Like the seventh season box set, both versions are available for sale separately. The set was released in two different forms: a Maggie-shaped head to match the Homer and Marge shaped heads of the previous two sets and also a standard rectangular shaped box. The DVD box set was released in Region 1 on August 15, 2006, Region 2 on September 2, 2006, and Region 4 on October 2, 2006. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation awarded the episode the GLAAD Media Award for 'Outstanding TV – Individual Episode'.

For 'Homer's Phobia', Mike Anderson won the Annie Award for Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a TV Production, and the WAC Winner Best Director for Primetime Series at the 1998 World Animation Celebration. ' Brother from Another Series' was nominated for the Emmy for 'Sound Mixing For a Comedy Series or a Special'. Clausen also received an Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Music Direction' for ' Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious'. Season eight won multiple awards, including two Emmy Awards: ' Homer's Phobia' won for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or Less) in 1997, and Alf Clausen and Ken Keeler won for 'Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics' with the song 'We Put The Spring In Springfield' from the episode ' Bart After Dark'. It also contained two episodes for which Al Jean and Mike Reiss were the show runners. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season seven, which Oakley and Weinstein also ran. The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The Simpsons' eighth season originally aired between Octoand May 18, 1997, beginning with ' Treehouse of Horror VII'. Season 8 originally aired between Octoand May 18, 1997.

Mike keeler the nanny