While the Emmys removed the hanging episode rule for the 2023 cycle, which had previously allowed shows to have all episodes eligible as long as they were made available to voters before the first round of nomination voting, some shows still have hanging episodes. But they won’t be eligible until the next cycle, meaning a series’ seasons can now be split into two different Emmy seasons.
This year’s most prominent example is Season 2 of Peacock’s “Poker Face,“ which released half its 12 episodes before the May 31st cut-off. However, episodes are still dropping through July 10th, meaning that Natasha Lyonne solving murder cases will remain a point of conversation through (at least) the first half of the summer. While this may have advantages in keeping Season 2 top-of-mind this year, as Peacock hopes to expand on Season 1’s four Emmy nominations, it also means the second batch of episodes will have to find a way to stay relevant during the 2026 Emmys cycle. That doesn’t seem as likely.
While the Oscar eligibility period is clear-cut since the Academy follows the regular calendar year, the same isn’t true of the Television Academy, leading to many grey areas and, as a result, varying strategies. While industry-based FYC events are sure to keep the right season at the forefront of Emmy voters’ minds, those who aren’t in the loop as much may find themselves more influenced by what they last watched on Netflix or Peacock.
So when voting for the actual winners comes around in late August, what will be the most top-of-mind season for Emmy voters? It may sometimes leave a lesser season top of voters’ minds (see “The Bear“). But who’s to say that it may not inevitably help a show in the near future that gets revitalized or finds a new peak? With quite a few high-profile shows hoping to capitalize on the summer voting blocks, this Emmy cycle will provide an interesting test.
Be honest…did you know which seasons were eligible this year for Emmy awards voting? Do you think the arrival of new seasons will sway voters’ perception of the season they’re actually voting for? Should the Television Academy change this process entirely? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or on Next Best Picture’s X account, and be sure to check out their latest Emmy predictions here. Please also be sure to subscribe to the Next Best Series Podcast, where the team is conducting a number of interviews with Emmy contenders throughout the awards season and discussing the race.
