Why the House of the Dragon Cast Skipped Tonight’s Emmy Awards
In late 2022, House of the Dragon breathed much-needed life (and, well, fire) into the HBO line-up after the fantasy hit Game of Thrones had reached its less-than-lauded conclusion in 2019. The HotD cast members—some already well-recognized celebrities and others newcomers to the industry—shot into the spotlight as the series dominated streaming charts and social media for weeks. But those same cast members, including Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Eve Best, Matt Smith, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey, Paddy Considine, Steve Toussaint, and numerous others, were conspicuously absent during the 2023 Emmy Awards on Jan. 15, 2024, where House of the Dragon was nominated for Best Drama Series.
You might have already deciphered why: Although House of the Dragon itself clinched a nomination, none of the cast themselves earned nods in the acting categories. (For context, this year’s categories were stacked with talent from Succession, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and beyond.) Many of the HotD performers are based in England, which means making the trip to Los Angeles for the Emmys, on the chance House of the Dragon might earn Best Drama Series—unlikely, given the momentum of fellow HBO frontrunner Succession—would be a huge investment. Snubbed as they were, the group seems to have decided it was smarter to stay home.
Still, House of the Dragon itself is forging ahead for season 2, and the next Emmys ceremony might look very different if the cast reignites the first season’s fan fervor. In November 2023, HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that season 2 was “done shooting and in post,” and would finally return in summer 2024. And even should the cast avoid the 2024 Emmys, expect numerous additional opportunities for them to storm the red carpet: Author and executive producer George R. R. plans for House of the Dragon to run for at least four seasons. Better study up on your dragons.
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.
Bri is the editorial and social media assistant at ELLE.com. Before joining the team at ELLE, she worked as the editorial assistant for Seventeen.com and Cosmopolitan.com where she covered all things celebrity news and pop culture. You can probably find her sipping an oatmilk iced chai while searching for the best new makeup products or thrifting her entire wardrobe.