News · Television
The 2026 Emmy Nominations Just Dropped, So Let's Pick Some Winners and Start Some Arguments
By Peter David · July 10, 2026 · Cobra Kai Never Lies
The nominations are here, the favorites are obvious, the should-wins are not, and the arguing can officially begin.
The 2026 Emmy nominations are officially here, which means it is time for everyone to pretend they watched every prestige drama, every limited series, every comedy, every variety special, and at least one show their spouse keeps saying they “really need to start.”
The nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards were announced on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, with the ceremony set for September 14, 2026, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The Television Academy confirmed the nominations date, and Entertainment Weekly reports that The Pitt led all shows with 25 nominations, while Hacks followed with 24, setting a record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year.
At least a couple of shows decided to come to work this year.
At Cobra Kai Never Lies, we are not going to pretend this is some sacred, untouchable awards institution carved into the side of a mountain by the gods of culture. It is the Emmys. Sometimes they get it right. Sometimes they get it wrong. Sometimes they reward the obvious choice. Sometimes they ignore the thing everyone will still be talking about ten years later.
That is why we are doing this the fun way.
Below are the major categories, minus most reality television because we have standards, limits, and only so much emotional bandwidth. Unless Temptation Island is involved. That show is fantastic and I love to guess who will be the crier of the season. Ashley, I’m looking at you...
These are the nominees, with my picks marked for Should Win and Will Win.
Major 2026 Emmy Categories
Outstanding Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt (Will Win)
Pluribus (Should Win)
Slow Horses
Your Friends and Neighbors
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks (Will Win)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay (Should Win)
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me (Will Win)
Beef
DTF St. Louis (Should Win)
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat (Will Win)
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus (Should Win)
Zendaya, Euphoria
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise (Should Win)
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt (Will Win)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt (Will Win)
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus (Should Win)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt (Will Win)
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus (Should Win)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Should Win)
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks (Will Win)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster (Should Win) (Will Win)
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (Will Win)
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay (Should Win)
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks (Will Win)
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Should Win)
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me (Will Win)
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures (Should Win)
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit (Should Win)
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me (Will Win)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis (Should Win) (Will Win)
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis (Should Win)
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis (Will Win)
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Outstanding Television Movie
Heads of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet on Vacation
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Should Win) (Will Win)
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War
Outstanding Variety Series
The Daily Show (Should Win)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (Will Win)
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Variety Special — Live
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (Will Win)
83rd Annual Golden Globes
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards (Should Win)
Outstanding Variety Special — Pre-Recorded
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable...
The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl (Should Win)
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | Final Show (Will Win)
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Diplomat, “Amagansett”
The Pitt, “1:00 PM”
The Pitt, “12:00 PM” (Will Win)
Industry, “Dear Henry”
Pluribus, “We Is Us” (Should Win)
Slow Horses, “Scars”
Task, “A Still Small Voice”
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary, “Team Building”
The Chair Company, “Life goes by too fucking fast, it really does”
The Comeback, “Valerie Does It All”
Hacks, “Hacks” (Will Win)
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, “Mergers and Acquisitions”
Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay” (Should Win)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
All Her Fault, “Episode 8”
The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy” (Will Win)
Beef, “All the Things We’re Never Gonna Have”
DTF St. Louis (Should Win)
Death by Lightning
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Gilded Age, “My Mind Is Made Up”
Paradise, “Exodus”
The Pitt, “12:00 PM” (Will Win)
Pluribus, “We Is Us” (Should Win)
Slow Horses, “Scars”
Task, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river”
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary, “Ballgame”
The Bear, “Bears”
The Chair Company, “Life goes by too fucking fast, it really does”
Hacks, “Hacks” (Will Win)
The Ms. Pat Show, “Give It Arrest”
Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay” (Should Win)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie
Beef, “It Will Stay This Way and You Will Obey”
Beef, “Oh, the Comfort, the Inexpressible Comfort”
Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits” (Will Win)
DTF St. Louis (Should Win)
