There's Actually A Really Good Reason 'Stranger Things' Isn't Up For Any Emmys This Year

Stranger Things has been a favorite among audiences since its premiere in 2016, so of course, fans would like to see the cast and crew win some well-deserved awards for their work on the show. This is especially true after the highly anticipated new season, Stranger Things 3, dropped on Netflix on July 4. So because Stranger Things is missing from the list of 2019 Emmy nominees, released on July 16, it makes sense that people may be confused. Don't worry, though — this isn't a snub to your favorite Hawkins gang (long live Scoops Troop). Instead, it has to do with the show's eligibility. If you're wondering whether Stranger Things is eligible for the 2019 Emmy noms, sadly, the answer is no. It's all because of its release date.

Each Emmy Awards has an eligibility period of one year, according to the official Emmy Awards calendar. This year, that period fell between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019, so any show that premiered during that time is fair game to be nominated. Since Stranger Things 3 came out two months too late, on July 4, the show is instead eligible for next year's Emmys in 2020.

And based on its history with the award ceremony — Stranger Things has received a whopping 30 nominations, and won six Emmys so far — you might very well see the Netflix hit on the ballot again next year.

Stranger Things' absence will almost definitely be felt at the 2019 Emmys. Even though it's only nabbed six wins, it's been nominated across a myriad of categories, for both Primetime Emmy Awards (think acting, directing, writing, etc.) and Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which is for behind-the-scenes work like sound mixing, hair and makeup, casting, etc.

Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour were nominated both seasons for acting as Eleven and Hopper respectively, the Duffer Brothers were nominated twice for directing, and the series as a whole was nominated both in 2017 and 2018 for Outstanding Drama Series. Since it won't be a contender in any of those categories, there could be room for some surprise nominations.

Moreover, Stranger Things isn't the only show in this boat. Some of the show's previous competitors for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2018 Emmy Awards, like Westworld and The Crown, haven't announced premiere dates for new seasons yet, while The Handmaid's Tale also premiered after the cutoff.

Variety predicted that these shows' absence will shake things up and allow newer or lesser-known shows — think Pose, or Killing Eve — to have a bigger fighting chance for the top awards. However, Game of Thrones is also making its last hurrah, so there will still be plenty of tough competition. Either way, the uncertainty means that even if you're upset that Stranger Things won't be in the spotlight at this year's Emmys, the ceremony should still be worth a watch.

With the news that Stranger Things likely won't have more than four seasons, fans probably want the show to get as many awards as possible before saying goodbye to Hawkins for good. So yes, seeing an Emmys without Stranger Things will be... well, strange. But next year's Emmys are a different story, and fans of the show can probably expect Stranger Things to do just as well as it has in the past.