2026 Emmy nominations: snubs and surprises
Nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards are in, and as always, the list gave television fans plenty to discuss and debate.
While many viewers are celebrating this year's biggest achievements on the small screen, others are dissecting the names that were left off the nominations list.
Among the expected standouts, "The Pitt" led the drama field with 25 nominations, while "Hacks" topped the comedy categories with 24 nominations total.
"Beef," which is back in the running after sweeping the Emmys in 2024, also dominated the limited series categories with 16 nods.
Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises from this year's Emmy nominations.
Surprises
Across this year's Emmy nominations, there were a total of 28 first-time performer nominees. Surprise names included Chase Infiniti for her role as Agnes in Hulu's "The Testaments" and Charles Melton for his role as Austin in "Beef." Melton is also an executive producer on the hit Netflix series, which scored a nod in the outstanding limited or anthology series category.
Connor Storrie, one of the stars of the massively popular HBO Max series "Heated Rivalry," ended up earning his first Emmy nod for guest actor in a comedy series, for his turn hosting "Saturday Night Live" back in February.
Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" returned to the Emmys race again this year, but only in the outstanding comedy series category, leaving stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody out of the running after their acting nods last year.
Critics have also described Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for "Wonder Man" as a welcome surprise for Marvel.
Snubs
Some were shocked to see Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach shut out of the Emmys race for FX's "The Bear" following its final season. White and Moss-Bachrach each won Emmys in 2024 and 2025 for lead actor in a comedy series and supporting actor in a comedy series, respectively, for their work on "The Bear."
While Sarah Pidgeon scored an Emmy for her role as Carolyn Bessette in "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," her co-star Paul Anthony Kelly, who played JFK Jr. in the hit FX series, was absent from the lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category.
"Abbott Elementary" fans were also shocked to see Sheryl Lee Ralph without an Emmy nod, despite being Emmy nominated for each year since the show premiered in 2021. Ralph earned her first Emmy for her performance as teacher Barbara Howard in the ABC series in 2022.
Despite its rampant popularity, "Heated Rivalry," was not eligible for Emmy consideration because it is a Canadian production, though it is eligible for the International Emmys, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
HBO's "Half Man," the latest project from "Baby Reindeer" director and star Richard Gadd, was noticeably absent from the outstanding limited or anthology series category, however, Gadd scored a nomination in the supporting role in a limited anthology series or movie category.
The 2026 Emmys will be held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 14. The ceremony will air on NBC and will be streamed live on Peacock.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6.
Disney is the parent company of Hulu, Marvel, FX, ABC, and ABC News.
