The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1

The Lord of the Rings:
The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings:; The Rings of Power
Season 1
	Promotional poster
Showrunners	J. D. Payne; Patrick McKay;
No. of episodes	8
Release
Original network	Amazon Prime Video
Original release	September 1 –; October 14, 2022
Season chronology
	Next →; Season 2
	List of episodes

The first season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings. Set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the season depicts the emergence of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the first Rings of Power. It was produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema and with J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay as showrunners.

Amazon acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings in November 2017. Payne and McKay were set to develop the series in July 2018. They intended for it to be visually consistent with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, despite being separate from them. A large international cast was hired, and each Middle-earth culture was defined through designs, dialects, music, and more. Filming began in February 2020, but was put on hold in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in September, with J. A. Bayona, Wayne Che Yip, and Charlotte Brändström directing episodes. Production took place in New Zealand, where the films were produced, primarily in Auckland but also on location around the country. Filming wrapped in August 2021. Special effects company Wētā Workshop and visual effects vendor Wētā FX returned from the films to work on the season.

The season premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 1, 2022, with its first two episodes. This followed a marketing campaign that attempted to win over dissatisfied Tolkien fans. The other six episodes were released weekly until October 14. Amazon said the season was the most-watched of any Prime Video original series, and third-party analytics companies also estimated its viewership to be high. Reviews were generally positive at first, particularly for the visuals, but there were mixed feelings on the season's Tolkien connections and criticisms for its overall structure. Commentary about the season focused on vocal responses from Tolkien fans, online backlash to the diverse cast, and comparisons with the concurrent fantasy series House of the Dragon. The season received various accolades, including six Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations.