The 2026 Emmy nominations landed on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, with medical drama ‘The Pitt’ leading the field on 25 nods and ‘Hacks’ setting a new comedy record with 24 nominations for its fifth season.
The nominations were announced live from the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre in North Hollywood by actors Jeff Hiller and Liza Colón-Zayas, as reported by Variety.
It set up a race stacked with returning heavyweights and a few genuine breakout newcomers across both the drama and comedy fields.
‘The Pitt’ and ‘Hacks’ lead the 2026 Emmy nominations
The Pitt topped every show this year with 25 nominations, the most of any programme in the 2026 field. Hacks was right behind on 24, the biggest single-year haul ever handed to a comedy, edging past the previous record of 23 shared by The Bear and The Studio in earlier seasons.
Widow’s Bay was the standout among the new arrivals, pulling 19 nominations to lead all freshman shows. Pluribus followed with 18, while Beef collected 16 and DTF St. Louis picked up 13, rounding out a top tier that mixed established favourites with first-year contenders.
Noah Wyle reacts to ‘The Pitt’ haul
The Pitt star Noah Wyle, who also writes, directs and executive produces the series, learned of the show’s 25 nominations alongside his cast and crew during a break in filming.
He earned two personal nods, for lead actor in a drama and for directing the episode titled “12:00 p.m.”
“This just feels very much like a gift that keeps on giving. I feel very humbled by this and validated many times over,” Wyle said.
He added, “Today, I feel extremely gratified that the nominations were spread so far and wide across our casting,” pointing to recognition that reached deep into the show’s ensemble.
The spread of acting nods across the cast was one of the morning’s talking points, with the drama field looking especially crowded.
On the comedy side, Hacks arrives as the clear frontrunner after its record-breaking count, though a busy category means nothing is settled heading into the vote.
Beyond the leaders, the nominations underlined how streaming platforms continue to dominate the awards conversation, with drama and comedy contenders spread across several rival services.
The sheer depth of both fields points to another closely fought race once Television Academy members sit down to cast their ballots.
What happens next for the 2026 Emmys
Voting now opens for Television Academy members before the winners are revealed at the ceremony.
The 2026 Emmys will air live on NBC and Peacock on Monday, 14 September 2026, with Mariska Hargitay hosting as the first woman to front the show in years.
Campaigns for The Pitt, Hacks and the chasing pack begin in earnest from here.
