Let’s be honest:
The 2025 Emmy nominations dropped and half the internet went: “Who asked for this?”
The Studio got in. The Penguin showed up. Hacks and White Lotus returned (again). Meanwhile, everyone on TikTok is screaming: “Where’s One Piece? Where’s The Boys?”
This post isn’t about who got snubbed or who got nominated. It’s about the weird, secretive system behind it all.
So… how do Emmy nominations actually work? And why does it feel like your favorite show never stands a chance?
🕵️ Who Actually Votes for Emmy Nominations?
Spoiler: it’s not the public. Not even critics. Not Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s a group called the Television Academy (a.k.a. ATAS).
The Emmys are voted on by around 20,000 industry professionals who belong to different peer groups:
- Actors vote for actors
- Writers vote for writers
- Editors vote for editors
Each group ONLY votes within their specialty during nominations.
📊 How Does a Show Get Nominated?
Here’s the behind-the-scenes stuff nobody tells you:
# Step 1: The show has to submit itself
- Studios, producers, or PR teams pay a fee to enter a show into consideration
- If they don’t enter, they don’t get nominated. Period.
Step 2: Peer groups vote
- Members vote only in their category
- The top-voted names or shows become the official nominees
Step 3: Final round voting
- A second round of votes happens to decide the winner (again, by peers)
In short: It’s insiders voting on insiders.
🫠 Why Do Emmy Noms Feel So Out of Touch?
Because the people who vote don’t care about memes, ratings, or Twitter trends.
What do they care about?
- Prestige
- Craft
- Industry respect
- Personal politics
Shows like Severance, The White Lotus, and Succession dominate repeatedly because they fit the “prestige TV” mold:
- Slow burn
- Elite cast
- Existential trauma
- HBO/Amazon budget
And voters love that.
🪮 Emmy Bait Is Real
You know Oscar bait? Emmy bait exists too.
It usually looks like:
- A-list actor in a limited series
- Based on a true crime or sad book
- Atmospheric soundtrack
- No jokes allowed
Meanwhile, shows that actually trend, break internet records, or build fan communities? Often get ignored.
🕵️ What About Ratings or Viewership?
Doesn’t matter. At all.
- YouTube recaps? Not considered.
- Reddit threads? Irrelevant.
- Actual view counts? Ignored.
The Academy doesn’t consider audience size. It’s all about insider opinions.
That’s why:
- The Boys rarely gets nominated
- Wednesday was mostly ignored
- Shogun or anime shows get zero love
❌ No, You Can’t Vote
There’s no fan voting. There’s no poll. Unless it’s the MTV Awards or People’s Choice, you don’t get a say.
You can scream about your favorite show on X, but Emmy voters probably aren’t listening.
They’re busy reading scripts in Malibu.
🚫 Who Got Snubbed in 2025 (And Why It Makes Sense Now)
Looking at the 2025 Emmy noms, you’ll notice some huge gaps:
- The Boys — massive fandom, record views, snubbed in major categories
- One Piece — huge anime-to-live-action success, ignored
- The Bear — amazing critical buzz, barely cracked top categories
Why? Because even if millions watch it, if voters don’t vibe with it, it won’t make the cut.
This is why people say the Emmys are rigged.
They’re not rigged. They’re just cliqued.
🏛️ Source:
- Official Emmy Voting Process – ATAS
- TV Academy Membership Info
- 2025 Emmy Ballot PDF
- GoldDerby – Emmy Predictions & Snubs
📢 Final Bruh Take:
It’s not a popularity contest. It’s not rigged.
It’s just… the same 20,000 insiders nominating the same types of shows year after year.
So if your favorite show got snubbed? It’s not because it sucked.
It’s because it wasn’t made for the Emmy voters.
And maybe that’s okay. Maybe winning the internet matters more.
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