Where’s ‘Death by Lightning’? How One TV Snub at the Actor Awards Illustrates a Bigger Issue

There are always so-called snubs at awards shows, and the Actor Awards are no different. The event formerly known as the SAG Awards limits its TV nominations to five slots apiece and limits its limited series category even further by not including a Best Ensemble section.

But at first blush, the 2026 nominations seem… fine. Only a handful of nominees stand out as peculiar. (Aimee Lou Wood over Carrie Coon? OK! Kristen Wiig over Kristen Bell? Good!) If anything, so many familiar names and show titles make this year’s batch of acting honorees seem a little too predictable.

“The Studio” is the most-nominated series with five nods. “The White Lotus” is the most-nominated drama series (with four) and “Adolescence” is the most-nominated limited series (also with four — although it reached that figure without the benefit of a Best Ensemble category).

Gee, where have we heard that before?

Therein lies the rub. Typically, the Actors Awards, nee SAG Awards, can be counted on to elevate a new crop of Emmy contenders. New shows released in the winter and fall need an end-of-year boost to remain top of mind for voters in the months ahead, and the Actors Awards are perfectly timed (and legitimate enough) to do exactly that. Last January’s nominations helped freshmen series like “Nobody Wants This,” “Matlock,” and “The Penguin” start building the necessary momentum to compete again in July.

But while this year’s batch certainly has its beneficiaries — “The Beast in Me” over-performed with two nominations, while Sarah Snook looks to solidify Peacock’s “All Her Fault” as an unexpected awards player — far more new series were shut out than let in.

And none are more baffling than “Death by Lightning.”

Before getting to Mike Makowsky’s extremely awards-friendly Netflix series, let’s take a brief look at the other notable newbies who didn’t win over SAG-AFTRA members. “Alien: Earth” earned raves for breakouts Babou Ceesay and Sydney Chandler, but genre fare is a tough sell for most awards bodies. The same unfortunate explanation could be applied to Alexander Skarsgård’s exemplary performance in “Murderbot,” which also lacked “Alien’s” viewership reach.

“Too Much” is an easier sell, given Lena Dunham’s clout and an affable cast, but perhaps the title proved out for voters. The summer release date didn’t help either, which could’ve been a sticking point for Owen Wilson in “Stick,” as well. (Sorry.) “Forever” technically debuted in time for the Emmys, and its lack of traction there — not to mention Netflix’s nonexistent campaigning — likely lowered its chances at mounting a resurgence with actors.

OK, OK. Enough with the shows no one really expected to surprise at the SAGs. What about the new, marquee shows? The true contenders? The shows that absolutely expect to be mentioned in 2026 Emmy predictions?

“I Love L.A.” couldn’t capitalize on a prime November rollout, HBO’s marketing machine, solid reviews, and Odessa A’zion’s breakout turn in “Marty Supreme” (which she was nominated for). Rachel Sennott’s comedy may have lacked a singular breakout performance, or it may have just been too Gen-Z targeted, but it’s exactly the type of dark horse that could break into the Best Ensemble category. The cast is that good, and HBO knows how to get their programming in front of voters.

Speaking of HBO, what the hell happened to “Task”? If voters can sit through “Hamnet” and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” I don’t want to hear that Brad Ingelsby’s “Mare of Easttown” follow-up was “too sad” — especially when series lead Mark Ruffalo won just five years ago for the saddest show of all time. Maybe the surprise renewal threw people for a loop. (I, for one, always thought it was a limited series.)

The Drama race is tight, what with Noah Wyle, Walton Goggins, and Sterling K. Brown all but guaranteed slots, but Ruffalo is a big enough name to command attention (he’s been nominated six times and won twice), Tom Pelphrey arguably gives an even stronger performance, and the rest of the ensemble includes a slew of actors I’m shocked have yet to be nominated. (Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, and Martha Plimpton: Your time will come!)

Martha Plimpton and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Task’Courtesy of Peter Kramer / HBO

HBO can lean on “Task’s” nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards to entice Emmy voters, but FX will have to find a way to reenergize Ethan Hawke’s fanbase if there’s any hope for “The Lowdown.” Frankly, I can’t believe that’s necessary given the charm offensive he’s been on for the better part of six months, which landed Hawke a coveted Best Actor nomination for “Blue Moon” (hopefully easing his path to Oscar glory). But those same voters seem to have skipped his TV work. Sure, creator Sterlin Harjo’s last outstanding comedy series struggled to gain awards traction in its first season, but “Reservation Dogs” lacked a lead of Hawke’s star power, not to mention his established supporting cast. Where’s the love, actors?

I suspect not enough voters saw “The Lowdown” to get it over the hump, and that brings us back to the year’s most stupefying snub. FX and Hulu combined for five Actors Awards nominations, or exactly one-third what Netflix got. (Many of which were for shows with far worse reviews: “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”… really, guys? Really?) By now, every awards tracker is familiar with Netflix’s reputation: lots of nominations, few wins. But in an attention economy, simply being seen is often what matters most, and actors were watching Netflix long before Netflix started streaming the Actors Awards.

So why the cold shoulder for “Death by Lightning”? Its got Netflix and its massive subscriber base in its corner. Its two leads, Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen, are well-known by the voting base. (Shannon is a three-time nominee with two ensemble wins for “Boardwalk Empire,” while Macfadyen is a four-time nominee with two ensemble wins for “Succession.”) Its supporting cast is strong (Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, Nick Offerman, and Shea Whigham, to name a few), the reviews were outstanding, and it’s a period story told with a modern flair that’s centered on American history.

Granted, “Death by Lightning” is a limited series dominated by men, so it should only expect to compete in one category: Best Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series. But that’s where it’s strongest and, it turns out, where Netflix is strongest. The streaming giant took all five slots in the category, spread over four shows, none of which were “Death by Lightning.” Sure, “Adolescence” is a phenomenon, Jason Bateman is beloved by actors (to the tune of 12 nominations and three wins), and Charlie Hunnam did the most acting of anyone on the ballot, but it still feels like “Death by Lightning’s” exclusion comes back to the same issue that plagued the rest of this year’s Actor Award nominees: It’s too new.

Call it whatever you like — unfamiliar, overlooked, under-seen — but the 2026 nominees reflect a lack of engagement. Most of the field consists of old favorites (“The White Lotus,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Hacks,” “The Diplomat,” and even “Severance,” despite Adam Scott and Tramell Tillman’s surprise snubs) or new shows already anointed by the Emmys (“The Studio,” “Adolescence,” “The Pitt”). Maybe these are simply what the actors prefer. Maybe they saw all the aforementioned snubs and simply liked these other performances more.

But that’s difficult to believe when of the 14 first-time TV nominees for individual performances, only two came from shows that don’t match the above description. And of those two, one was from a previously nominated series (Charlie Hunnam in “Monster”) and the other should’ve been nominated many, many years ago (Matthew Rhys).

Awards shows always have snubs, and what’s considered a snub is always subjective. But new shows need the attention awards shows can offer to build an audience and earn renewals. They’re fighting an uphill battle just to be seen, and that battle seems to get harder and harder each year. This year, too many new shows, specifically from the second-half of 2025, were conspicuously absent from the Actors Awards.

I hope that doesn’t matter to “Death by Lightning,” a limited series whose creators deserve to make whatever they want for a follow-up, or “The Lowdown,” which earned a Season 2 renewal just before the nominations were announced. But I’m sure it mattered to other shows out there, and as long as we value awards shows, it will certainly continue to matter in the years to come.

The 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA will be held Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET and be available to stream exclusively on Netflix.