The Handmaid’s Tale had 21 Emmy nominations and ended up with ZERO wins. This actually set a record, which is pretty dark — even for a dystopian drama. Fans are divided on whether or not the show should have won. It’s likely that this is going to be debated for quite some time. Why did The Handmaid’s Tale lose? Should the show have won?
Should #TheHandmaidsTale have won an Emmy? Share on XThe Series Set a Record for Emmy Losses
Sadly, The Handmaid’s Tale broke a record for the most losses every experienced in an Emmy awards show. The show — with 21 nominations that didn’t land — beat Mad Men’s record of being nominated for 17 awards with zero wins from 2012, Variety reported. This is an unfortunate record to set, and one that fans will likely be talking about for quite some time. It’s also quite a contrast from 2017 when the show won the Emmy for best drama series.
Some of the nominations that the series was up for included:
- Outstanding Drama Series
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss as June)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence, OT Fagbenle as Luke Bankole, and Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Yvonne Strahovski as Serena, Ann Down as Aunt Lydia, Samira Wiley as Moira, Madeline Brewer as Janine)
Some Fans Said the Show Has Gotten Tedious & Shouldn’t Have Won, While Others Think It’s Gotten Better Every Season
On Reddit, fans were divided about whether or not the show should have gotten at least one win.
One person suggest that certain art choices, like close-ups of June, were part of the reason why the show didn’t win:
Another fan agreed, saying the show has gotten tedious in recent seasons.
However, others came to the show’s defense. One person said that if the show’s writing was bad, it wouldn’t have even been nominated in the first place.
Another person said that season 4 was phenomenal and had great character development.
Another fan said that we’re really looking at this wrong. Maybe the show didn’t win, but getting so many nominations is an honor.
People on Twitter tended to agree with the viewers defending The Handmaid’s Tale and thinking the show should have one.
https://twitter.com/vee_delmonico99/status/1439814911534714884
One person simply wrote: “Anyone else feel like The Handmaids Tale didn’t get proper recognition or at the #Emmys.”
Anyone else feel like The Handmaids Tale didn’t get proper recognition or at the #Emmys
— Angelina (@callmeAforshort) September 20, 2021
On Twitter, one person pointed out that The Crown is about rich people, while The Handmaid’s Tale is about death, war, and deep, serious issues, so it shouldn’t be surprising which won.
https://twitter.com/aftonthomas/status/1439768931259011073
One person did comment that they should have cut to a close-up of a very angry Elisabeth Moss when she didn’t win, just to keep the close-up theme going.
The series is currently about to start working on season 5. It’s not clear if the show will continue after next season, but there will be a spinoff called The Testaments.
Should The Handmaid’s Tale Have Won?
Do you think The Handmaid’s Tale should have won an Emmy — any Emmy? We had to remove a poll that asked because of technical glitches, but please let us know in the comments what you think.
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