‘The Pitt’ Dominates as the 78th Emmy Nominations Deliver a Few Genuine Surprises

The Television Academy officially kicked off the 2026 awards season on Wednesday morning, and the numbers alone tell a story worth talking about. “The Pitt” received the most Emmy nominations on Wednesday, picking up 25, which included nine acting nominations, triple the number for Season 1, cementing HBO Max’s medical drama as the show to beat heading into September.

Right behind it, the final season of ‘Hacks’ proved it isn’t going out quietly. “Hacks” earned 24 nominations in this year’s race, topping the record of 23 set by “The Bear” and “The Studio” last year, and that record-breaking haul says everything about how the Academy feels about Jean Smart’s send off.

Emmy Nominations Full List Reveals The Pitt And Pluribus Lead Drama Race

Apple TV had a genuinely great morning, and the numbers back that up in a big way. “Widow’s Bay,” the Apple TV breakout freshman series starring Matthew Rhys, a double lead nominee with the limited series “The Beast in Me,” pulled in 19 nominations, putting it just behind the two comedy and drama frontrunners.

‘Pluribus’ wasn’t far behind either, and its strength ran deep into the acting categories rather than just technical nods. A second buzzy new series from Apple, the drama “Pluribus,” also had a strong showing with 18 nominations, including lead actress for Rhea Seehorn and supporting actress for Karolina Wydra.

‘The Pitt’ didn’t just lead the pack in total nominations, it also swept a huge chunk of one specific acting category outright. Four of the seven slots in the supporting actress in a drama category went to cast members from “The Pitt,” Katherine LaNasa, who won in 2025, plus Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif and Sepideh Moafi, leaving little room for anyone else to break through.

The Outstanding Drama Series field itself turned into a genuinely stacked lineup once all eight slots were filled out. Nominees included ‘The Diplomat,’ ‘The Gilded Age,’ ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ ‘Paradise,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Slow Horses’ and ‘Your Friends and Neighbors,’ as the Television Academy announced the nominees for the 78th Annual Emmy Awards Wednesday, July 8.

78th Primetime Emmys Ceremony Details And Host Announcement

Mark your calendars, because the ceremony itself is moving off its usual night this time around. NBC and Peacock are broadcasting this year’s Emmys, set to air live from L.A. Live’s Peacock Theatre on Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with the Monday shift happening because of NFL programming on the network.

The hosting duties for this milestone night went to a familiar television face, and the choice carries some real historical weight. This year’s Emmys will be hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” executive producer and star Mariska Hargitay, repping the first time a woman has hosted the show in 15 years. It’s a notable moment for a ceremony that has leaned heavily on comedians and late night hosts in recent years.

The nominations themselves were unveiled with some star power of their own, tying directly back into this year’s nominated shows. “The Bear” star Liza Colón-Zayas and “Widow’s Bay” star Jeff Hiller announced the nominees for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, both of whom are previous winners in their own right.

Comedy And Limited Series Nominees Highlight Emmy Nominations Full List

Over in comedy, the Outstanding Comedy Series field ended up just as competitive as its drama counterpart. The eight nominees were ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘The Bear,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ ‘Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ ‘Shrinking’ and ‘Widow’s Bay.’

Lisa Kudrow’s presence in the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series race, nominated for ‘The Comeback,’ stood out as one of the morning’s more talked about inclusions given the show’s unusual release history. She’s up against Quinta Brunson for ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Ayo Edebiri for ‘The Bear,’ Elle Fanning for ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ and Jean Smart for ‘Hacks.’

The Limited or Anthology Series category also came together with a genuinely eclectic mix of true crime, courtroom drama and prestige adaptation. ‘All Her Fault,’ ‘The Beast in Me,’ ‘Beef,’ ‘DTF St. Louis’ and ‘Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’ rounded out that field, setting up a real showdown between Netflix’s heavy hitters.

One notable absence from the acting fields ties back to eligibility rather than snubs. Some programs that one might have expected to get Emmy noms aren’t eligible this year for various reasons, including buzzy drama Heated Rivalry, which will disappoint fans who were hoping to see it recognized this cycle.

Full List Of 78th Primetime Emmy Nominees By Category

Outstanding Drama Series The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, The Pitt, Pluribus, Slow Horses, Your Friends and Neighbors

Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, Widow’s Bay

Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and 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

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 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

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

Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series Paul W. Downs, Hacks, Colman Domingo, Four Seasons, Harrison Ford, Shrinking, Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Michael Urie, Shrinking, Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series Hannah Einbinder, Hacks, Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay, Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay, Janelle James, Abbott Elementary, Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Megan Stalter, Hacks, Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie Riz Ahmed, Bait, Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit, Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Oscar Isaac, Beef, Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie Claire Danes, The Beast in Me, Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures, Carey Mulligan, Beef, Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story, Sarah Snook, All Her Fault

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

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series The Gilded Age, “My Mind Is Made Up,” Paradise, “Exodus,” The Pitt, “12:00 P.M.,” Pluribus, “We Is Us,” Slow Horses, “Scars,” Task, “Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing, There Is a River”

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series The Diplomat, “Amagansett,” The Pitt, “1:00 P.M.,” The Pitt, “12:00 P.M.,” Pluribus, “We Is Us,” Slow Horses, “Scars,” Task, “A Still Small Voice”

Outstanding Reality Competition Program Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef, The Traitors

Outstanding Variety Series The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live

With this many overlapping contenders across drama and comedy, September’s ceremony feels wide open in a way it hasn’t in years, so which nominee from this list are you already rooting for come Emmy night.