The 2026 Emmy Nominations Reveal This Year's TV Favorites

Medical drama The Pitt walked away with the most nominations overall , earning an impressive 25, while Hacks made Emmy history with 24 nominations for its final season, the most ever received by a comedy in a single year. Apple TV+ also had a huge morning, with newcomer Widow's Bay picking up 19 nominations and Pluribus close behind with 18. If you're trying to keep track of the categories people actually debate every awards season, here's a look at the biggest races. Outstanding Drama Series This year's Drama Series lineup mixes returning favorites with several newcomers: The Diplomat The Gilded Age A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Paradise The Pitt Pluribus Slow Horses Your Friends & Neighbors After leading all programs with 25 nominations, The Pitt enters awards season as one of this year's strongest contenders. Outstanding Comedy Series Comedy is packed with fan favorites, although Hacks appears to be the one everyone else will be chasing. Nominees include: Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Margo's Got Money Troubles Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking Widow's Bay Hacks didn't just secure 24 nominations. It also set a new Emmy record for the most nominations earned by a comedy series in a single season. Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Another stacked category includes: All Her Fault The Beast In Me Beef DTF St. Louis Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Netflix has a particularly strong showing here with both Beef and The Beast In Me competing for the top prize. Lead Actress in a Drama Series Several former Emmy winners return alongside newer faces. The nominees are: Carrie Coon ( The Gilded Age ) Chase Infiniti ( The Testaments ) Keri Russell ( The Diplomat ) Rhea Seehorn ( Pluribus ) Zendaya ( Euphoria ) Zendaya is back in contention for her performance as Rue, while Carrie Coon continues the awards momentum she's built with The Gilded Age . Lead Actor in a Drama Series This category features several familiar Emmy contenders: Sterling K. Brown ( Paradise ) Gary Oldman ( Slow Horses ) Mark Ruffalo ( Task ) Rufus Sewell ( The Diplomat ) Noah Wyle ( The Pitt ) Noah Wyle's performance in The Pitt has been one of the year's most talked-about television performances, making him an early favorite. Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Comedy's leading ladies include: Quinta Brunson ( Abbott Elementary ) Ayo Edebiri ( The Bear ) Elle Fanning ( Margo's Got Money Troubles ) Lisa Kudrow ( The Comeback ) Jean Smart ( Hacks ) Jean Smart returns once again for Hacks , while Ayo Edebiri and Quinta Brunson continue their Emmy streaks. Lead Actor in a Comedy Series The nominees are: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ( Wonder Man ) Steve Carell ( Rooster ) Matthew Rhys ( Widow's Bay ) Jason Segel ( Shrinking ) Martin Short ( Only Murders in the Building ) Rob Reiner Receives a Posthumous Nomination One of the morning's most emotional moments came with Rob Reiner receiving a posthumous Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Albert Schnurr in The Bear . Reiner appeared in the show's fourth season before his death in December 2025. The series later honored him in its finale with a touching callback to T he Princess Bride , when Ebra ended a phone conversation with Albert by saying, "As you wish," the famous line from Reiner's beloved 1987 film. When Are the Emmy Awards? The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on September 14, 2026, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This year's ceremony will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and will air on NBC and Peacock.