The contenders for the 2026 Emmy Awards feel pretty representative of the current state of the television industry, with the majority of nominees being previously nominated streaming shows like The Pitt, Hacks, Paradise, The Bear, The Diplomat, and Shrinking. There’s some new blood in the mix, as the acclaimed freshmen Apple TV series Pluribus and Widow’s Bay received multiple nominations, but Abbott Elementary remains the only broadcast show nominated for any of the major awards, a reminder of how the industry has shifted just in the last 10 years.
The Emmy Awards have a interesting mix of nominees this year. The Pitt is an easy favorite to win for drama series, following a second season that was as strong as the first. However, the comedy series race is a little more interesting thanks to reigning champ Hacks facing off against the very buzzy Widow’s Bay — Hacks might get a boost from its final season being nominated, but that’s no guarantee of success, especially after the Apple TV horror/comedy hybrid took home eight trophies during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards held Labor Day weekend.
Key Nominations
Another interesting category is Lead Actress in a Drama, where Rhea Seehorn, snubbed multiple times for her incredible work on Better Call Saul, is nominated for her equally incredible work on Pluribus. The catch: Also nominated in that category is Zendaya for the final season of Euphoria. Sam Levinson’s swan song for Rue and her friends wasn’t a triumphant conclusion, but Zendaya already has two Emmys for her role on the show and is, well, Zendaya. So that could easily go either way.
The Outstanding Variety Series category, for the first time in a while, doesn’t feel like an automatic win for Last Week Tonight With John Oliver — not only is Saturday Night Live now included in this category, but two shows with quite a year behind them are currently the frontrunners. It seems likely that the recently canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will win out over the still-not-canceled-despite-Trump’s-best-efforts Jimmy Kimmel Live! However it goes, though, their hosts have been actively campaigning for each other in a show of sweet sportsmanship.
Limited Series and Other Categories
The Limited Series category features a less-buzzy collection of nominees than usual, with the race narrowing down to a contest between past winner Beef, FX’s glitzy Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and HBO’s DTF St. Louis, which already picked up wins for David Harbour and Linda Cardellini for supporting actor/actress. DTF feels like the frontrunner at this stage, but again, nothing is certain.
Full List of Nominees
Except, that is, that we’ll find out who wins TV’s top prizes on Monday, September 14th, when the Emmy Awards air on NBC starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Mariska Hargitay (who just won two Emmys for her acclaimed HBO documentary My Mom Jayne) hosts. See the full list of winners below, updated live over the course of the night.
Comedy Series
- Wonder Man
- Rooster
- Widow’s Bay
- Shrinking
- Only Murders in the Building
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
- Steve Carell, Rooster
- Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
- Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
- Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
- Jean Smart, Hacks
Conclusion
The Emmy Awards are just around the corner, and with a mix of new and familiar faces, it’s going to be an exciting night. With Mariska Hargitay hosting, the ceremony promises to be entertaining and unpredictable. The question on everyone’s mind is: who will take home the top prizes? Tune in to find out on September 14th.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
