“Squid Game” is continuing to make history.
Netflix’s hit survival thriller was nominated for the Emmy Award for drama series on Tuesday. The acclaimed South Korean drama is the first non-English language series to be nominated for an Emmy.
The brutal and buzzy show, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, follows a group of contestants who are in dire financial trouble as they compete in a series of deadly children’s games for a cash prize. After its global premiere in September, word-of-mouth buzz helped propel the Korean drama into becoming Netflix’s most successful show ever, according to the streamer’s own secret metrics.
Actor Lee Jung-jae also earned a nod for his performance on “Squid Game.” Lee, who portrayed the kindhearted but debt-ridden father Seong Gi-hun, was nominated for lead actor in a drama series.
“Squid Game’s” recognition by the TV Academy is a culmination of its historic awards season run. It made history at the SAG Awards as the first non-English TV series to be nominated. Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon’s individual SAG Award wins — for performance by a male actor and performance by a female actor, respectively — were the first for any non-English language or Korean series.
Among “Squid Game’s” other accolades are a Gotham Award, a People’s Choice Award and Critics’ Choice Awards. The series has also earned nominations for various critics groups.
The 74th Emmy Awards will be presented on Sept. 12.
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