The Television Academy revealed the Emmy Nominations 2026 on July 8, 2026, officially kicking off the road to the 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Star Mariska Hargitay hosts the September 14 telecast on NBC and Peacock, marking the first time in 15 years that a woman will emcee the show.
Here is a full breakdown across the major categories, drawing on Deadline's complete nominees scorecard, AP News's overview coverage, and The Hollywood Reporter's morning-of analysis.
Across more than 100 categories chosen by 27,000 TV Academy voters, HBO and HBO Max led all platforms with 122 total nominations, followed by Netflix with 111 and Apple TV with a company-record 87. Only HBO/HBO Max, Netflix, and Hulu earned at least one nomination in all three of the highest-profile program categories.
The Pitt dominated the field with 25 nominations for its second season on HBO Max, up from 13, and is the clear front-runner for Outstanding Drama Series. HBO's Hacks landed 24 nominations for its fifth and final season, setting a new record for a single season of a comedy series and breaking the previous mark of 23 nominations. Apple TV+'s Widow's Bay pulled off the biggest surprise of the morning with 19 nominations for its rookie season, while Netflix's Beef led the limited category with 16 nominations.
The Outstanding Drama Series category delivered its expected front-runners. Hulu's The Pitt, Apple TV+'s Pluribus and Slow Horses, Netflix's The Diplomat, and Hulu's Paradise were the sure things, joined by HBO's The Gilded Age, its rookie fantasy series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Apple TV+'s Your Friends & Neighbors. Notably absent were the final seasons of Prime Video's The Boys, HBO's Euphoria, and Netflix's Stranger Things.
The lead actor drama race pits Noah Wyle (The Pitt) against Sterling K. Brown, Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Mark Ruffalo, and Rufus Sewell. Lead actress features Carrie Coon, Chase Infiniti, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn, and Zendaya. The supporting drama fields are dominated by The Pitt, joined by Jack Lowden, Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Julianne Nicholson (Paradise), and Karolina Wydra (Pluribus). Guest drama nominees include Colman Domingo, Jeff Hiller, Jonathan Pryce, Miriam Shor, and Shailene Woodley.
The comedy series lineup unfolded as forecasters predicted. Hacks joins Apple TV+'s Widow's Bay, Shrinking, and Margo's Got Money Troubles alongside Netflix's Nobody Wants This, Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, FX on Hulu's The Bear, and ABC's Abbott Elementary.
The comedy lead actor race includes Matthew Rhys (Widow's Bay), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Steve Carell, and Jason Segel. Lead actress features defending winner Jean Smart (Hacks) against Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Elle Fanning, and Lisa Kudrow. The guest actress comedy race is dominated by Hacks, with Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear), Laurie Metcalf, and Kaitlin Olson among the standouts.
The limited or anthology series race is Beef's to lose, squaring off against FX on Hulu's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, Netflix's The Beast in Me, HBO's DTF St. Louis, and Peacock's All Her Fault.
The limited series lead actor field features Oscar Isaac (Beef), Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me), Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit), and Charlie Hunnam. Lead actress features Carey Mulligan (Beef), Claire Danes, Sally Field (Remarkably Bright Creatures), Sarah Pidgeon, and Sarah Snook. Supporting nominees include Richard Gadd (Half Man), David Harbour, Charles Melton, Nick Offerman, and Joy Sunday.
The Outstanding Reality Competition Program nominees are Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul's Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef, and The Traitors. The Amazing Race was notably absent for the first time since 2003. The Variety Series field is anchored by The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight, The Late Show, and Saturday Night Live. The Outstanding Television Movie category features Heads of State, Miss You Love You, People We Meet on Vacation, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War.
The biggest story on the snub side was another year of near-total rejection for Taylor Sheridan's Paramount+ empire. Landman, The Madison, and Tulsa King all missed the major categories. Dancing With the Stars broke back into the reality competition category for the first time since 2016, and in acting, Beef's Cailee Spaeny was widely seen as the most surprising omission.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield became the first Black woman to receive two nominations in the same year for best directing in a drama series, cited for episodes of The Gilded Age and Task. Ceremony host Mariska Hargitay was nominated for producing and directing her HBO documentary My Mom Jayne. Music royalty also featured, with Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Bad Bunny landing producer nominations for their respective variety specials.
The 2026 Emmy Awards nominees are led by The Pitt with 25 nominations, Hacks with 24, Widow's Bay with 19, and Beef with 16. Full lists cover eight Outstanding Drama Series nominees, eight Outstanding Comedy Series nominees, and five Outstanding Limited Series nominees plus dozens of acting categories.
Yes, there are early predictions for the 2026 Emmys. Gold Derby and The Hollywood Reporter forecast The Pitt as Outstanding Drama Series, Hacks as Outstanding Comedy Series, and Beef as Outstanding Limited Series. Noah Wyle, Jean Smart, Oscar Isaac, and Carey Mulligan lead the acting-category predictions ahead of September.
Yes, there is a separate list of Children's & Family Emmy nominees in 2026. Presented by NATAS rather than the Television Academy, the 4th Annual ceremony announced its nominees in November 2025 with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew leading. It took place in New York in March 2026.
The 2026 Emmy nominations compare favourably to recent years, with HBO Max continuing its multi-year lead over Netflix and Apple TV+ hitting a company record. Hacks broke the single-season comedy nomination record (previously 23), while The Amazing Race missed the reality-competition category for the first time since 2003.
Final voting for the 78th Emmy Awards runs from August 17 to August 26, 2026. The Creative Arts Emmys take place in Los Angeles on September 5 and 6. The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony airs on NBC and Peacock on September 14, 2026, hosted by Mariska Hargitay in her first major hosting turn.
Olivia Blake · Editor
Editor
