Amid a sea of excellent performances, only one can grace the stage and pick up the trophy.
That’s why some of the biggest TV stars have yet to walk away an Emmy winner. Take, for instance, Seth Rogen who has been nominated for nine awards over the years, including on Pam & Tommy and The Boys.
However, this year could be his as he is up for four awards for his work on The Studio: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. (For all of this year’s Emmy nominations, head on over here.)
Seth, who got his start on the small screen in 1999 with Freaks & Geeks, isn’t the only sitcom actor that has yet to pick-up a trophy. Kayley Cuoco hasn’t either, though she has been nominated three times for her role in the HBO hit The Flight Attendant. Even more surprisingly, she was never nominated for her 12 seasons on The Big Band Theory.
Steve Carell is in the same boat too, with 11 nominations for his work in The Morning Show and The Office.
And then there’s Noah Wyle, who has the opportunity to finally win an Emmy at the Sept. 14 ceremony—and doing so playing another doctor, no less.
Despite being nominated five times for his role as Dr. John Carter in ER in the ‘90s, Noah picked up two more nominations this year for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series for his work on The Pitt.
“I gave up hope that this was going to be something that my career was going to be part of again, that this focus would beyond my work,” Noah recently admitted to People about securing his first Emmy nominations since 1999. “It’s really amazing.”
To see more stars who have yet to win an Emmy, keep reading.
Kaley Cuoco
While her Big Bang Theory costar Jim Parsons won four Emmys for playing Sheldon, Kaley was never even nominated for her role as Penny. She has, however, been nominated for an Emmy twice for her role of Cassie on The Flight Attendant.
Steve Carell
Steve received six individual Emmy nominations for his role of Michael Scott on The Office and one nod for playing disgraced news anchor Mitch Kessler on The Morning Show.
Keri Russell
The star has been nominated for an Emmy four times for The Diplomat, most recently in 2023.
Kathryn Hahn
The actress is a three-time nominee, most recently nominated for her role in Tiny Beautiful Things in 2023.
Natasha Lyonne
The star has been nominated for four individual Emmys, most recently for her lead role on Poker Face in 2023.
Matthew Perry
Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston are the only core cast members of Friends who have won an Emmy. The late actor earned one individual nomination for his role of Chandler Bing, two more for The West Wing and one for The Ron Clark Story.
Courteney Cox
Justice for Monica! Shockingly, Courteney is the only core Friends cast member who has never even been nominated for an individual Emmy. In 2021, she shared a nomination for Outstanding Variety Special for her appearance in the Friends reunion.
Matt LeBlanc
The actor received seven individual Emmy nominations, including three for playing Joey on Friends and four for his role of a satirical version of himself on Episodes.
David Schwimmer
The actor was nominated for an individual Emmy for playing Ross on Friends in 1995 and received a second acting nod in 2016 for portraying Robert Kardashian, the late father of Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Rob Kardashian, on the limited series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Connie Britton
TV’s favorite mom has been shut out: Connie scored two nods for playing Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights before being nominated for her performances on American Horror Story, Nashville and The White Lotus, garnering a total of five Emmy nominations.
Kristen Wiig
The actress has been nominated for nine individual Emmys, including seven for her performances on Saturday Night Live.
Hugh Laurie
The actor has received eight individual Emmy nominations but unfortunately won none. As Dr. House would say, what’s the opposite of thank you?”
Octavia Spencer
The actress, who won an Oscar for The Help, was nominated for her first Emmy in 2020 for her lead performance in Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.
Angela Lansbury
The late legendary actress was nominated for 18 Emmys, including 12 for her role of Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote.
Cate Blanchett
The two-time Oscar winner was nominated for an individual Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance in Mrs. America in 2020.
Lauren Graham
The Parenthood actress has never received recognition at the Emmys. She has, however, been nominated for two SAG Awards and one Golden Globe for her role of Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls.
Denzel Washington
The two-time Oscar winner has received two shared Emmy nominations: Outstanding Non-Fiction Special for Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks in 2001 and Outstanding Informational Special for Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream in 1995.
Amy Adams
The six-time Oscar nominee was nominated for an individual Emmy for her performance in Sharp Objects in 2019 but has yet to win a trophy.
Emilia Clarke
The actress was nominated for Emmys in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019 for playing Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, but luck was not on her side.
Kit Harington
The actor was nominated for two Emmys for playing Jon Snow on Game of Thrones.
Beyoncé
Queen Bey received four Primetime Emmy noms for her Homecoming Variety Special in 2019. She was also nominated for Lemonade, her On the Run Tour special and her Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show, and also received a Daytime Emmy nod for Outstanding Original Song for the Talks with Mama Tina theme song.
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Oscar winner has been nominated for one Emmy, for his 2014 documentary Virunga, which is about mountain gorillas. It was a contender for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Hugh Grant
The Love Actually star has been nominated for Emmys for his roles in The Undoing and A Very English Scandal.
Milo Ventimiglia
The actor was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for This is Us but sadly never walked away with an Emmy.
Mandy Moore
The Tangled actress was nominated for one Emmy, for her role on This Is Us, in 2019 but came up empty-handed.
Lena Dunham
The star received eight Emmy nominations for Girls, including three for acting and two for directing.
Don Cheadle
This isn’t Marvel-ous… Don has been nominated for an Emmy for acting 11 times and has never won.
