Emmy Nominations 2026: The Pitt Leads With 25, Hacks Sets All-Time Comedy Record

The 78th Emmy nominations dropped Wednesday morning, and the numbers tell a clear story. HBO Max dominated with The Pitt (25 nominations) and Hacks (24 nominations), while Apple TV had its best Emmy year yet with Widow's Bay (19) and Pluribus (18). What followed was a morning of genuine surprises, some obvious results, and a few uncomfortable snubs.

The Pitt and Hacks at the top

The Pitt's 25 nominations represent a steep climb from its first-season total of 13, the kind of acceleration Emmy voters haven't shown a show in a while. Noah Wyle earned a trio of nominations: acting, directing, and producing. The show dominates the drama acting categories, with four supporting actress nods alone.

Hacks pulled off something harder. Twenty-four nominations for its fifth and final season isn't just a record for comedies in a single year; it breaks the records set by The Bear (23 in 2024) and The Studio (23 in 2025) back-to-back. Jean Smart has won best actress in comedy for all four prior seasons. If she wins again in September, she ties Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for most acting Emmys in history at eight. That's a storyline in its own right.

The real surprises: Widow's Bay and Pluribus

Widow's Bay, the Apple TV horror-comedy set on a haunted New England island, was barely part of the Emmy conversation until late spring. Several of its episodes aired after the May 31 eligibility deadline, which usually kills momentum. It didn't. The show landed 19 nominations, led all new series, and earned four acting nods: Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, and Kate O'Flynn. The Hollywood Reporter is calling the supporting comedy actress race, where Dickey and O'Flynn face off against Hacks' Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter, the one to watch this fall.

Pluribus, from Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), earned 18 nominations in its first year. Rhea Seehorn, its only lead cast member, is considered the favorite in the drama actress race after winning the Golden Globe earlier this year.

The snubs that will generate conversation

Jeremy Allen White, star of The Bear, was left out entirely. So was Sydney Sweeney for Euphoria's third and final season. Heated Rivalry, one of the year's biggest streaming hits, was ineligible because it was financed outside the United States. Taylor Sheridan's Tulsa King received a single nomination (for stunts), leaving Paramount+ with essentially nothing despite Sheridan's otherwise large television presence this season.

Stranger Things received seven nominations for its final season, but none in the major acting, directing, or series categories. That's a quiet send-off for a show that helped define Netflix's prestige era.

The full platform picture

HBO Max led all platforms with 122 nominations. Netflix came in second with 111. Apple TV had its best year yet at 87, six more than last year. ABC led broadcast networks with 40.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on NBC and Peacock on September 14, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the first woman to host in 15 years. Final voting runs August 17 through 26. Between Hacks potentially making history, Widow's Bay's surprise surge, and Seehorn entering the drama race as a frontrunner, this year's Emmy season has more genuine competition than most.