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Charlie Hunnam’s iconic portrayal of Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy took his career to new heights and helped make the series one of FX’s most popular ever. Although Hunnam was the driving force behind the show, he did not always get the recognition he deserved. With the 71st Primetime Emmys airing this weekend, did Hunnam ever win an Emmy for playing Jax on Sons of Anarchy?

Charlie Hunnam Emmy
Charlie Hunnam | Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage

Inside Hunnam’s Emmy chances

Hunnam received a lot of nominations for Sons of Anarchy. The actor was nominated for three EWwy Awards, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards, a Satellite Award, and a Pan-American Association of Film & Television Journalists award, spanning from 2011 to 2015.

While fans loved Hunnam’s emotional portrayal of Jax, he failed to come out on top in any of these award ceremonies. When it comes to the Emmys, Hunnam had his best shot of winning in the final season of Sons of Anarchy.

In 2015, Charlie Hunnam’s name was once again mentioned for Emmy consideration in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The field was wide open that year, mainly because Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston was out of the running.

But Hunnam was going up against some stiff competition for a nomination. Several shows had lead actors in the mix, including Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Justified’s Timothy Olyphant, The Newsroom’s Jeff Daniels, and House of Cards’s Kevin Spacey.

The one thing Hunnam had going for him is the final season of Sons of Anarchy had received great reviews from fans and critics alike. Hunnam also put together one of his best performances, taking the entire series to a new level.

Kurt Sutter opens up about Charlie Hunnam’s Emmy chances

Ahead of the 2015 Emmys, Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter opened up about Hunnam’s performance in the final season. According to Variety, Sutter praised Hunnam for elevating his character to new heights and for juggling a range of emotions, leading Jax towards a spiritual experience.

Sutter also shared his thoughts on the Emmys, revealing what is usually takes to receive a nomination from the voters.

“You really have to figure out how to make your show noisier just so it gets through, and some of that is about money and marketing,” Sutter explained. “But my belief is that shows get good buzz because they’re good shows.”

While Hunnam certainly had a chance to land an Emmy nomination that year, he ended up losing out on a chance to win the prestigious award. Instead, nominations were given to Hamm, Daniels, and Spacey. Kyle Chandler (Bloodline), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), and Live Schreiber (Ray Donovan) were also nominated in the category.

As fans may recall, Hamm took home the Emmy that year for his part as Don Draper on Mad Men. Like Hunnam, Hamm’s portrayal of Draper was the catalyst for the show’s success, leaving many fans wondering how things would have turned out if Hunnam had received the nomination instead.

How did Hunnam feel about the Emmy snub?

By the time the last season of Sons of Anarchy was over, Hunnam and the rest of the cast of Sutter’s biker drama were used to getting snubbed at the Emmys. So when he failed to win a nomination in 2015, Hunnam’s feelings were not hurt in the least.

In fact, the actor later revealed that he does not put much stock in the Emmys. For Hunnam, he only cares about making a show that pleases his fans and friends. If he accomplishes that at the end of the day then all is good.

Although we’re sure Hunnam would have like to win an Emmy, it isn’t the end of the world for him or anyone else who was a part of Sons of Anarchy. Following the end of the series, Charlie Hunnam went on to build an impressive career in Hollywood, starring in films like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Lost City of Z, Triple Frontier, and more.

Sutter was also given the green light to produce a Sons of Anarchy spin-off for FX called Mayans MC. The series is now in its second season and, not surprisingly, has yet to receive any Emmy attention.

The 71st Primetime Emmys are set to kick off on September 22 on Fox.

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