Here's Why 'Big Little Lies' Season 2 Wasn't Nominated At The Emmys This Year

Emmys season is here, and while it's an exciting time for TV fans, it can also bring heartbreak for avid viewers of shows that don't get nominated. When the nominations for the 71st Emmy Awards were announced on July 16, many fans were enraged to see their favorite HBO drama not recognized for its excellence. Why wasn't Big Little Lies nominated for a 2019 Emmy? The answer is pretty simple: It wasn't eligible this time around.

The Television Academy's eligibility period for this year's awards show ran from June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019. Though it seems like it's been forever that fans have been anxiously waiting to find out what's going to happen between Celeste and Mary Louise, Madeline and Ed, and other shifty relationships, Season 2 of Big Little Lies only just premiered on June 9. The HBO favorite just missed the cut by a little over a week.

Because of the narrow window between when BLL's second season dropped and when it could have been eligible for this year's Emmys, some have speculated that the show could have been ready in time to air before the eligibility period was up, but the powers that be chose to hold off.

That may sound a little counterintuitive for a show that has had so many powerhouse performances from its female-led cast this season, but there's a good reason why this may have been the case: While Big Little Lies was previously considered a miniseries by the Television Academy, because the show has a second season, it will now be in the drama category. You know what HBO drama did make the cut for this year's awards? That's right, Game of Thrones. If BLL had been eligible for this year's Emmys, it would have gone up against the awards season darling in the drama category. And considering GoT raked in a whopping 32 nominations this time around, it might be a good thing that Big Little Lies had to sit this one out.

Regardless of why BLL was out of the running this year, viewers are nevertheless disappointed that the show is not getting Emmy recognition. All season long, fans have been predicting Emmy nominations for each of the lead actors following pretty much every episode.

The last time Big Little Lies was eligible for Emmys consideration was 2017, when it garnered 16 nominations and an overall Outstanding Miniseries win for its inaugural season. Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman each picked up nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or Movie category, with Kidman winning the award. Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley were also recognized for their work; both were nominated in the Supporting Actress category, with Dern taking home the trophy.

The recent nomination announcement doesn't mean that Season 2 of Big Little Lies will never get the Emmy recognition so many fans believe it deserves; it'll just have to wait until the next awards season in 2020.

For now, fans can channel all their Meryl-scream energy into watching the Season 2 finale of Big Little Lies, airing Sunday, July 21, at 9 p.m. ET. on HBO.