Who Got Emmy Nominations in 2026?
The 78th Emmy nominations landed July 8, 2026, with The Pitt leading on 25 nods and Hacks setting a comedy record. Here is what to know.
Quick Answer
Nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards were announced on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, from the Wolf Theatre at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center, presented by Emmy winners Liza Colon-Zayas and Jeff Hiller.
The Pitt led the entire field with 25 nominations, including outstanding drama series and a large block of acting nods, with Noah Wyle nominated for lead actor in a drama series. Hacks set the record for the most nominations received in a single year in the comedy category.
The ceremony airs live on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC, streaming simultaneously on Peacock, from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live. Mariska Hargitay hosts.
The Headline Numbers
Two stories dominated nomination morning. On the drama side, The Pitt converted its first season breakthrough into a commanding tally, roughly doubling its previous year haul and picking up a deep bench of acting nominations rather than relying on one or two leads.
On the comedy side, Hacks did something no comedy had done before by setting a new single year nomination record for the category. That kind of number usually reflects strength across writing, directing, performance and craft rather than a single breakout element.
Newer titles including Pluribus and Widow's Bay also featured in the nominations, which is the healthiest sign in any Emmy year: the field is not simply recycling the same four shows.
Key Dates for the 78th Emmy Awards
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 18, 2025 | NBC and the Television Academy confirm the September 14 telecast date |
| July 7, 2026 | Mariska Hargitay announced as host |
| July 8, 2026 | Nominations revealed from the Wolf Theatre |
| September 14, 2026 | 78th Emmy Awards, 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock |
The broadcast returning to NBC is not incidental. The network is marking its hundredth anniversary in 2026, and the Emmys sit inside that programming push.
How the Emmy Nomination Process Actually Works
Understanding the mechanics explains a lot of the results that look strange from outside.
Programmes are submitted by their studios and networks into categories, subject to eligibility rules covering episode counts, running time and the eligibility window. Comedy and drama are separated largely by episode length and self classification, with a panel able to challenge a submission.
Television Academy members then vote within their own professional branch for nominations. Actors nominate actors, editors nominate editors, and so on. That is why a show can be a critical favourite and still miss in craft categories where the relevant branch simply preferred other work.
For the final round, members vote across categories. This is the stage where broad popularity and sheer visibility start to matter more than branch level expertise.
Why Nomination Counts Are Not the Same as Wins
Leading the nomination count is a strong signal, not a guarantee. Large tallies are partly a function of how many episodes a show submits and how many performers it can plausibly place in supporting categories.
A twenty five nomination show and a nine nomination show can easily finish the night with the same number of statuettes, because most of the extra nominations sit in categories with a single winner and heavy internal competition. Ensemble heavy dramas in particular often split their own vote when three or four cast members land in the same race.
What to Watch on the Night
- Whether The Pitt converts drama series and lead actor, or whether the acting nominations cancel each other out.
- Whether the record comedy tally for Hacks turns into the major comedy trophies or spreads thinly across craft categories.
- How first year nominees perform. Freshman shows frequently take nominations and lose the wins to established incumbents.
- The limited series field, which is usually the least predictable because the contenders change completely every year.
- Craft categories announced at the Creative Arts ceremonies, which are handed out separately in the days before the main telecast and often flip the total win count.
Where to Read the Full Nominee List
The Television Academy publishes the complete, authoritative list of nominees by category on its awards site, and that is the version worth trusting. Aggregated lists on entertainment sites are usually accurate for the headline races and less reliable for craft and short form categories.
If you plan to watch along, download the category list a day or two ahead. The main telecast covers only a fraction of the total awards, so the printed list is the only way to follow the full picture.
How to Watch the Ceremony
The 78th Emmy Awards airs live on NBC on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific, with a simultaneous live stream on Peacock. Because it is a live coast to coast broadcast, West Coast viewers see it in the late afternoon rather than in prime time.
Reading the Nomination Spread
Once the headline numbers are out of the way, the more interesting information is where the nominations sit. A show with a huge count concentrated in acting categories is telling you something different to one spread evenly across writing, directing, editing and sound.
Heavy acting representation usually signals an ensemble that voters watched all the way through, because supporting performers only register with people who finished the season. Heavy craft representation tends to signal technical ambition that the relevant branches noticed even where general viewership was smaller.
Writing and directing nominations are the most predictive of the top prizes. Historically, series that win outstanding drama or comedy almost always carry at least one writing or directing nomination alongside, because those branches are voting on the shape of the season rather than a single scene.
What a Nomination Is Worth Commercially
For a streaming service, an Emmy nomination is a marketing asset with a measurable shelf life. Nominated titles typically get a promotional push in July, another in the week of the ceremony, and a permanent badge in the catalogue interface afterwards.
For performers, the effect is more concrete. A nomination in a lead category changes quote levels and casting conversations regardless of the outcome on the night, which is part of why studios campaign hard in categories they do not expect to win.
For a show on the bubble, a strong nomination haul can be the argument that secures another season. It is not a guarantee, and plenty of heavily nominated series have still been cancelled, but it shifts the internal conversation from audience numbers alone to prestige value as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the 2026 Emmy nominations announced? July 8, 2026, from the Wolf Theatre in the Saban Media Center.
Which show got the most 2026 Emmy nominations? The Pitt, with 25.
Who is hosting the 78th Emmy Awards? Mariska Hargitay.
When and where can I watch the 2026 Emmys? Monday, September 14, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC, streaming live on Peacock.
Did any comedy set a record this year? Yes. Hacks set the record for the most nominations received in a single year in the comedy category.