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The Harry Potter series is one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history. The movies are up there with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. However, unlike its counterparts, Harry Potter hasn’t been able to land an Oscar win in all its years. The franchise recently landed an Emmy nomination, and it may win the award over a decade after its Oscar losses.

‘Harry Potter’ consistently lost at the Oscars despite several nominations

harry potter emmy
(L to R) Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint attend the World Premiere of ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2’ in Trafalgar Square on July 7, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)

When Harry Potter debuted in 2001, it enthralled audiences with its magic and characters. It also made and revived several careers. And eight movies later, the actors are still famous for their roles in the franchise.

The movies spanned a decade, and by the time the last film was released in 2011, the franchise had made an impressive $2 billion at the box office and made itself a cultural phenomenon. By 2012, the Harry Potter movies had received a total of 12 Oscar nominations.

The only two movies in the franchise that didn’t receive nods were Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. However, despite having several chances to take home the coveted golden statue, neither of the nominated films in the series ever won an Academy Award.

Yahoo! Entertainment offered several reasons why Harry Potter never won an Oscar. For starters, the site noted that the Harry Potter series was mainly considered children’s entertainment. Secondly, they are blockbusters, and The Academy tends to shy away from mainstream hits.

Thirdly, the directors weren’t famous enough. Fourth, the CGI in the films was poor, and lastly, The Academy didn’t consider the acting performances to be Oscar-worthy. While the main movies lost out, the franchise found redemption when Colleen Atwood won an Oscar for her work on the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

‘Harry Potter’ was nominated for an Emmy for its 20th anniversary special

While the 2022 Emmy nominations have garnered uproar over its snubs, Harry Potter earned a nomination years after the original franchise ended.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts was nominated in the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category. The movie is a reunion special featuring the original cast members as they reminisce on their journey at Hogwarts and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The special was released on January 1, 2022.

The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is up against heavy hitters like Adele: One Night Only, Dave Chappelle: The Closer, Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, and One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton took home the award last year. The movie is also up for an Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.

‘Harry Potter’ cast members who’ve won Oscars since appearing in the films

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The Harry Potter movies may not have done well at the Oscars. But its gifted cast has received several combined Oscar nominations and won some since appearing in the films. Perhaps the most notable is Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), who won an Oscar in 2017 for his performance in Darkest Hour.

Additionally, Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn) won an Oscar in 2002 for his role in Iris. Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall) has two Oscars, as does Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart). And Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney) has one Oscar as well as several other nominations. 

However, none of the principal young cast members — like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint — have ever won an Oscar. 

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