The race for the 2026 Emmy Awards has officially begun. The nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards—which celebrate the best in television across drama series, comedy series, miniseries, and variety shows—were announced today, July 8, 2026. The nominees were revealed by two familiar faces from the world of the Emmys: Liza Colón-Zayas, winner for *The Bear*, and Jeff Hiller, star of *Somebody Somewhere*. Among the most recognized series are established favorites such as Hacks and The Pitt, as well as a newcomer poised to make a splash: Widow’s Bay, which has earned numerous nominations. The 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and will air on September 14 at 8 p.m. in the United States.
Here are the main categories and their respective nominees:
In the most anticipated category, Outstanding Drama Series, the nominees are:
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors
The nominees for the Outstanding Comedy Series award include some of the most beloved series of recent years:
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
Among the actors nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series are:
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo – Task
Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat
Noah Wyle – The Pitt
Among the leading actresses in drama series, the following stand out:
Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti – The Testaments
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus
Zendaya – Euphoria
In the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the nominees are:
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Elle Fanning – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
Jean Smart – Hacks
Among the men competing for Best Comedy Performance:
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Wonder Man
Steve Carell – Rooster
Matthew Rhys – Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
In the Outstanding Limited Series category, we find:
All Her Fault
The Beast Within Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Among the lead actors in the miniseries:
Riz Ahmed – Fate
Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit
Charles Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac – Beef
Matthew Rhys – The Beast In Mea
Among the leading actresses:
Claire Danes – The Beast In Me
Sally Field – Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan – Beef
Sarah Pidgeon – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Among the reality shows in the competition are:
Dancing with the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors
For the Outstanding Variety Series category:
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Among the nominated live specials, major events such as the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show featuring Bad Bunny, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Tonys stand out. The television awards season is therefore officially underway: now we’ll have to wait and see which series and which actors will take home the coveted statuette on September 14.
[📸 Courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery / Photo by Eddy Chen/HBO]
