HBO Max Just Steamrolled Netflix at the 2025 Emmys
With 142 nominations, HBO Max reclaims its crown, while Netflix and Apple TV trail behind
HBO Max came back with a vengeance this Emmy season. After a relatively quiet 2024—where Hollywood strikes kneecapped nearly every major player in the game—the Warner Bros Discovery-backed streamer has surged ahead with a commanding 142 Emmy nominations, its highest ever.
Meanwhile, Netflix is not too far behind with 120 nominations, but still chasing the tail of a very confident frontrunner.
This year, HBO Max is doing what it’s always done best. Its nomination haul is anchored by The Penguin (24 nominations), The White Lotus (23), The Last of Us (16), and Hacks (14), proving once again that when it comes to drama with depth, genre with scale, and comedy with teeth—HBO is setting the rules.
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The Return of the King
This isn’t HBO’s first time at the top, but it’s certainly its most strategic ascent. Back in 2020, it had hit 140 nominations. That same year, Netflix managed to briefly outpace everyone with a record 160 nominations.
The streamer’s surge is all the more significant considering its dip last year, when it clocked just 91 nominations amid strike-induced programming delays. In a year where many platforms floundered, HBO appears to have used the time to rearm—quietly stacking its arsenal with high-calibre titles that are now dominating the awards conversation.
The Penguin, a moody Gotham-set noir, surprised everyone with its 24 nods—a number only eclipsed by Apple TV+’s Severance, which led the entire pack with 27. Meanwhile, the familiar heavyweights returned in full force: The White Lotus continues to be an awards magnet, and The Last of Us has proven that video game adaptations can finally carry both viewers and Emmys.
Netflix: Strong, But No Crown
Netflix, on the other hand, delivered a respectable 120 nominations—up from 107 last year—but once again finds itself second to HBO. Its biggest contenders include Adolescence (13 nods), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (11), and Black Mirror (10).
The streamer has long been the poster child for “more is more,” flooding the market with content across genres, formats, and languages. But Emmy voters—like audiences—seem to be rewarding a tighter, more curated slate.
The Apple TV+ Wildcard
Perhaps the most interesting twist this season is Apple TV+. Still relatively young in streaming years, the platform bagged 79 nominations this year—fuelled largely by Severance (27 nods) and The Studio (23), two very on-brand Apple offerings: stylish, cerebral, and sneakily addictive.
Apple’s growth trajectory has been fascinating. It doesn’t compete on quantity, and it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, it’s quietly building a reputation for premium drama with a certain kind-of slow-burn appeal. If HBO and Netflix are the old guard, it seems like Apple is the insurgent that’s playing a very long—and very patient—game.
The Disney Ecosystem: Still in the Game
Meanwhile, Disney’s platforms—FX, Hulu, Disney+, ABC—collectively scored 128 nominations. The Bear on FX remains a critical darling with 13 nods, while Andor Season 2 led the Disney+ charge with 14. There’s also love for Agatha All Along and the Beatles documentary ’64. Still, FX’s overall tally took a dip after the Shogun sweep last year.
In a post-strike landscape, where every streamer is recalibrating its strategy and slate, HBO Max’s performance at the 2025 Emmys is a flex.
Netflix, Apple, and Disney all had strong mornings, but it’s HBO Max that walks away as the real winner this awards cycle. The numbers don’t lie—but more importantly, neither does the narrative.