“I am disappointed”- Netflix CCO shared her feelings on Squid Game Season 2 receiving zero nominations at the Emmys 

From being nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards to zero nominations for the second season, Squid Game has suffered a disappointing fate at the Emmys this year. Since the Korean drama's premiere in 2021, it has gained worldwide popularity owing to its powerful message and the even more powerful way it chooses to deliver that message.

Squid Game made headlines back in 2022 when it was nominated for 14 Emmys and won 6 of them, making the series the first non-English drama to be nominated for Best Drama Series and Lee Jung Jae the first Asian to win the Best Actor category. Therefore, it came as a shock to fans as well as the industry when it was snubbed this year. Here's what the Netflix COO had to say about the nominations.

Netflix COO expresses disappointment at lack of Emmy nominations for Squid Game Season 2

The Squid Game Emmy snub continued across many categories, from Best Drama, production design, and direction to the acting categories. Season one of the show had the factor of surprise on its side with a brand-new concept to shock its viewers with. The storytelling and the cultural impact that the show had globally were well recognized for the first season, but the same cannot be said about the second season, which was eligible for the 2025 Emmys.

Bela Bajaria, the Netflix chief content officer, in a recent conversation with Variety, expressed her disappointment at the lack of recognition for the second season.

"‘Squid Game’ had an incredible cultural impact. Biggest show in the world. That first season really made Emmy history, and people loved this last season too."

She added that, above everything else, she was disappointed at the lack of recognition for the director and the cast. It is clear from the show and the interviews that Director Hwang and his cast have a deep connection and are incredibly passionate about the story that they're trying to tell with the show and the issues that they're trying to bring to light.

"I am disappointed for Director Hwang and the cast. For Director Hwang to not be recognized in that way, considering the amount of audiences around the world who loved it so much and that it really resonated with people… I’m disappointed when it doesn’t get recognized in the way that it should have."

She went on to defend that the lack of Emmy nominations for Squid Game Season 2 does not take away from its excellence when it comes to the storytelling, but it was very shocking that the excellence in television was not recognized in that domain.

"here’s the thing, I think if you’re really looking at excellence in television and excellence in storytelling, it is in every single way. So when you deliver that, yes, it’s surprising when it doesn’t get recognized."

Sadly, even though it was shocking to witness the Emmy snub for Squid Game Season 2, there were a lot of excellent competing shows from Netflix that were awarded Emmy nominations for 2025, from Adolescence to Black Mirror and Bridgerton.

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