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Why ‘Heated Rivalry’ didn’t get a single Golden Globes 2026 nod and it’s not about popularity

Despite the snub, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie represented 'Heated Rivalry' at the 2026 Golden Globes, just not in the way fans hoped

'Heated Rivalry' proved to be the breakout success story that audiences didn't anticipate. Now that the show has been positively received far and wide, curiosity regarding the show's upcoming seasons is at an all-time high. While it is customary for the most popular shows to be nominated for the diverse categories of the Golden Globes each year, 'Heated Rivalry' was not nominated for the coveted awards this year. Although initially believed to have been omitted due to a delayed submission window, the real reason why the Crave show wasn't nominated for the Globes is rooted in something different. 

It all came down to the location and how the show was produced. As reported by 'Teen Vogue', the six episodes of 'Heated Rivalry' were rolled out just in time to be considered for the Globes. However, they were omitted owing to the nature of their origin. 'Heated Rivalry' is produced initially by the Canadian streaming service Crave, which is in turn owned by Bell Media. The television rules governing the Golden Globes have strict criteria to determine which shows are eligible for nomination. In this context, television shows produced outside the United States' borders are regarded as foreign entries at the Globes and cannot be nominated for the general categories. 

There's one exception to this rule: a foreign show must be a genuine co-production between a foreign production partner and a U.S. partner. The rule further states that the terms of the co-production must be clearly spelled out way before filming begins. In this light, 'Heated Rivalry' falls short of the criterion, as HBO Max acquired only the distribution rights of the show, and these were acquired after the debut season had finished production at Crave. The only way the show could have been nominated this year for the Globes was if HBO Max had been involved in the creative and financial process of making the series from the outset. This is the real reason why the show wasn't nominated for the Globes despite meeting the other criteria of popularity. 

HBO, on its part, wishes to continue the existing business arrangement with Crave for the upcoming sophomore season of the show and is primarily concerned with distribution. This was confirmed by a Variety magazine report, which quoted HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys stating, "We're not going to be involved. I think the last thing the show needs is people meddling in what works. So, I don't feel any need to weigh in. Clearly, they've got a good sense of the show and what works." 

In other news, both 'Heated Rivalry' stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie were present at the recently held Globes red carpet at the Beverly Hilton. This was a special moment for them, especially since it marked their first time at the awards. "It's a little nerve-wracking here, being at our first Golden Globes", said Storrie. 'Heated Rivalry' is available for streaming on HBO Max.