The Canadian-produced series Heated Rivalry will not be eligible for the 2026 Emmy Awards. The show premiered on the Canadian streaming service Crave before HBO acquired it for U.S. distribution.
The first season of Heated Rivalry is ineligible because it was produced solely by the Canadian company Accent Aigu Entertainment and did not originate on an American network. HBO acquired the series a few weeks before its Crave debut.
The show stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov. It is adapted by Jacob Tierney from Rachel Reid's Game Changers romance novels.
Despite the Emmy exclusion, Heated Rivalry has received multiple honors. It won Outstanding New TV Series at the GLAAD Media Awards in January and the Peabody Award in May. The series also earned a record 16 wins at the Canadian Screen Awards in May.
Emmy nominations are scheduled to be announced Wednesday morning. The show has been renewed for a second season that will film this summer in Canada.
