On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, the emmy nominations 2026 turned the American television season into a defined awards race, with HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt leading all programmes on 25 nominations and Hacks close behind on 24 for its fifth and final season, The WP Times. reports. The nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced in Los Angeles, ahead of a ceremony due to take place on Monday, 14 September, at the Peacock Theater, with Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay hosting on NBC and Peacock.
The Emmys are the main US television awards for primetime programming, covering drama, comedy, limited series, variety, reality, acting, writing, directing and craft categories. This year’s list shows three clear stories: The Pitt has become the dominant drama, Hacks enters its farewell campaign as the comedy to beat, and Apple TV+ has had a major year with Widow’s Bay, Pluribus, Slow Horses, Shrinking and Margo’s Got Money Troubles all appearing in major races.
What are the Emmy nominations 2026
The Emmy nominations 2026 are the official shortlist for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, voted on by members of the Television Academy. The awards recognise eligible television released across the 2025–26 season, with the main televised ceremony focused on the biggest programme and acting prizes, while the Creative Arts Emmys recognise technical, guest acting and production work. This year’s nominations were announced by recent Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller, with the Television Academy confirming the nomination date as 8 July and the ceremony date as 14 September.
For British viewers, the list also has a clear UK angle. Slow Horses, the Apple TV+ spy drama led by Gary Oldman, is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, while Oldman is nominated for Lead Actor in a Drama. That puts a British intelligence thriller directly inside the same race as large-scale US dramas including The Pitt, The Diplomat, Paradise and The Gilded Age.
Who leads the Emmy nominations 2026
The Pitt leads the 2026 Emmy nominations with 25 nods. The HBO Max emergency-room drama is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, while Noah Wyle returns in Lead Actor in a Drama and several cast members appear across supporting acting categories. The scale of its nominations matters because it shows support not only for the show itself, but also for its ensemble, writing, direction and technical execution.
Hacks follows with 24 nominations, making it the strongest comedy contender of the year. The final season has a powerful awards narrative: it is already admired by Emmy voters, Jean Smart remains one of television’s most reliable awards performers, and the farewell-season factor gives the campaign extra weight before September.
Apple TV+ also had one of the strongest mornings of any platform. Widow’s Bay earned 19 nominations, Pluribus earned 18, and Shrinking and Margo’s Got Money Troubles both appeared in major comedy categories. Netflix’s Beef leads the limited or anthology field with 16 nominations, including acting recognition for Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac.
Emmy nominations 2026: full main category list
| Category | Nominees |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Drama Series | The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, The Pitt, Pluribus, Slow Horses, Your Friends and Neighbors |
| Lead Actress in a Drama | Carrie Coon, Chase Infiniti, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn, Zendaya |
| Lead Actor in a Drama | Sterling K. Brown, Gary Oldman, Mark Ruffalo, Rufus Sewell, Noah Wyle |
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, Widow’s Bay |
| Lead Actress in a Comedy | Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Elle Fanning, Lisa Kudrow, Jean Smart |
| Lead Actor in a Comedy | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Steve Carell, Matthew Rhys, Jason Segel, Martin Short |
| Limited or Anthology Series | All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis, Love Story |
| Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Claire Danes, Sally Field, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon, Sarah Snook |
| Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, Matthew Rhys |
| Variety Series | The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live |
| Reality Competition Program | Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef, The Traitors |
Biggest Emmy nominations 2026 totals by programme
| Programme | Nominations | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The Pitt | 25 | Overall leader and strongest drama contender |
| Hacks | 24 | Top comedy and major farewell-season campaign |
| Widow’s Bay | 19 | Apple TV+ comedy breakthrough |
| Pluribus | 18 | Prestige drama newcomer from Vince Gilligan |
| Beef | 16 | Leading limited or anthology contender |
The numbers show where the Television Academy’s support is deepest. The Pitt has the broadest field, Hacks has the most powerful comedy campaign, and Apple TV+ has turned the race into a much wider streaming contest. Pluribus is especially important because it gives Rhea Seehorn another major awards moment after years of industry attention around Better Call Saul.
Why The Pitt and Hacks dominate the Emmy race
The strength of The Pitt is not just its total of 25 nominations. It has nominations across the categories that usually signal a real contender: series, lead acting, supporting acting and craft. That kind of spread means the show is not being carried by one star or one technical department; it is being recognised as a complete production.
Hacks has a different advantage. It is familiar, respected and ending. Emmy voters often respond strongly to final seasons when a show has already built industry goodwill. Jean Smart’s return to Lead Actress in a Comedy gives the series a clear face for the campaign, while Hannah Einbinder and Paul W. Downs help show that the support extends beyond one performance.
British interest: Slow Horses, Gary Oldman and the global Emmys
For British readers, Slow Horses is one of the most important nominations on the list. The Apple TV+ series brings a British spy story into the Outstanding Drama Series race, while Gary Oldman’s Lead Actor nomination puts him against Noah Wyle, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Ruffalo and Rufus Sewell.
Its nomination also says something wider about the Emmys in 2026. The awards are American, but the television market is now global. British actors, British settings and British production styles can sit beside US hospital dramas, political thrillers and fantasy spin-offs in the same awards race.
When are the Emmy Awards 2026
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, 14 September 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on NBC and stream on Peacock, with Mariska Hargitay hosting.
The Creative Arts Emmys are scheduled before the main show, on 5 and 6 September. Those awards often give the first strong indication of which programmes have the broadest support, because wins in editing, sound, casting, production design and guest acting can build momentum before the televised ceremony.
What happens next in the Emmy nominations 2026 race
The nominations now move into campaign mode. Studios and streamers will push interviews, screenings, panels and final-round messaging before voting closes. The Pitt enters as the numerical leader, Hacks enters as the emotional farewell contender, Pluribus enters as the prestige newcomer, and Beef enters as the strongest limited-series player.
The central question is whether nomination volume becomes victory. The Emmys often reward the biggest campaign, but they also reward farewell seasons, returning favourites and performances that feel overdue. That makes the 2026 race unusually open: The Pitt has scale, Hacks has affection, Pluribus has freshness, Beef has limited-series strength, and Slow Horses gives the race a sharp British edge.
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Materials used: Television Academy, Associated Press, CBS News, Deadline, Reuters, Backstage.