2026 Emmys: The Pitt Leads With 25 Nods, Hacks 24
The Pitt goes into Monday's Primetime Emmy Awards with 25 nominations, more than any other show this year. Hacks isn't far behind at 24 - a comedy record, breaking the mark The Studio tied with The Bear last year. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert film already knows its result: it lost all five of its nominations at Saturday's Creative Arts ceremony.
The Television Academy restructured its awards calendar this year, and the change is part of why Monday's broadcast looks different from past ones. In July, the Academy's Board of Governors voted to move five categories - writing for a variety series, supporting actor and actress in a limited or anthology series, and directing and writing for a limited or anthology series - out of the main telecast and into the two-night Creative Arts ceremony held September 5 and 6. That leaves 19 Emmys for Monday's broadcast instead of the 26 handed out on the main stage in 2025. TV Academy chair Cris Abrego told Variety the goal was to leave more room in the telecast for musical numbers and unscripted moments rather than a full category-by-category march.
The drama race centers on The Pitt, HBO Max's real-time medical drama, which returns as last year's Outstanding Drama Series winner with nominations for stars Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa among its 25 nods. Hacks, which wrapped its fifth and final season this year, carries Jean Smart's lead actress nomination into what would be a fitting send-off if the show adds to its trophy count Monday. The genuine insurgent is in the comedy category: Apple TV's horror-comedy freshman series Widow's Bay premiered only in May, had its final three episodes air too late in the eligibility window to qualify, and still pulled in 19 nominations - enough to sit second only to Hacks.
Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour: The Final Show" arrived at the Creative Arts ceremony with five nominations, including outstanding variety special and best directing for a variety special for Glenn Weiss. It left with none, losing outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) to a field that also included specials from Dave Chappelle, Nikki Glaser and "Wicked: One Wonderful Night." It was Swift's first Emmy nomination in more than a decade; her only prior win came in 2015, for an interactive app built around her "Blank Space" video.
The limited series race, decided on the main broadcast, comes down largely to Netflix's "Beef" season two, with 16 nominations, against HBO's "DTF St. Louis," a dark comedy with 13. Sci-fi drama "Pluribus" rounds out the field's other double-digit contender with 18 nods across categories.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and stream live on Peacock, hosted by Mariska Hargitay.
