Why Heated Rivalry was snubbed in 2026 Emmy nominations as Connor Storrie gets nod

Heated Rivalry is undoubtedly one of the biggest shows on television in the past 12 months, but it got no nominations at the 2026 Emmys.

But it turns out there’s a very simple reason for that, which has nothing to do with whether the show is good or not (it is, it’s very good).

Heated Rivalry is ineligible for any Emmys nominations, as it was produced in Canada.

As per the award show’s rules: “Foreign television production is ineligible unless it is the result of a co-production (both financially and creatively) between US and foreign partners, which precedes the start of production, and with a purpose to be shown on US television.”

As fans will know, the show debuted in Canada and was completely produced there, funded by Bell Media to stream on Crave.

It has since streamed on HBO Max in the US, however that deal was done after the show came out in Canada, and was just a distribution deal.

With Heated Rivalry season two set to start production, it looks as though it will remain ineligible, as it is still produced by Bell Media, with HBO Max streaming it as part of that distribution deal.

Why did Heated Rivalry get made in Canada?

Showrunner Jacob Tierney had tried to get funds to make the show from companies in America, but they wanted to put restrictions on the script.

François Arnaud, who plays hunky hockey player Scott Hunter, said during an appearance on CBS Mornings in January: “It was set up at a big streamer before, and they had so many notes and so many thoughts on what that show could be that Jacob decided to leave them and get it made in Canada.”

According to the actor, the streamer did not want any kissing until episode five – the penultimate episode.

Similarly, Tierney told the LA Times in February that one unnamed production company said the show “won’t work without a female entry point”, suggesting Rose Landry (played by Sophie Nélisse) should be introduced earlier, with a love triangle between her, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).

Fans of the source material – the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid – will know that the show was very loyal to the original plot, and that the Rose Landy storyline was hugely important for Shane’s character development.

Tierney also said some potential financiers wanted more characters, and fewer naughty scenes – again, something which would completely differ from the source material.

Is Connor Storrie nominated for an Emmy?

Of course, an Emmy isn’t the only sign of success. Heated Rivalry turned its cast into overnight superstars, and actually did help lead Connor Storrie bag an Emmy nomination.

While he isn’t nominated for his work on the gay hockey drama, for reasons above, his sudden popularity did get him an invitation to host Saturday Night Live.

And it’s for that which he is nominated, in the category “Guest actor in a comedy series”.

He hosted the 28 February episode, with Mumford & Sons as the musical guest.

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