‘Law & Order’ Shows, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni Shut out of Emmy Nominations

The 2021 Emmy Nominations are out and Law & Order fans will be disappointed to learn that both current franchise shows, Special Victims Unit and Organized Crime, were totally shut out. Additionally, neither Mariska Hargitay nor Christopher Meloni picked up nominations for their respective roles in the shows. Notably, Law & Order: SVU has picked up a number of Emmy nominations over the years, as well as a few wins.

Back in 2006, Hargitay took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She has been nominated in the category eight times over the years. Meloni has been nominated as well, picking up an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nod the same year that Hargitay won. Law & Order: SVU has also been nominated several times in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category, and has a handful of wins. The list of guest stars who won for their roles are Amanda Plummer (2005), Leslie Caron (2007), Cynthia Nixon (2008), Ellen Burstyn (2009), and Ann-Margret (2010).

While SVU has been on NBC for more than two decades, Organized Crime is a freshman series. It debuted earlier this year, and features the return of Meloni, who reprises his role as Elliot Stabler, former SVU detective. Now, Stabler is aiming to take down figures involved in large-scale crime, while also searching for his wife’s killer. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Meloni discussed his return to the role and explained that he was not sorry he left.

“I would have no problem admitting to it. But I was pleasantly surprised it played out as well as it did,” he said. “Because, you know, that’s not how life shakes out, right? You can have all the dreams you want, all the preconceived notions of how it’s going to be. But I must say, the intervening decade was everything I could have hoped for.”

Wolf also addressed Meloni’s exit from the iconic series, saying that “since the day [Meloni] left” he wanted the actor back. Wolf continued, “Elliot Stabler is tough as nails, he has an infallible moral compass, and he is the cop we wish shows up if you ever need one.” Wolf also very confidently insisted on Organized Crime, “This could really work.”

Finally, Meloni admitted that — even though he has no regrets about exiting SVU — he loves wearing the badge again. “It felt great, a surprising sense of freedom,” he said. “It was a very interesting feeling because I rarely get it. It was just kind of a weird sign that everything’s right, and I was where I belonged.”