Here’s Why ‘Hamilton’s Cast Can’t Win Oscars or Emmys

Hamilton won’t be adding an Oscar to its long list of awards. The filmed version of the musical, which just hit Disney+ last weekend (July 3), is not eligible for the Academy Awards, despite a rule change this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While the Academy will now consider streamed films, Hamilton does not meet the eligibility requirements, Variety reports. Yes, it is a film that technically debuted on a streaming service, but it won’t make the cut. According to academy rules, “Recorded stage productions are not eligible for consideration.” So sadly, no shot at the Oscars for Hamilton. 

The good news is, Hamilton will be eligible for next year’s Emmys, but with a catch. The film will not be able to submit to the movie category, and will instead have to give it a try in the outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) category.

“Programs exclusively originated for or derived/adapted from a medium other than television or broadband (e.g. taped concert tour performance, Broadway play, opera, night club act), and entertainment components of sports programs (e.g. halftime show) are eligible as appropriate in variety special (live) or variety special (pre-recorded),” the TV Academy rules state.

TV Academy rules will also prevent Hamilton from snagging multiple performer Emmys. Only the principal host or performer — most likely Lin-Manuel Miranda — can enter the program categories; secondary performers are ineligible.

One category that Hamilton isn’t so limited in is the music category, a gift for a show that became famous for its songs. While the filmed musical won’t be able to submit in the original music and lyrics fields, it will be eligible for the outstanding music direction category.

Although Hamilton has been closed out of the 2021 Oscars, the rules for musicals weren’t always so exclusive. The 1976 one-man show “Give ’em Hell, Harry” earned James Whitmore a best actor nomination, but the criteria was changed decades later in 1997, making recorded stage performances ineligible for consideration.

Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015, has previously won 11 Tonys, a Grammy, and the Pulitzer Prize. The filmed version on Disney+ stars Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo.

Watch Hamilton on Disney+