The Only Season Of Law & Order: SVU That Earned Christopher Meloni A Emmy Nomination

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" debuted on NBC in 1999, which has made it eligible for Emmy awards for over 20 years now. Unfortunately, the hit series hasn't been nominated in any category since 2011, likely due to the ever-increasing amount of content plastered across the media landscape. In the early 2000s, however, "SVU" was a popular presence at the television awards, thanks mainly in part to star Mariska Hargitay. The actress has received eight Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Olivia Benson on the series, and she walked away with the gold statue once in 2006.

Several other stars have been nominated for their performance on "SVU," most of which fell into the outstanding guest actress in a drama series. Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Plummer, Cynthia Nixon, Leslie Caron, and Ann-Margret all earned Emmy's for their one-episode appearances on the series, while Brenda Blethyn, Carol Burnett, Tracy Pollan, Martha Plimpton, Barbara Barrie, Marlee Matlin, Mare Winningham, and Marcia Gay Harden were given nods for their short stints as well.

Only two men have ever been nominated for their performances on "Law & Order: SVU." Robin Williams was given a nod for his portrayal of Merritt Rook in Season 9, in the 200th episode of the series. "SVU" OG Christopher Meloni was also nominated, but surprisingly only once. He might have been Hargitay's onscreen partner for over a decade, but he didn't get the same recognition from the academy. Here's the "SVU" season that earned Meloni his only Emmy nomination ever.

Coincidentally, Christopher Meloni was nominated when Mariska Hargitay won her award in 2006. This means Meloni was recognized for his performance in Season 7 of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Season 7 is one of the most-loved of the series, with many believing it contains the best Bensler episode ever. That episode — "Fault" — was part of a memorable episode trilogy that also included "Fat" and "Web." These three episodes served as somewhat of a breakup of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler and were a turning point for the series.

Season 7 serves as one of Meloni's best performances ever, and it's no wonder the Television Academy recognized him for his hard work. Unfortunately, the actor lost to Kiefer Sutherland, who nabbed the gold statue for portraying Jack Bauer on "24." While unlikely given the television shows that get nominations these days, Meloni could still grab an Emmy for playing Stabler since he's reprised the character in "Law & Order: Organized Crime."