Why Stranger Things Season 3 Didn’t Get Any 2019 Emmy Nominations
WARNING: The following story contains spoilers from the finale of season 3 of Stranger Things.
When the 2019 Emmy Awards nominations were announced Tuesday morning, Stranger Things was noticeably absent from the list of nominees.
But while many might assume that the hit Netflix series was snubbed during Tuesday’s announcement, the third season actually didn’t qualify for submissions for the 71st annual awards.
According to Emmys rules, the eligibility period for the 2019 entries began June 1, 2018 and ended May 31, 2019; nominations-round voting began June 10 and closed June 24.
Because season 3 dropped July 4 — more than a month after the eligibility period closed — it didn’t qualify for submissions this year.
RELATED: Stranger Things Season 3 Breaks Netflix Viewership Record
Last year, the show was nominated for multiple awards at the 2018 awards, including outstanding drama series, and Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour both earned supporting actors nominations.
Following the release of season 3 on the streaming service earlier this month, audiences were shocked to see the show close out with an actual bang — and a (potential) major death. Now, fans are left wondering if Harbour‘s beloved character Hopper will be part of the fourth season.
The show’s star recently opened up to PEOPLE about what’s in store for your favorite characters of Hawkins, Indiana, after that dramatic finale, including whether or not fans can expect Hopper’s return.
“I’m very happy doing the show and I think there’s a rich tapestry to draw on from all the characters,” Harbour, 44, told PEOPLE at the Stranger Things junket in Los Angeles earlier this month.
“I wish the best for the show no matter what. And in terms of my involvement, I love the show, but we’ll have to see what happens moving forward. I don’t really know. The Duffers, I do believe, have a plan, but we’ll have to see what they have in mind.”
Since the show’s debut in 2016, Harbour has found it “moving” to watch the show’s stars such Brown and Finn Wolfhard grow right in front of his eyes.
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“It’s funny because I don’t really notice it when we’re on set,” he said.
“It’s more that when I watch the show, I experience it as well. So it was actually one of the most moving things when I sat down to watch the first three episodes I think. One of the most moving things to me was simply, it’s not even acting, it’s not even writing. It’s just the fact that when I started this show, Finn Wolfhard was a doughy little tiny two-footer or whatever. And now he’s like this chiseled, long, lanky rock-and-roll guy. And to see that happen and to feel the passage of time in such a visceral way, I thought was so moving.”
Stranger Things season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix. The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
