Emmy Nominations 2026: Medical Drama "The Pitt" Leads Pack with Staggering 25 Nods, Followed by Comedy Powerhouse "Hacks"

Emmy nomination day has proven to be a medical miracle for the critically acclaimed HBO Max series, "The Pitt." The gripping medical drama, which previously won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, led all programs with an astonishing 25 nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Drama Series and 13 acting nominations, including lead actor Noah Wyle. This impressive tally nearly doubles last year's 13 nominations for the show. Hot on the heels of "The Pitt," another HBO Max sensation, "Hacks," earned an impressive 24 nominations for its fifth season—breaking records as the most-nominated comedy series ever. ("Hacks" outshines previous record holders, "The Bear" and "The Studio," which both received 23 nominations.) Lead actress Jean Smart is poised to win her fifth Emmy for the show and her eighth overall, tying her with the most Emmy acting wins by an actress in history. On network television, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" took home the most nominations with 11. Overall, HBO Max dominated this year's nominations, earning approximately 122 nods (down from last year's record-breaking 142, but still a significant win for Warner Bros. Discovery). The 78th Emmy Awards will air live from the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live on Monday, September 14th at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. NBC has announced that "Law & Order: SVU" executive producer and star Mariska Hargitay will host this year's ceremony—marking the first time a woman has hosted the show in 15 years. Among the major rule changes for this year's Emmys, the Television Academy has merged talk and scripted variety shows into one "Outstanding Variety Series" field. However, nominations will now be based on the number of submissions for each format. Additionally, the Academy has decreed that the "Outstanding Variety Series" category will be an "Area" award, with nominees striving to receive a minimum 90% approval vote from Emmy voters. This could potentially result in multiple winners in this year's nominated roster. Other rule changes announced by the Academy include a new name for the TV movie category ("Outstanding Movie"), AI guidelines, adjustments to the short form, sound mixing, and music categories, as well as expanded eligibility in the casting, costume, and lighting, camera & technical arts categories. A total of 555 programs were submitted across the 14 program categories, a 7.5% decrease from last year's 600 entrants. These included 110 dramas, 71 comedies, 31 limited/anthology series, 34 movies, 18 variety series, and 45 reality competition shows. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment are executive producers for the Emmy primetime telecast. The two Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies, produced by Bob Bain Productions in association with the Television Academy, will take place on September 5th and 6th. Below are the nominees for major categories for the 78th Emmy Awards, encompassing shows that aired from June 1st, 2025 to May 31st, 2026: * "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette" (FX) * Sarah Pidgeon, "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette" * Constance Zimmer, "Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette"