HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us Season 2 has officially secured its place in the limelight, racking up 16 nominations across 14 categories at the 77th Emmy Awards, the most prestigious accolade in American television, including a nod for Outstanding Drama Series.

According to the list of nominees released on the 14th (local time), the show is contending for major awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor (Pedro Pascal), Lead Actress (Bella Ramsey), Guest Actress (Kaitlyn Dever, Catherine O'Hara), and Guest Actor (Joe Pantoliano, Jeffrey Wright). The production also earned recognition in categories like casting, makeup, short-form making-of features, visual effects, sound mixing, sound editing, production design, and cinematography. However, unlike the first season which grabbed 24 nominations, this second outing notably missed out on writing and directing categories.

Meanwhile, the 77th Emmys saw Apple TV+'s hit series Severance Season 2 lead the pack with 27 nominations. The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell, followed with 24, while Apple TV+'s The Studio and The White Lotus each secured 23. That places The Last of Us in fifth place for total nominations.

Neil Druckmann of Naughty Dog shared his thoughts: "On behalf of the entire Naughty Dog development team, I thank the Academy and sincerely congratulate the entire cast and crew of The Last of Us Season 2 on their Emmy nominations." Druckmann added, "It has been a great joy for our studio to see the story of The Last of Us Part 2 find new life and new fans."

The Last of Us Season 2 covers the narrative of the game The Last of Us Part 2, with Season 3 expected to shift focus toward Abby's arc. There is even chatter that a fourth season may be required to fully flesh out the game's remaining story, suggesting the production pipeline is far from finished.

The 77th Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 14th (local time) at the Peacock Theater at LA Live in Los Angeles.