- Bryan Bedder // Getty
Emmy nominees who have never won
Since the first-ever Emmy ceremony in 1949, the awards have aimed to reward the top television talent in acting, directing, writing, production, and more. Back in the 1940s, tickets cost $5 and only six awards were given. Today, the Television Academy comprises of over 23,000 members who are divided into 30 voting groups depending on their speciality. In fact, there are so many statuettes to give out that the Emmys now take place over a three-day period. Still, among those many prizes, the acting awards are among the most coveted.
Often times, the voters succeed at rewarding TV’s top talent. On other occasions, the Academy misses the mark. As a result, some vaunted actors who have been nominated countless times have gone home empty-handed despite immense performances.
Which television stars have been nominated for the Emmys but have never won? The answers may surprise you. Stacker took a look at some of the world’s most accomplished actors who have been snubbed by the Emmys again and again.
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Robin Wright
Actress Robin Wright’s first Emmy nomination came in 1986—a Daytime Emmy nod, that is, for her work on the soap opera “Santa Barbara.” This is the first of three such noms. After starring on the big screen in “The Princess Bride,” “Forrest Gump,” and others, the Primetime Emmy Awards were also a swing and a miss for Wright. She received nods for her Netflix series "House of Cards" for five consecutive years starting in 2013, plus two nominations for Outstanding Drama Series as the show’s executive producer. However, she has never won an Emmy.
- 2 / 30Gage Skidmore // Flickr
David Duchovny
Though Duchovny earned heartthrob status as Fox Mulder on “The X-Files,” he never earned an Emmy for the role, despite two nominations. Two other nominations for “Life with Bonnie” and “The Larry Sanders Show” didn’t pan out, either—and he was never nominated for an Emmy for his starring role in Showtime’s acclaimed “Californication.”
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Kristen Wiig
When it comes to the Emmys, Wiig is always the bridesmaid and never the bride. While she was nominated seven times for her wacky, over-the-top characters on “Saturday Night Live,” and once for her performance in "The Spoils of Babylon" mini-series, she has never won.
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- 4 / 30Dominick D // Wikimedia Commons
Christina Hendricks
Playing secretary-turned-partner Joan on “Mad Men” earned Hendricks a place in pop culture history and six Emmy nominations, but no statuettes for her acting. In fact, despite nearly three dozen collective nominations, the only actor to win Emmys from “Mad Men” was star Jon Hamm—after eight years of misses.
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George Clooney
The role of Doug Ross on “ER” got Clooney two noms and no wins. He was, however, honored with the 2010 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his human rights work. While Clooney is not an Emmy winner, he does have two Oscars under his belt.
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Angela Lansbury
If noms without wins were a race, Angela Lansbury would best everyone on this list. The actress has earned a whopping 18 nominations. Some thought that the 92-year-old actress had another shot at finally breaking the drought this year for her role as Aunt March on “Little Women,” but she was overlooked.
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- 7 / 30Bryan Bedder // Getty
David Schwimmer
Schwimmer was first nominated for goofball paleontologist Ross Geller on “Friends” in 1995. He lost, but was nominated again 11 years later for playing Kardashian patriarch Robert on “American Crime Story.”
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Jason Alexander
The character of George Costanza got plenty of laughs on “Seinfeld,” but Alexander was beaten out by co-star Michael Richards, who played Kramer, for each of his seven nominations. He also lost his nom for “Oral Sex, Lies, and Videotape” in 1994. Don’t worry, Jason—it’s not you, it’s them.
- 9 / 30Dominick D // Wikimedia Commons
Denis Leary
Leary got two nominations for his work on “Rescue Me” from 2005 to 2007. He had another go at it with a supporting nod for “Recount,” but lost out to Tom Wilkinson in “John Adams.”
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Heather Locklear
The prolific actress has nearly four dozen credits to her name and even appeared on Emmy-winning shows, such as "Dynasty" and "Two and a Half Men." However, despite attending plenty of award ceremonies, she’s never even received a nomination.