Television's biggest stars and shows are officially in the running for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, with medical drama The Pitt and comedy favourite Hacks leading the way after the nominations were announced on Wednesday.
Jean Smart at the The 32nd Annual Screen Actors Guild ACTOR Awards 2026. MLM Images, Shutterstock
The Pitt topped this year's nominations with an impressive 25 nods, while the fifth and final season of Hacks followed closely behind with 24 nominations, making it one of the most successful comedy series in Emmy history.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on September 14, celebrating the best television of the past year across approximately 120 categories.
While there were plenty of familiar names among this year's nominees, the announcement also saw a wave of first-time nominees, returning favourites and several stars who could make Emmy history if they take home a trophy in September.
Noah Wyle at the The 32nd Annual Screen Actors Guild ACTOR Awards 2026. MLM Images, Shutterstock
One of the biggest winners on nomination day was The Pitt.
The HBO Max medical drama earned nominations across nearly every major category, including Outstanding Drama Series, with star Noah Wyle once again recognised for his performance as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch.
The series also introduced several first-time Emmy nominees. Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell, Shawn Hatosy, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden and Sepideh Moafi all received their first acting nominations, highlighting the strength of the show's ensemble cast.
Moafi also made history as the first Iranian woman and the first woman from the Middle East to be nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category.
Megan Stalter at the The 32nd Annual Screen Actors Guild ACTOR Awards 2026. MLM Images, Shutterstock
Meanwhile, Hacks continued its remarkable Emmy success by setting a new record for the most Primetime Emmy nominations ever received by a comedy series in its final season.
The comedy picked up nominations across acting, writing, directing and casting, cementing its place as one of television's biggest success stories. Star Jean Smart received another nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Deborah Vance.
If Smart wins in September, she will tie the record for the most acting Primetime Emmy Awards ever won, matching the total of eight held by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.
Matthew Rhys arrives for the Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Premiere. DFree, Shutterstock
Another actor making headlines is Matthew Rhys, who achieved a rare Emmy milestone this year. He earned nominations in two lead acting categories — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me. It marks the first time this century that a male actor has received lead nominations across two of the Emmys' major programme categories in the same year.
Zendaya is also back among this year's nominees for the third and final season of Euphoria. Having already won Emmys for both previous seasons of the drama, another victory would see her become the first actress to win an Emmy for every season of the same series.
Several stars also celebrated their first-ever Emmy nominations.
Among them are The Testaments star Chase Infiniti, Oscar winner Carey Mulligan for Beef, Charles Melton, Youn Yuh Jung, Sarah Pidgeon, Hamish Linklater, Megan Stalter and Love Island USA host Ariana Madix.
Reality television also enjoyed a notable comeback, with Dancing With the Stars returning to the Outstanding Reality Competition Programme category for the first time in a decade. The long-running series was a regular Emmy nominee between 2006 and 2016 and now adds another nomination to its long list of accolades.
Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox And Jennifer Aniston. FeatureFlash Photography, Shutterstock
Another familiar face returning to the Emmy race is Lisa Kudrow, who received her first acting nomination in more than ten years for reprising Valerie Cherish in The Comeback. Kudrow last won an Emmy in 1998 for playing Phoebe Buffay in Friends, making her latest nomination a welcome return for fans of the actress.
Streaming platforms once again dominated this year's nominations.
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Apple enjoyed one of its strongest Emmy years to date, collecting 89 nominations across 15 programmes. The streaming service received Outstanding Drama Series nominations for Pluribus, Slow Horses and Your Friends & Neighbors, while Widow's Bay, Shrinking and Margo's Got Money Troubles all earned places in the Outstanding Comedy Series category.
Widow's Bay emerged as one of the year's biggest success stories with 19 nominations, while Pluribus followed closely behind with 18 nominations after its acclaimed debut season.
Disney also had a strong showing, earning 125 nominations across its television studios, networks and streaming platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ABC, FX and National Geographic.
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There was also plenty of Irish interest among this year's nominees.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which was produced in Northern Ireland with Irish and international cast and crew, received nine Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series.
Meanwhile, All Her Fault, based on Irish author Andrea Mara's bestselling novel, earned a nomination for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The thriller also received acting and writing nominations, while Irish cinematographer Darran Tiernan was recognised in the Outstanding Cinematography category for his work on Spider-Noir.
The winners will be revealed when the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards take place on September 14.
Please note: The Primetime Emmy Awards recognise excellence across approximately 120 categories. The list below highlights nominees in 12 of the major Drama and Comedy categories only, meaning more than 100 categories are not included.
Quinta Brunson is the creator, showrunner, executive producer and lead of Abbott Elementary. DFree, Shutterstock
Harrison Ford portrayed a grumpy but surprisingly touching therapist in Apple TV's Shrinking. Fred Duval, Shutterstock
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were both nominated for an Emmy this year. Joe Seer, Shutterstock
The Pitt, which Fiona Dourif Stars in, received 25 Emmy nominations. DFree, Shutterstock
