A 'Stranger Things' Star Just Took Home a Major Award for His Season 5 Performance

Stranger Things' final season was one of the more controversial ones in recent memory. Fans weren't happy with all of the decisions the creators made in the final episodes, but the actors who helped shape the story for a decade are still getting deservedly recognized for their work.

Noah Schnapp's portrayal of Will Byers was one of the most genuine of season 5, and now the star will take home the Breakthrough Performance Award at the 3rd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television on May 29. The awards are put on by the Critics' Choice Association.

Will was the central focus of large portions of the plot in the climactic run to the series finale. The mid-season finale, "The Sorcerer," in which the bullied younger Byers brother accepted his sexual identity, and in turn, got rewarded with supernatural powers to battle antagonist Vecna, was arguably the highlight of the uneven fifth season.

Schnapp is openly gay in his personal life, lending a true authenticity to his portrayal of his gay character in the series. While the debate will continue over whether all LGBTQ+ characters should be played by queer actors in Hollywood, Schnapp's performance was a highlight that tends to favor the argument that gay people understand gay characters better.

The most viral scene of the penultimate episode centered on Will's coming out to the rest of the group. It resulted in review bombing on review aggregate websites from homophobic people and other intolerant fans. Seeing Schnapp get rewarded for his brave performance will show young queer fans how to block out the noise and focus on their craft.

Stranger Things is expected to be a strong contender at awards shows for the rest of the year. The Netflix hit has the ninth-highest odds of winning Best Drama Series at the 2026 Emmy Awards, according to Gold Derby. The actor with the highest chance of winning an Emmy from the show is Jamie Campbell Bower for playing Vecna, followed by Schnapp.

Stranger Things will remain a fixture of Netflix's programming in the future with a potential spinoff series. Stranger Things: Tales from '85, an animated series set between seasons 2 and 3 of the original series, will come out on April 23.