Unbelievable Primetime Emmy Snubs That Left Fans Outraged and Speechless
Every year, the Primetime Emmy Awards announce their nominees, and with that fanfare comes a bittersweet tradition: the snubs. Those moments when brilliant actors, who’ve made us laugh, cry, and binge-watch with bated breath, don’t get the recognition they so clearly deserve. Is it just me, or does it sometimes feel like the Emmy voters have a secret grudge against some of TV’s finest? From the likes of Sadie Sink and Millie Bobby Brown to legends like Angela Lansbury and Steve Carell, this list dives deep into the most jaw-dropping Emmy oversights in history. Prepare to question just how some of these iconic talents flew under the radar for so long—and maybe mumble a few “What were they thinking?” moments along the way. LEARN MORE.
Each year, television actors and actresses wait to hear if they’ve been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. With those nominations, though, come some of the biggest snubs in history — people that deserve recognition and get completely overlooked.
From Sadie Sink and Millie Bobby Brown to Angela Lansbury and Steve Carell, here are some of the biggest snubs in the history of the award show.
Jason Alexander
The contests of all contests: Jason Alexander going up against his Seinfeld co-star Michael Richards for a Primetime Emmy Award. Alexander was snubbed seven times, with Richards winning three.
While Richards’ character Kramer is a fan favorite, the sitcom wouldn’t be much without the inappropriate, grouchy, and pretty character of George Costanza.
Steve Carell
Best known for his role as Michael Scott in the critically acclaimed series The Office, Steve Carell should have not only been nominated for his performance but won.
Sadly, Carell has been snubbed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the organization that decides who wins the Emmy Awards, ten times for The Office and once for The Morning Show.
Sandra Oh
For her roles in the dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve, actress Sandra Oh earned 13 Emmy Award nominations, a majority being for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Even with her amazing performances, range, and intense on-screen characters, Oh has never walked away with a trophy for acting. That changed in 2024 when she won her first Emmy for producing the TV movie Quiz Lady.
Anthony Anderson
Actor Anthony Anderson has been snubbed 11 times for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance as Andre “Dre” Johnson in the comedy Black-ish.
TV Guide senior critic Matt Roush says, “The problem is that broadcast TV is basically invisible to many Emmy voters. The problem is that broadcast TV is basically invisible to many Emmy voters.”
Angela Lansbury
One of the biggest snubs in Emmy Award history is arguably how the legendary Angela Lansbury’s been nominated 18 times and has never won. An amazing actress, Lansbury was nominated a consecutive 12 times for her role as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.
Considering Lansbury has an Academy Award and six Tony Awards under her belt, how she never walked away with an Emmy is a total mystery.
Hugh Laurie
Between 2005 and 2017, British actor Hugh Laurie was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, seven for House, two for The Night Manager, and one for Veep. Sadly, he never scored a win for any of them.
Upon his sixth nomination, Laurie even joked he was going to forgo a lucky rabbit foot and put an entire rabbit on his keychain for good luck. Alas, a rabbit didn’t help his luck any.
Nancy Walker
Between the detective series McMillan & Wife and the Mary Tyler Moore Show spin-off series Rhoda, Nancy Walker was nominated seven times for a Primetime Emmy Award. She never wound up winning.
In fact, she lost out on the award a solid three times to none other than Betty White for her performance in the Mary Tyler Moore Show!
Don Cheadle
Between 1999 and 2021, Don Cheadle was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, three of which were for his performance in the comedy House of Lies. His most recent nomination was for the 2021 Marvel series Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he has yet to walk away with a trophy.
Steve Allen
One of the grandfathers of late-night television, Steve Allen, was the first host on The Tonight Show. Even though his program was highly regarded, Allen never won an Emmy Award.
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