Connor Storrie Reflects on Incredibly Surreal First Emmy Nomination: Im so Grateful

Heated Rivalry breakout Connor Storrie has earned his first Emmy nomination — but it’s not for the show you’re thinking of. The 26-year-old actor nabbed a nom in the best guest actor in a comedy category Wednesday morning for his Saturday Night Live hosting gig.

While Heated Rivalry was ineligible due to the fact it’s an entirely Canadian financed production, Storrie was eligible through the long-running sketch comedy show, which he appeared on earlier this year. The actor hosted the Feb. 28 episode of SNL, which featured Mumford & Sons as the musical guest. He brought out his pal and onscreen Heated Rivalry beau Hudson Williams for a sketch in the episode.

“SNL was such a ‘pinch me’ moment in my career,” Storrie told The Hollywood Reporter about the nomination in an email statement. “It was a formative part of my life growing up, so to be recognized by the Academy for hosting feels incredibly surreal. I’m so grateful to everyone who made that night possible.”

The guest actor in a comedy prize is typically given out at the Creative Arts Emmys, ahead of the televised main ceremony. The Creative Arts ceremony is currently slated to take place over two days, Sept. 5 and Sept. 6. The Emmys will take place the following weekend on Sept. 12.

The Texas-born actor found himself in a unique situation this awards season. Heated Rivalry, which hails from Canadian streamer Crave and airs on HBO Max in the U.S., was eligible for awards domestically, and it won plenty of them.

Heated Rivalry took home 16 awards at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, including best drama series, best lead performer for Williams, best direction and writing for a drama series for Jacob Tierney, best supporting performer for Sophie Nélisse and more. Storrie was not eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards, as he’s American.

Storrie has been busy since Heated Rivalry finished airing late last year and already has a slew of projects he’s worked on this year. He’s expected to be seen next in the A24 comedy Peaked, from Molly Gordon and SNL writer Allie Levitan. He was most recently in a multi-episode arc on Criminal Minds Evolution, which was booked and shot before Heated Rivalry premiered.

The queer hockey drama has made certified stars out of both Storrie and Williams. The pair presented at the 2026 Golden Globes, served as torchbearers in the 2026 Olympic Torch Relay and made their MET Gala debut in the just over seven months since the show premiered. Since the show’s premiere, Storrie has landed several coveted luxury brand ambassadorship gigs, including both Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. The actor and Yardley graced the cover of THR‘s Power Stylist issue earlier this year for their work together.

Heated Rivalry, which airs on HBO Max in the U.S., is based on the popular romance books by Reid. The show’s first season is based on the second novel, Heated Rivalry. Tierney created, wrote and directed the series.

The series is set in a fictional professional hockey universe andfocuses on two rival professional players —Canada-born Shane Hollander (Williams)of the fictitious Montreal Metros andRussia-born Ilya Rozanov (Storrie)of the fictitious Boston Raiders — as they navigate anear-decade-long situationship-turned-relationship.

CraverenewedHeated Rivalryfor a second seasonearly into the show’s first season run. HBO Max has confirmed it will continue to air the series. Storrie is slated to return to the show this summer to shoot the second season, which isaiming for a spring 2027 release. The upcoming season will be based on the next installment of Shane and Ilya’s story in Reid’s novels,The Long Game, along with the fifth book in the series,Role Model.

July 8, 12:37 p.m. Updated with Connor Storrie’s statement.