The Television Academy announced the nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on July 8, spotlighting both industry veterans and emerging talents across a wide range of categories. The ceremony is set for September 14 and will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
Leading the nominations was the HBO Max medical drama “The Pitt,” which received 25 nods, including 13 acting nominations. The show’s ensemble includes several first-time nominees such as Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell, Shawn Hatosy, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, and Sepideh Moafi. Moafi made history as the first Iranian and Middle Eastern woman nominated for supporting actress in a drama series. Additional first-time guest acting nominees from “The Pitt” include Brittany Allen, Jeff Kober, Ernest Harden Jr., Tal Anderson, and Tina Ivlev. The show’s lead, Noah Wyle, along with director John Wells and creator R. Scott Gemmill, expressed gratitude to the cast, crew, and medical professionals who inspired the series.
Close behind, the comedy series “Hacks” set a new record for the most nominations ever received by a comedy in its final season, earning 24 overall. The HBO Max series, which follows the relationship between veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), also received a nomination for outstanding short form nonfiction or reality series for "Hacks: Bit By Bit." Previous records for comedy series nominations were held by “Schitt’s Creek,” “The Bear,” and “The Studio.”
Jean Smart secured her fifth nomination for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in “Hacks.” She has won the Emmy in this category all previous times she was nominated for the role, and a win this year would tie her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most acting Primetime Emmy Awards with eight.
The 2026 nominations featured several newcomers making their debut. In drama, Chase Infiniti for “The Testaments” and Carlos-Manuel Vesga for “Pluribus” received their first nods; if Vesga wins, he would be the first Colombian actor awarded best supporting actor in a drama series. The limited or anthology series and movie categories also included first-time nominees such as Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Youn Yuh Jung for their work on “Beef,” along with Charlie Hunnam for “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” and Sarah Pidgeon for “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.” In comedy, Lauren Weedman earned her first guest acting nomination for “Hacks,” alongside fellow nominee Leslie Bibb, and new nominees included Connor Storrie for hosting “Saturday Night Live,” Hamish Linklater for “Widow’s Bay,” Megan Stalter for “Hacks,” and Ariana Madix, who received her first nomination as host of “Love Island USA.”
The ABC reality competition “Dancing With the Stars” returned to the Emmy nominations after a decade’s absence, receiving five nods in the reality competition program category. The show, which originally aired from 2006 to 2016 with consecutive nominations, added to its longstanding Emmy history that includes 132 total nominations and 21 wins. Other nominees in the category are MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” CBS’s “Survivor,” Bravo’s “Top Chef,” and Peacock’s “The Traitors.”
Lisa Kudrow received her third Emmy acting nomination in nearly ten years for playing Valerie Cherish in the HBO mockumentary “The Comeback.” The series, which has aired intermittently since 2005, returned with a third season this year. Kudrow’s previous nominations for the role came in 2006 and 2015, and she previously won an Emmy in 1998 for her work on “Friends.”
The 78th Emmy Awards ceremony will highlight a mix of established performers and rising stars, reflecting the evolving landscape of televised entertainment. The event promises to recognize accomplishments across genres and formats, celebrating both critical and popular successes.