As I'm sure many of you know by now, the 2017 Emmy nominations have been released. And while it was definitely refreshing to see some new and deserving shows and actors get some much-deserved recognition (looking at you, Aziz Ansar!), many TV lovers probably couldn't help but notice the lack of Game of Thrones nods that came out this year. So was Lena Heady nominated for a 2017 Emmy? The answer, in short, is no. But there's a very good reason for it.
Last year, Game of Thrones managed to collect a whopping 23 nominations, so it would make sense to think they would do just as well (if not better) this time around. But here's the thing — the show was not eligible to be put up for Emmy nods this year. Why? For the most understandable reason of all: winter came. As you know, Season 7 of Game of Thrones has yet to premiere until Sunday, July 16. That's significantly later than any of its other premiere dates in the past, which means it missed the eligibility period in order to be considered for the 2017 Emmys. In order to qualify for the award ceremony this year, a show needed to have aired episodes between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017.
Now, I know what you're thinking. But wait, didn't Game of Thrones air episodes from Season 6 during that time? Yes, they did. But unfortunately, those can't be counted due to the television academy's "hanging episodes" rule, which states that the whole season must be lumped into last year's eligibility period. So since no part of Season 6 can be included and Season 7 has yet to debut, then there's no way that Heady could be up for a nomination this year. Is it unfortunate? Absolutely. But rest assured that she's bound to get her fair amount of accolades in 2018. Because even though fans have yet to see the seventh season yet, you just know it's going to be great — and a large part of that will be due to Heady's performance as Cersei Lannister.
Game of Thrones has been in the Emmys game since all the way back to 2011, so it'll definitely be strange to not see the show and its actors' names up on the list, but on the plus side, this gives some other talented shows and actors a chance to shine, so it's not all bad. And I have a feeling GoT will more than make up for its Emmy absence next year. You just wait and see.
