Emmy Awards 2026: Pluribus might dominate 2026 nominations

The predictions for the nominations for the upcoming 78^th Primetime Emmy Awards are rising with plenty of surprises, snubs, and overperformers. The final list will be announced on July 8. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air on September 14 on NBC.

As per Variety, projecting Apple TV’s dystopian sci-fi drama Pluribus to lead all programs with 22 nominations, that haul would include drama series, acting bids for Rhea Seehorn, Carlos-Manuel Vesga and Karolina Wydra, along with multiple nominations in both directing and writing.

Followed by HBO Max’s reigning drama champion The Pitt, which is forecast to collect 21 nominations. After earning just three acting nominations last year, for Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, and Shawn Hatosy, the medical drama is poised for a major expansion. We’re currently projecting 10 acting nominations overall, including four supporting actress mentions and three supporting actor bids.

The comedy race could produce its own record-breaking story. The fifth and final season of  Hacks is also in line for 18 nominations, which would surpass  Schitt’s Creek (2020) as the most-nominated comedy series in its final season. But just as in drama, Apple TV and HBO Max could find themselves battling for supremacy.

The late-breaking horror-comedy sensation Widow’s Bay is projected to earn 18 nominations, including acting bids for Matthew Rhys, breakout Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root and guest performers Betty Gilpin and Hamish Linklater.

In limited series, FX’s  Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette appears set for a strong showing with 19 nominations, including acting bids for Sarah Pidgeon and Alessandro Nivola, along with a trio of supporting actress mentions for Grace Gummer, Naomi Watts and Constance Zimmer.

Netflix’s second season of the anthology series  Beef is expected to follow closely behind with 17 nominations, including directing nods for creator Lee Sung Jin and Jake Schreier.

The streamer could also score a second limited series contender with  The Beast in Me,  which would give Matthew Rhys a potential double-nomination morning alongside  Widow’s Bay.

Other performers with multiple nominations in their sights include Michelle Pfeiffer, who is expected to contend for both Taylor Sheridan’s The Madison and David E. Kelley’s  Margo’s Got Money Troubles. We’re also watching Laurie Metcalf, who could collect as many as three acting nominations, and Jeff Hiller, who similarly has three opportunities to hear his name called.

Apple TV’s third season of Shrinking is positioned for a healthy morning, with a projected 12 nominations, including supporting actor mentions for Harrison Ford and Michael Urie. Meanwhile, the final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things is forecast to return to double digits with 11 nominations, including a directing bid for the Duffer Brothers for helming the series finale.

Final Emmy Predictions: ‘Pluribus’ and ‘The Pitt’ Lead the Pack as ‘Widow’s Bay’ Surges and Netflix Looks to Rule the Day https://t.co/bayY5ZZn34 via @variety

— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) July 2, 2026

FX’s  The Bear is expected to maintain its place in the comedy series lineup despite a more divisive response to its fourth season. However, we’re currently predicting misses for former winners Ayo Edebiri and Liza Colón-Zayas in their respective acting categories. Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” could rebound from last year’s seven-nomination haul and return to double digits, including another lead comedy actor nomination for Martin Short, who is currently at the top of his category.

HBO Max’s mystery series “DTF St. Louis” is positioned to land 10 nominations, led by its principal cast of Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini and presumed acting frontrunner David Harbour.

Bateman could emerge as one of nomination morning’s biggest winners, with three potential mentions: acting and executive producing on  DTF St. Louis  and directing Netflix’s “Black Rabbit.” He could get two more if the series, along with his lead acting bid, makes the cut.

Elsewhere, Hulu’s thriller  Paradise is projected to improve on its previous Emmy performance with eight nominations, while ABC’s mockumentary Abbott Elementary hopes to tick up slightly to seven.

Of course, Emmy nomination morning isn’t only about programs and performers. It’s also about studios and platforms competing for bragging rights.

Netflix is projected to lead all distributors with 124 nominations, surpassing its 120 mentions from last year. HBO Max, which shattered its own personal best with 142 nominations in 2025, is expected to settle closer to 108 this year. Apple TV, meanwhile, could enjoy its strongest Emmy showing yet with an estimated 85 nominations, surpassing last year’s company-best total of 79.

Perhaps most impressively, HBO Max is projected to place seven series in the top-program categories, up from five a year ago, and the most since its 2012 haul.

Apple TV could place five, including an extraordinary three comedy series contenders. The last distributor to pull off that feat was FX in 2024 with “The Bear,” “Reservation Dogs” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”

If these projections are accurate (spoiler alert: we expect to be off in a few spots), Emmy morning will set up a potentially wide-open race in all three top series categories.

Below are the final picks in 115 categories.

Emmy nominations will be announced on July 8. Final-round voting takes place August 17-26 ahead of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala on September 5-6. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air on September 14 on NBC.

Projected nomination leaders (series):

“Pluribus” (22); “The Pitt” (21); “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” (19); “Hacks” and “Widow’s Bay” (18); “Beef” (17); “Shrinking” (12); “Stranger Things” (11); “The Bear,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “DTF St. Louis,” “The Oscars,” “Saturday Night Live,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Spider-Noir” (10); “The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny” and “The Beast in Me” (9); “Paradise” (8).

Projected nomination leaders (networks):

Netflix (124); HBO Max (108); Apple TV (85); FX (37); Hulu (35); Prime Video (31); ABC (30); CBS (29); NBC (23); Comedy Central and MTV (12); Paramount+ and Peacock (11); Disney+ (10)