Hacks Dominates 2025 Emmy Nominations: Snubs, Surprises & The Pitt vs Severance Drama Showdown

The 2025 Emmy nominations unleashed a wave of surprises, with HBO Max’s “Hacks” dominating with 14 nods while dark horse “The Pitt” emerged as a shock competitor against heavyweight “Severance.” Jean Smart’s final season performance could finally clinch the comedy crown, but legacy contender “The Bear” remains a formidable obstacle.

Snubs ignited instant backlash, as Selena Gomez and “Squid Game” stars were overlooked despite breakout seasons. Meanwhile, Noah Wyle’s first nomination since “ER” marks a nostalgic triumph for “The Pitt,” positioning the apocalyptic drama as the ceremony’s wildcard.

Hacks Dominates 2025 Emmy Nominations With Record-Breaking 14 Nods

The HBO Max dark comedy “Hacks” has shattered expectations with 14 Emmy nominations for its final season, marking the series’ strongest awards showing to date. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder both earned lead acting nominations, a significant upgrade from their previous supporting category placements. This makes “Hacks” the most nominated comedy series of 2025, tied with Disney+’s “Andor” in total nominations.

Industry analysts note the show benefits from final season momentum, reminiscent of “Schitt’s Creek’s” 2020 sweep. However, competition remains fierce against “The Studio,” which matched “The Bear’s” record 23 nominations from last year. The series previously won Emmys for writing and directing but has yet to claim the top comedy prize.

Key “Hacks” nominations include:

• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Lead Actress (Jean Smart)
• Lead Actor (Hannah Einbinder)
• Writing for “The Click” episode

Final seasons always get emotional votes, but let’s not forget Jean Smart worked through serious health challenges during production. That dedication might sway voters more than usual.

The Pitt vs Severance: Shocking Drama Category Showdown

In the drama categories, HBO’s gritty post-apocalyptic series “The Pitt” emerged as the dark horse with 13 nominations, positioning itself as the primary challenger to genre-bending frontrunner “Severance” (27 nominations). The veterans-heavy “Pitt” features Noah Wyle’s first Emmy nod since his “ER” days, while “Severance” dominates technical categories.

Notice how “The Pitt” got ensemble nods but not writing/directing? Voters clearly respected the performances more than the material. Classic Emmy bias toward actor-driven dramas over concept shows, even when they’re brilliant like Severance.

Most Shocking Emmy Snubs That Sparked Outrage

This year’s nominations came with glaring omissions that left fans and critics baffled. Selena Gomez’s transformative work in “Only Murders in the Building” was completely overlooked, while “Squid Game: Challenge” stars Lee Jung-jae and Hoyeon were shut out despite critical acclaim.

Top 5 most controversial snubs:

1. Selena Gomez (Only Murders S3)
2. The Last of Us lead acting categories
3. Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus)
4. Squid Game entire acting ensemble
5. Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

The Selena Gomez snub is particularly egregious – her nuanced comedic timing in Season 3 was masterclass material. This reeks of voters not taking pop stars turned actors seriously, despite her proven talent.

Why International Shows Continue Struggling at the Emmys

Despite “Squid Game’s” previous wins, the lack of nominations for its second season highlights ongoing barriers for non-English programming. While “The White Lotus” scored 23 nominations for its Mediterranean-set season, equally acclaimed international shows received minimal recognition.

Notable international snubs:

• Zero acting nods for “Squid Game: Challenge”
• Only technical nominations for French series “Lupin”
• German drama “The Swarm” completely overlooked

Until the Academy creates separate international categories or mandates subtitled screening copies for all voters, this bias will persist. It’s 2025 – time to recognize great storytelling transcends language.

Underdog Nominees That Defied Expectations

Beyond the usual suspects, several surprise contenders broke through. Netflix’s coming-of-age drama “Adolescence” scored 8 nominations, while FX’s experimental anthology “American Aurora” grabbed attention with 5 technical nods despite minimal promotion.

Breakout nominations worth celebrating:

• Bowen Yang – First lead acting nom for “Paradise”
• Natalia Dyer – Surprise Lead Actress nod for “Adolescence”
• American Aurora – Cinematography recognition

Bowen Yang’s nomination after his “SNL” snubs last year proves the Academy can course-correct. His haunting performance in “Paradise” showed incredible range beyond sketch comedy.

The Complete Death of Broadcast Television at the Emmys

For the third consecutive year, no major broadcast network series scored nominations in top categories. While ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’s “Ghosts” had strong followings, they only managed minor technical recognition.

Network vs Streaming nominations 2021-2025:

The last time a network show won big was “This Is Us” in 2020. At this point, they should create separate categories like the Golden Globes – it’s become apples and oranges.

Final Predictions: How Many Awards Will HBO Max Actually Win?

With 142 nominations across Warner Bros. Discovery properties, HBO Max appears poised to dominate. However, Apple TV+’s “Severance” and Netflix’s strong showing could split votes in key categories.

Projected wins by platform:

• HBO Max: 28-32 (Down from 38 in 2022)
• Apple TV+: 18-22
• Netflix: 12-15

Between “Hacks,” “The Penguin,” and “White Lotus,” HBO Max might cannibalize its own votes. Watch for Apple TV+ to sneak in with “Severance” when categories split. This could be the most evenly distributed Emmys in years!