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The Emmy Awards could have been big for The Handmaid’s Tale this year. With 21 nominations, it stands to reason the hit series would receive an Emmy or two, but that wasn’t the case this year. We have the devastating details fans will want to know.

Elisabeth Moss in 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Elisabeth Moss in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ didn’t win any Emmy Awards this year

The popular series that streams on Hulu seemed like a clear winner going into the Emmys on Sunday evening. With many nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and a few for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, the show had an overwhelming crushing blow at the Emmys this year. The show didn’t win one single Emmy Award according to the Emmys’ official website, and that goes for the Primetime Emmy Awards as well as at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which is shocking news for some fans of the show.

According to Deadline, The Handmaid’s Tale actually broke a record previously held by Mad Men in 2012 for the most losses in one season. This isn’t a good record to break, and of course, it’s just salt in the wound for fans of the much-beloved series. 

How many Emmy Awards does ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ have?

Since we’re on the subject of Emmy Awards, how many does the Hulu series have anyways? The Handmaid’s Tale has a total of 15 Emmys, with 75 nominations in total. In 2020, it won an Emmy for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program that’s one hour or more for the episode “Household.” It also scored an Emmy for the same category the year prior for the episode “Holly.”

In 2019, the series took home an Emmy in the category for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Bradley Whitford, who plays Commander Joseph Lawrence, in the episode “Postpartum.” There was also a win that year for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Cherry Jones in “Holly.”

In the prior year, the show walked away with an Emmy for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program that’s one hour or more for the episode “June.” That same episode won Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series as well. In 2018, Samira Wiley, who plays Moira Strand, won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the episode “After.” 

The show’s first Emmy Awards scored them 8 awards

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In 2017, the first Emmys for the series, it won quite a bit, including in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode “Offred.” The same episode, which is the pilot, won Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program that’s one hour or more. It also won Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series that’s one hour. Add another to that list, because the episode “Offred” also won Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series that year.

Elisabeth Moss, who plays the main character, June Osborne or Offred, won that year for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia, took home Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series as well. The show also won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series through Alexis Bledel, who plays Dr. Emily Malek, in the episode “Late.” Plus, the series also scored in the category of Outstanding Drama Series.

Despite the loss this year, the show has won other awards before as well. But unfortunately, the show The Handmaid’s Tale wasn’t a winner this year at the Emmy Awards despite their previous victories with the Emmys.

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