The 2026 Emmy nominations dropped Wednesday morning, and the medical drama everyone spent the spring arguing about came out on top. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” led all shows with 25 nominations, edging out the final season of “Hacks” for the biggest haul of the year.
That’s the headline. But the list underneath it is full of the stuff people actually talk about: a record, a few genuine surprises, and one snub that lit up group chats within minutes.
The Pitt vs. Hacks at the top
“The Pitt” pulled 25 nods, mostly in the drama field, capping a first season that turned a real-time ER format into appointment TV. Right behind it, the final season of “Hacks” landed 24 nominations, the most any comedy has ever earned in a single season.
After the top two, Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” grabbed 19 nominations, fellow Apple first-year series “Pluribus” got 18, and Netflix’s “Beef” rounded out the leaders with 16.
The Best Drama Series field is stacked: “The Pitt,” “The Diplomat,” “The Gilded Age,” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “Paradise,” “Pluribus,” “Slow Horses,” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.”
The snub everyone noticed
Jeremy Allen White, a two-time winner for “The Bear,” didn’t make the cut this year. His co-star Ayo Edebiri did, landing a Comedy Actress nomination, which made the omission sting more. “The Bear” still pulled eight nominations overall, but the guy who’s been the face of the show was left off the list.
He wasn’t alone in the cold. “Industry” got completely shut out for its fourth season, and so did the final season of “Outlander,” along with “Landman” and “The Madison.”
The surprises
The nicest shock of the morning was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II getting a nod for Marvel’s “Wonder Man.” Marvel shows almost never crack the acting categories, and the series flew under the radar when it came out, so the recognition landed as a genuine curveball.
There was a nostalgia win too. For the first time in a decade, “Dancing With the Stars” made it back into Best Competition Series, with its 34th season earning a nomination.
When the show happens
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out on Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The move off the usual Sunday slot is thanks to an NFL game on NBC. Mariska Hargitay is hosting.
The bigger picture
This is the second straight year that a medical drama has dominated the conversation, and “The Pitt” pulling ahead of a beloved comedy’s farewell season says something about where prestige TV is right now. The buzzy, high-volume streaming era hasn’t gone anywhere, but a network-style drama with a gimmick that actually worked just beat everyone.
The real drama starts in September, when 25 nominations have to turn into actual wins. For now, the arguing is free.
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