Emmy Madness: ‘The Pitt’ Leads the Pack

Hollywood has spoken, and the 78th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are already shaping up like a red-carpet cage match with better lighting and sharper acceptance speeches.

The 2026 Primetime Emmy nominations were unveiled Wednesday, July 8, with HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” leading all shows with 25 nominations, the most of any program this year. The hospital hit once again dominated the drama field, proving that viewers may be exhausted by real-life emergencies, but they still have plenty of time for fictional ones in scrubs.

Right behind it came “Hacks,” which earned 24 nominations, a record-breaking total for a comedy series in a single year. Jean Smart is back in the race for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Deborah Vance, setting up one of the night’s juiciest battles against Lisa Kudrow, nominated for the final season of “The Comeback.” Smart has already won four Emmys for “Hacks,” while Kudrow’s lone Emmy win came back in 1998 for her iconic supporting role as Phoebe Buffay on “Friends.” In other words: television history, nostalgia, and Hollywood politics are all sitting at the same table.

Apple TV also had a very loud morning. New series “Widow’s Bay,” “Pluribus,” and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” made strong showings, with “Widow’s Bay” earning 19 nominations and “Pluribus” pulling in 18. The horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay,” starring Matthew Rhys as the mayor of an island dealing with supernatural trouble, became one of the year’s biggest word-of-mouth hits. Rhys had an especially good day, also landing a limited series nomination for “The Beast in Me,” opposite Claire Danes, who was nominated as well.

There were snubs, of course, because it would not be Emmy morning without fans yelling into the void. “Euphoria” missed the outstanding drama series lineup after its divisive final season, though Zendaya and Colman Domingo still received acting nominations. Fans of “Heated Rivalry” may also be fuming, but that show was not eligible because it is an entirely Canadian production. However, co-lead Connor Storrie still made the Emmy list for his guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

“The Bear” also remained in the comedy race, despite growing complaints from viewers and critics that the show has lost some of its earlier bite. Ayo Edebiri and the late Rob Reiner were nominated for their work on the series, but Jeremy Allen White was left out after previously winning his category twice.

The major drama series nominees include “The Diplomat,” “The Gilded Age,” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “Paradise,” “The Pitt,” “Slow Horses,” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.” In comedy, the top category includes “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Shrinking,” “Widow’s Bay,” and “Hacks.”

In limited series, the nominees include “All Her Fault,” “The Beast In Me,” “Beef,” “DTF St. Louis,” and “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.”

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and will air live Monday, September 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC, streaming on Peacock.

For now, “The Pitt” has the numbers, “Hacks” has the record, Apple TV has momentum, and Emmy voters have given television fans exactly what they love most: a glamorous fight with trophies at the end.