Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria on Emmys ignoring ‘Squid Game’

Netflix’s hit South Korean dystopian survival thriller drama, Squid Game, which has dominated viewership across the U.S. for the past couple of years, has been ignored in the 2025 Emmy nominations.

The show's first season soared to become the most-watched series worldwide, including multiplatform viewing, broadcast, cable, and streaming, and won Emmy Awards in 2023.

It received 14 nominations and won six, including Outstanding Drama Directing (for Hwang Dong-hyuk) and Lead Drama Actor (Lee Jung-jae).

However, the second season of the show wasn’t anywhere near the first one.

This year, Squid Game has been completely ignored by Television Academy voters, receiving not a single nomination on Tuesday, July 15.

As much as the audience is surprised by the major snub, Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria is equally shocked.

“Squid Game had an incredible cultural impact. Biggest show in the world,” she told Variety. “That first season really made Emmy history, and people loved this last season too. I am disappointed for Director Hwang and the cast.”

Bajaria noted that despite a worldwide audience loving and resonating with the show, Director Hwang wasn’t recognised in the nominations.

“I’m disappointed when it doesn’t get recognised in the way that it should have,” the content chief noted.

Bajaria further assured that the Emmys’ lack of consideration for Season 2 doesn’t diminish the show’s status as a Netflix “crown jewel.”

However, the content chief had something else to add: “But 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 recognised.”

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