For fans of the first season of Stranger Things, there may have been no season of television in 2017 more anticipated than the return to Hawkins, Indiana for Season 2. While there's no denying the popularity of the series, it's worth noting whether or not Stranger Things Season 2 is eligible for the Golden Globes. The show received nominations for its first season, but does premiering in the fall instead of the summer mean the show would have to wait until 2019 for award recognition? With so much great content this year, it's going to be a tight race for TV shows no matter what.
Stranger Things only received two nominations for Season 1, one for Best Drama Series and a Best Actress nomination for Winona Ryder's performance. These nominations showed that Stranger Things was challenging what audiences and critics would consider as award-worthy television, and that a series centered around children fighting a monsters was just as worthy of a nomination as historical dramas like The Crown and high-minded science-fiction like Westworld. The Best Actress nomination also reinforced the fact that Winona Ryder is a living legend.
However, Stranger Things Season 1 premiered in the summer and Stranger Things 2 didn't air until Oct. 27, 2017 to coincide with the spookiest weekend of the year — Halloween. Did the delayed release date have an affect on Stranger Things' chance at Golden Globes glory, or did it still manage to get in before the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's deadline?
According to the official Golden Globes timeline, the deadline for 2017 television submissions for the 2018 ceremony was Oct. 31, 2017, meaning that Stranger Things is, beyond question, eligible for the Golden Globes. The series seems primed to return with a nomination for Best Series, and could also find itself nominated in multiple performance categories. Ryder has a chance to be nominated as Best Actress once again for her performance as Joyce Byers, and the rest of the Stranger Things cast could find themselves nominated for their first-ever Golden Globe.
The Golden Globes only recognized Ryder's 2016 performance during the 2017 ceremony, but the 2017 Emmys gave nominations to two cast members that went ignored by the Golden Globes. David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown both received Supporting Actress and Actor nominations for their performances as Chief Hopper and Eleven, respectively. While Shannon Purser also received an Outstanding Guest Actress nomination for her iconic performance as Barb, her absence from Season 2 prevents her from being nominated once again.
Along with these former Emmy nominees, Stranger Things Season 2 may provide opportunities for actors passed over for awards recognition in Season 1. In particular, Noah Schnapp's performance as Will Byers in Season 2 was a grueling, challenging role for anyone to pull off, let alone someone who is just 13 years old. In addition to Schnapp's performance, actors who were mostly in the background of Season 1, such as Joe Keery (Steve), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), had a lot more to do in Season 2 and could find themselves with a Supporting Actor nomination as a result. There's also the chance that an actor new to the series, like Sadie Sink (Max), Paul Reiser (Dr. Owens) or Sean Astin (actual superhero Bob Newby) could be nominated in a Supporting Actor role as well.
Despite the strong roster of performances from Season 2, getting a nomination won't be easy in a crowded field. Stranger Things is competing against other Netflix shows like Mindhunter, The Crown, and Ozark, as well as the likes of HBO's The Deuce and The Leftovers, and Hulu's Emmy-winning The Handmaid's Tale. In such a strong year of television, there's a chance that the achievements of Stranger Things Season 2 could get lost in the shuffle. However, with a third season of Stranger Things confirmed, it's clear that this won't be the show's last chance and landing more nominations, or even a win, at the Golden Globes.
