Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie has earned his first Emmy nomination, but not for the show fans might have expected. The 26-year-old actor has been nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting Saturday Night Live earlier this year. The category is presented at the Creative Arts Emmys, which will take place across 5 and 6 September, ahead of the main Emmy Awards on 14 September.
Storrie hosted the 28 February episode of SNL, with Mumford & Sons appearing as musical guest. The episode also included an appearance from his Heated Rivalry co-star Hudson Williams, who joined him for a sketch during the show, giving fans a fun surprise after the pair’s success together.
The nomination comes after a huge breakout year for Storrie, who plays Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry, the hit queer hockey romance from Crave, HBO Max and Sky in the UK. While the series became one of the biggest fan-driven TV moments of the past year, it was not eligible for Emmy consideration because it is a Canadian-financed production. That remains a shame, especially given how widely praised the performances were, with many fans feeling the show deserved to be part of the conversation.
That makes Storrie’s SNL nomination a fun twist in an awards season where Heated Rivalry itself has had to sit outside the Emmy race. The series has still found major recognition elsewhere, winning 16 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer for Williams.
Based on the romance novels by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry follows rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov as their intense rivalry grows into one of TV’s most talked-about queer love stories. Yes, the series had plenty of heat, but what made it hit so hard was the relationship underneath it, as Shane and Ilya slowly found their way to each other while navigating the pressure, secrecy and fear that can come with being queer in professional sport. Created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney, the series has already been renewed for a second season, with Storrie and Williams expected to return.
Storrie’s post-Heated Rivalry rise has also continued beyond awards season. He is set to appear in A24 comedy Peaked, from Molly Gordon and Saturday Night Live writer Allie Levitan, and recently appeared in a multi-episode arc on Criminal Minds: Evolution.
For CultureCues, we are thrilled to see Connor Storrie get this recognition. Heated Rivalry not being eligible for the Emmys is still frustrating, especially when the cast gave such outstanding performances and absolutely deserved their flowers. Storrie’s Saturday Night Live nomination gives fans something to celebrate anyway, and after the breakout year he has had, it feels like another huge moment in a career moving very quickly. Ilya Rozanov would probably pretend not to care. We, however, absolutely do.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.