Why The Boys Season 3 won’t receive any Emmy nominations this year

Cameron Frew
Antony Starr's Homelander angry in The Boys Season 3

The Boys Season 3 ranks among the most acclaimed television of 2022 – however, don’t expect to see the show get any Emmy nominations this year.

Amazon’s superhero show was an immediate smash-hit upon the first season’s release in 2019. Given that the world was emerging out the other side of Marvel mania from Endgame, its stomach-churning violence and harder, hilarious edge made for a refreshing tonic.

The powers that be clearly knew they had something special in the works, as it was greenlit for a second season before an episode was ever aired. Three seasons later, it’s never been stronger; gloriously gratuitous, with sharper satire, and despicable characters we love to loathe.

It’s not been short on accolades throughout its run, either: it’s been nominated for a slew of awards, and notably received a fair bit of Emmy attention in 2021. Unfortunately, despite its many plaudits between critics and everyday viewers, The Boys Season 3 won’t be recognized at this year’s Emmys.

Why The Boys Season 3 won’t receive any Emmy nominations

Antony Starr is the biggest candidate for awards recognition. Simply put, Homelander is the best, most terrifying villain on TV right now; there hasn’t been a character this compulsively nasty since the likes of Joffrey and Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones.

Homelander in The Boys Season 3
Homelander is TV’s scariest villain right now.

Elsewhere, Karl Urban is worthy of some attention; Episode 7 particularly allowed him to showcase his acting chops outside his loveable “Oi’s” and smarmy charm, exploring Butcher’s traumatic past. Overall, the show could be a contender in just about any category, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Alas, it won’t be recognized at this year’s ceremony, and it’s for a very simple reason: it didn’t release within the approved window in order to be considered for nominations.

Emmy eligibility period blocks The Boys, Westworld and other shows

As detailed by Deadline, the Television Academy’s eligibility period for the 2022 awards required shows to have aired between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. The first episode of The Boys Season 3 hit Prime Video on June 3 this year, so it just missed out.

Other shows are in a similar position, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Westworld, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Crown. The latter show has been a major performer at the Emmys in years past, with the Netflix series taking home the awards for best drama, lead actor and actress, and supporting actor and actress.

However, they will all be eligible at next year’s ceremony, so the campaign for Starr’s Emmy win starts now.

The Boys Seasons 1-3 are all currently available to stream on Prime Video.

About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, and Oscars enthusiast. He loves Invincible, but he's also a fan of The Boys, the MCU, The Chosen, and much more. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.