Arcane nominated for Outstanding Animated Program
The second season of the beloved series based on the world of Runterra, Arcane, has been nominated for Outstanding Animated Program and Outstanding Sound Editing For An Animated Program at this year’s Emmy Awards.
The series, created in collaboration with Riot Games, Fortiche Productions, and Netflix, blew up in popularity back when the series first launched in 2021. With the second season released last year over the course of November.
Known for its stylish animation, soundtrack, and prestige storytelling, Arcane became a worldwide phenomenon that broke out into mainstream pop culture.
Arcane nominated at the 2025 Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards celebrates the best of TV shows in the past year, with Arcane being honoured alongside the likes of Severance, The Last of Us, Andor, and more.
Arcane’s second season has been nominated at the 2025 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program and Outstanding Sound Editing For An Animated Program.
For the main award of Outstanding Animated Program, they’ll be up against Bob’s Burgers, Common Side Effects, Love, Death + Robots, and The Simpsons.
Notable absences include Invincible, Creature Commandos, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Devil May Cry.
While for Outstanding Sound Editing For An Animated Program, they face Love, Death + Robots, Secret Level, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and What If...?
Video game nominations at the 2025 Emmys
Alongside Arcane is a handful of TV series based on popular video games, which have seen critical success.
By no surprise, leading the charge is season two of The Last of Us.
Despite bringing back the controversy of its story, the series is still held in high regard and has received 16 nominations in total.
However, it was recently announced that Neil Druckman has left his creative role on the show to return his focus back on Naughty Dog.
As previously mentioned, the anthology series based on video game franchises, Secret Level, received a nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing For An Animated Program.
Adapting video games has become increasingly popular as studios are finally understanding how to adapt beloved IP, with a few exceptions such as Halo.
Fans will have a lot to be excited about as Fallout seasons two and three have been confirmed, while Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is set to be released on Netflix later this year.
Meanwhile, Arcane’s creators have teased an upcoming spin-off series set in Mel’s and Ambessa’s homeland of Noxus.
Animation snubbed by Emmys
This year, the Emmy Awards have 42 main awards with a further 77 sub-awards going to the best TV shows over the past year.
However, only two categories are dedicated to animation, with very few being able to break out into the other categories.
Adding to the ongoing dispute of animation being an art form, which arises at every awards announcement.
Arcane has spawned a franchise for Riot Games thanks to the incredible efforts put in by all those involved.
However, in the eyes of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), Arcane is comparable to shows such as The Simpsons.
Meanwhile, shows with unique animations or intriguing storytelling are left by the wayside.
