2026 Emmy Nominations — Full List Lands With Surprise Standouts As Newcomers Rise And Big Names Falter

The Pitt stormed the 2026 Emmy race with 25 nominations on Wednesday, as the Television Academy unveiled a line‑up that pushed newcomers Widow's Bay and Love Story to the fore and left former heavyweights such as Euphoria largely on the margins. The full list, released in early July ahead of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards in September, set out in blunt terms which series voters rallied behind this year and which will head into the autumn without their expected awards backing.

For context, the news followed weeks of campaigning and forecasts that had centred on a familiar handful of prestige titles. Instead, The Pitt and Hacks dominated the tallies while a cluster of fresh entries and anthology series made inroads. The Academy confirmed nominees across acting, writing, directing and programme categories on Wednesday. The results point to both the concentration of votes around a small number of favourites and the commercial lift that even a single nomination can offer to smaller productions.

Why The Pitt's 25 Nods Are A Game Changer

The Pitt's haul of nominations positions it as the year's clear frontrunner and shows how a focused set of critical favourites can draw voter attention across the ballot. The show's 25 nominations span lead and supporting acting slots, technical categories and top series contention, signalling that studios and streamers can still convert prestige into awards momentum. For the many craftspeople behind the series, those nominations are more than prestige: they are leverage, for future budgets, for global distribution deals and for bargaining power when contracts come up. That ripple effect is one reason nomination season has commercial implications as well as ceremonial ones.

Newcomers Who Cut Through The Noise

Widow's Bay and Love Story emerged as the most visible surprise entrants. Widow's Bay appeared across comedy series and supporting acting categories, its presence reflecting a tight, well‑organised campaign and a show that connected with a slice of voters who have often favoured longer‑running properties. Love Story, an anthology limited series, secured several nominations including a lead actress nod that put Sarah Pidgeon in the spotlight, marking the series as an awards contender. Pluribus also registered as a rising title, gathering support in drama categories where it had not been widely predicted to challenge incumbents. These nominations deliver immediate exposure. For actors, writers and directors working on modestly budgeted projects, an Emmy nod can translate into significant career momentum.

Snubs, Rules And The Shows Left Out

The nominations list also highlighted structural quirks and notable omissions. Sam Levinson's final season of Euphoria received only a single major acting nomination for Zendaya, a result that surprised many observers given the show's past awards profile. That outcome narrows the season's awards prospects and is likely to feature in industry conversations as voters' preferences shift. Separately, Heated Rivalry was omitted from programme categories after the Academy ruled it ineligible because it was fully financed in Canada. The show's visibility still helped breakout performer Connor Storrie secure a guest actor nod for a separate appearance on a late‑night variety programme. The contrast shows how regulatory boundaries can keep a popular title out of direct contention even when individual performers linked to it remain on voters' radar.

When New Hits Squeeze Old Favourites

When new series gain ground on the ballot, established shows can miss out on the kind of annual awards lift that supports careers and renewals. Several previously dominant programmes landed fewer major nominations than expected, a change that points to voter interest in different voices and formats this year. The effect is practical. Actors and behind‑the‑camera talent who anticipated Emmy recognition may find their negotiating position weaker, while small production companies that did secure nominations can use the attention to seek further commissions and improve their distribution terms. It amounts to a shift in where industry visibility and opportunity sit.

What The Race Looks Like From Here

With the nominations confirmed, campaigning will intensify through to the ceremony on 14 September 2026, and voters' final choices will determine whether the newcomers turn nominations into wins or whether the leading titles retain their hold. Industry figures will also study the list for signs of longer‑term change. The question is whether voters are endorsing risk and novelty or reacting to particularly effective campaigns. Either way, the line‑up has already altered the conversation around several shows and is expected to influence development decisions for networks and streamers in the coming year.

Emmy Nominations Full List

Drama Series

The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors

Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders In The Building
Shrinking
Widow's Bay

Limited Or Anthology Series

All Her Fault
The Beast In Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria

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

Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series

Claire Danes, The Beast In Me
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault

Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series

Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast In Me

Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus

Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus

Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Dale Dickey, Widow's Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O'Flynn, Widow's Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow's Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death By Lightning

Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Colman Domingo, Euphoria
Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat

Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tal Anderson, The Pitt
Tina Ivlev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
Shailene Woodley, Paradise

Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
Hamish Linklater, Widow's Bay
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Rob Reiner, The Bear
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
Betty Gilpin, Widow's Bay
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Lauren Weedman, Hacks

Outstanding Variety Series

The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality Competition Programme

Dancing With The Stars
RuPaul's Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors

Television Movie

Heads Of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet On Vacation
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War