Can Netflix's 'Squid Game' pull a 'Parasite'? K-drama could make history at Emmys

'Squid Game' would become the first K-drama to be nominated at the Primetime Emmys
Squid Game is Netlix's most-watched show at the moment (@NetflixKR/Twitter)
Squid Game is Netlix's most-watched show at the moment (@NetflixKR/Twitter)

Everyone’s favorite Netflix show at the moment might just make history. The popular K-drama ‘Squid Game’ reached new heights of fame as it was watched globally and has been trending on social media for weeks. Subject to several discourses, fan theories and analysis, the K-drama is the talk of the town. According to Netflix, the show was #1 in more than 90 countries. And now it may even make history by getting nominated for an Emmy.

We had last seen this global phenomenon in 2020 when the fourth season of ‘Money Heist’ aka ‘La Casa De Papel’ was rediscovered by Netflix users and ended up going viral. And now the same thing has happened with the Korean-language show ‘Squid Game’. K-drama watchers, as well as those who have never watched a K-drama, are obsessed with the show. With the probability of Season 2 being high, thanks to the positive reception, it looks like the show is also set to make a name in the award show circuit like the Emmys.

RELATED ARTICLES
Is Netflix's 'Squid Game' having Season 2? Truth about hints makers are dropping

Jung Hoyeon: From breakout 'Squid Game' star to Louis Vuitton global ambassador



 

'Squid Game' eligible for Emmy

Variety reported on October 7 that they had looked into the eligibility of ‘Squid Game’ and if it could be nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Well, it looks like the odds are in our favor. When asked, the Television Academy confirmed that the K-drama would indeed be eligible and if sent in, it could be nominated for Emmy awards. The criteria for getting nominated for the American award is to have an American distributor with the aim of distributing the TV show in the USA. And with Netflix being an American company, ‘Squid Game’ is in luck.

However, there is a pro and a con. Since ‘Squid Game’ was actually produced by an international production company, it is also eligible for the International Emmys. But the show cannot choose to enter both award shows. The Primetime Emmy is organized by LA’s TV Academy while the International Emmy is organized by New York’s International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The two have a policy that does not allow shows to be nominated at both award shows. So, the production of ‘Squid Game’ will have to choose which award show will they most likely win and send it there.



 

But the general prediction happens to be that ‘Squid Game’ could very well pull a ‘Parasite’. The 2019 Korean language film swept the award show circuit last year and even became the first non-English film to get an Oscar for the ‘Best Picture’. Many believe that if the ‘Squid Game’ is sent to the Primetime Emmys, it could make history by becoming the first K-drama to be nominated and probably win. Meanwhile, South Korea has been nominated in the past at the International Emmys. This year ‘I-Land’ and ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’ were nominated for the International Emmys.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Ellen Pompeo returns as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 brings another emergency to Grey Sloan Memorial.
2026-10-15T18:15:35.000Z
Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvester Stallone reunite in the first teaser for Paramount+’s 'Frisco King.'
2026-10-15T16:46:54.000Z
Sylvester Stallone returns as Dwight Manfredi in 'Tulsa King' Season 4, where rival gangs threaten to change his criminal empire.
2026-10-15T16:18:54.000Z
‘Tulsa King’ takes viewers beyond its namesake city as Dwight Manfredi’s empire grows across seasons. Here's a look at the real-life locations.
2026-10-15T16:02:35.000Z
Hal’s final move at the G7 raises questions about his loyalties as Kate confronts Grace, but keeps the viewers waiting for more.
2026-10-15T15:39:21.000Z
Season 6 of ‘Abbott Elementary’ premiered on October 7, and new guest stars are set to appear in upcoming episodes
2026-10-15T09:31:47.000Z
Linda Cardellini's ‘Crystal Lake’ Episode 1 pays tribute to a real snake killed during ‘Friday the 13th’ filming
2026-10-15T07:17:19.000Z
The adult animated series follows a celebrity escape artist who is pulled back into a war between Apokolips and New Genesis
2026-10-15T07:03:30.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ Season 15 Episode 2 puts Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide's marriage to the test after the latter's promotion
2026-10-15T05:26:51.000Z
‘VisionQuest’ introduces a young pickpocket from London whose past traces back to Westview and ties into ‘Agatha All Along’
2026-10-15T05:12:19.000Z