It's an honor to be nominated ... or so they say. Ellen Pompeo, Peter Gallagher and more of Hollywood's most recognizable TV actors have somehow evaded the Emmy Awards throughout their careers. Pompeo has been a television staple since Grey's Anatomy first aired in 2005, but her work has yet to be celebrated by the Television Academy. Overall, the ABC drama has earned 39 nominations and five wins, with Katherine Heigl winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007. Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight were all nominated for their work on the medical drama as well. Despite never having scored Emmy recognition for her portrayal of Meredith Grey, Pompeo celebrated her former costar's groundbreaking 2018 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. At the time, Oh became the first Asian American actress to be nominated in that category for her role on Killing Eve. "I was not on my phone yesterday and clearly missed A LOT!!! Congratulations @IamSandraOh this is beyond well-deserved and your history making is incredibly moving. Can't wait to hear your speech!! Which will have us in tears and laughing at the same time no I'm sure," the Massachusetts native tweeted in July 2018. "No one can touch this girl's dedication to storytelling or her talent." Scroll down to see which famous TV stars have never been nominated for an Emmy.

It's an honor to be nominated ... or so they say. Ellen Pompeo, Peter Gallagher and more of Hollywood's most recognizable TV actors have somehow evaded the Emmy Awards throughout their careers. Pompeo has been a television staple since Grey's Anatomy first aired in 2005, but her work has yet to be celebrated by the Television Academy. Overall, the ABC drama has earned 39 nominations and five wins, with Katherine Heigl winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007. Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight were all nominated for their work on the medical drama as well. Despite never having scored Emmy recognition for her portrayal of Meredith Grey, Pompeo celebrated her former costar's groundbreaking 2018 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. At the time, Oh became the first Asian American actress to be nominated in that category for her role on Killing Eve. "I was not on my phone yesterday and clearly missed A LOT!!! Congratulations @IamSandraOh this is beyond well-deserved and your history making is incredibly moving. Can't wait to hear your speech!! Which will have us in tears and laughing at the same time no I'm sure," the Massachusetts native tweeted in July 2018. "No one can touch this girl's dedication to storytelling or her talent." Scroll down to see which famous TV stars have never been nominated for an Emmy.

Jake Johnson has never received an Emmy nod despite critical acclaim for his role as Nick Miller in the Fox sitcom New Girl, which aired for seven seasons from 2011 to 2018. In 2026, he starred in AppleTV’s crime series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which has received mostly positive reviews. 

With iconic performances in The O.C., New Girl and Grace and Frankie under his belt, it's hard to believe the New York-born actor hasn't achieved Emmy status yet.

The actor scored Golden Globe nominations for his roles on Sex and the City and The Good Wife, but he has never received an Emmy nod.

Katey Sagal tackled comedy on Married With Children and got a Golden Globe nomination, then took on drama with Sons of Anarchy, for which she earned a Golden Globe win. Her day in the Emmy spotlight, however, has yet to arrive.

They Emmys have yet to recognize Constance Wu’s deadpan delivery on Fresh Off the Boat, a performance that helped her earn the starring role in the blockbuster film Crazy Rich Asians.

A favorite of populist award shows such as the People’s Choice Awards and the MTV Movie Awards, Ashton Kutcher has kept TV audiences laughing for two decades with his roles in That ’70s Show, Two and a Half Men and The Ranch, yet still has not received an Emmy nomination.

One of the longest-serving stars of The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus’ performance as Daryl Dixon on the AMC hit has captivated fans for eight-plus seasons but has come up lacking in the Emmy department.

Grey's Anatomy fans may be stunned to learn that Ellen Pompeo has yet to land a nomination, despite her 10-plus seasons of bringing title character Meredith Grey to life. A number of Grey's cast members have managed to earn Emmy voters' attentions, with Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and former costar Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang) previously landing nominations for their contributions to ABC's long-running medical drama.

Lauren Graham has starred on two beloved network dramas, Gilmore Girls (which started on the WB before moving to the CW) and Parenthood (NBC), both of which have showcased her knack for nailing laughs and sentiment in a single scene.

The CW's Gossip Girl was not exactly awards-show bait, but Blake Lively's six seasons as Serena van der Woodsen earned her legions of fans and propelled her to a major film career.

Ian Somerhalder turned heads in his lone season on ABC's Lost, but it's as Damon Salvatore on the CW's The Vampire Diaries that he truly earned viewers' undying adoration.

Amy Poehler racked up a slew of Emmy nominations for playing lovable Leslie Knope on NBC's Parks and Recreation, but the same cannot be said for Chris Pratt, who brought Andy Dwyer to life before launching his hugely successful movie career.

Her role as Jackie Burkhart on Fox's That '70s Show landed Mila Kunis numerous Teen Choice Award nominations. Alas, Emmy voters weren't quite as generous.