The 2026 Emmy nominations landed Wednesday with “The Pitt” leading the entire field, earning 25 nods in a commanding sophomore season, while “Hacks” received a fitting send-off by setting a comedy record with 24 nominations in its final season.

HBO Max Dominates

The results handed HBO Max the top spot across both drama and comedy. “Hacks” broke the record for most nominations for a comedy series, a mark previously shared by “The Studio” last year and “The Bear” in 2024.

HBO Max led all outlets with 122 overall nominations and placed three shows in contention for both best drama and best comedy series. Across the 118 Primetime Emmy categories, the nominees spanned an unusually wide range of talent and moments from the past year.

A Final Bow for ‘Hacks’ and a Growing ‘The Pitt’

Emmy voters have long embraced a departing show, and their affection for “Hacks,” the series built on tension between comedy generations, allowed it to rack up nominations as a fifth-year senior.

Star Jean Smart has won best actress in a comedy for all four previous seasons, and a fifth win would hardly be a surprise. Her longtime on-screen sidekick, Hannah Einbinder, who finally broke through last year to win supporting actress in a comedy, earned her fifth nomination. Co-creator Paul W. Downs also collected three nods for acting, writing, and producing.

Meanwhile, “The Pitt” transformed from last year’s rookie upstart into a dominant veteran. The day-in-the-life emergency room drama had swept in big last season, winning best drama series, best actor for Noah Wyle, and best supporting actress for Katherine LaNasa. This year, it owned the acting categories:

• Wyle earned another best actor nomination, plus nods for directing and producing.
• LaNasa was nominated again, joined by Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, and Sepideh Moafi.
• The show claimed four of the seven supporting actress spots and three supporting actor slots.

Its grip on the acting races was aided by the absence of “The White Lotus” and its sprawling ensembles this cycle. In an era when major contenders like “Severance” often take years between seasons, “The Pitt” came right back for another round.

A Strong Showing for Apple TV

Apple TV enjoyed a standout year, with two new shows scoring big in their debut seasons. The one-woman-against-the-hivemind drama “Pluribus,” from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” creator Vince Gilligan, secured 18 nominations, including best actress in a drama for its sole lead, Rhea Seehorn, widely considered the favorite.

The horror comedy “Widow’s Bay” edged ahead with 19 nominations, including best actor for Matthew Rhys, who was also recognized as a producer and for his work in the limited series “The Beast in Me.”

Two more Apple TV shows landed in the best comedy race: “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” which earned acting nods for stars Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, and “Shrinking.” The latter’s nominations included best supporting actor in a comedy for Harrison Ford, with many predicting this could be the year the Hollywood legend finally claims a major award. His castmate Jason Segel is up for lead actor.

Big Days for Familiar Faces

Several perennial favorites had strong showings. Many observers believe this could finally be the year Martin Short wins best actor in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.” He landed three nominations overall, including for producing the series and hosting “The Match Game,” while a Netflix documentary about him, “Marty, Life is Short,” picked up two more.

Jason Bateman collected four nominations for both performing and producing on “Black Rabbit” and “DTF St. Louis.” ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” remained a rare bright spot for traditional broadcast networks, with creator and star Quinta Brunson earning three more nods as the show gathered seven.

Notable Names Across the Categories

The sheer breadth of Emmy categories brought a striking mix of stars and beloved figures into the conversation.

Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner in December, has a chance at a third Emmy, nominated for guest actor on “The Bear” roughly 50 years after winning two for “All in the Family.” Five-time winner Michael J. Fox earned a nomination in the same category for playing a patient with Parkinson’s disease, a condition the actor was diagnosed with in the 1990s, on “Shrinking.”

Music and pop culture also made their mark. This year’s Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny on NBC drew nine nominations, going well beyond the usual nod. Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert special earned five nominations just days after her marriage to Travis Kelce, including one for the singer herself as producer. And after a year of scrutiny aimed at late-night hosts by the Trump administration, the now-off-the-air “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” received nine nominations and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” got six.

‘Beef’ and ‘Euphoria’ Return to the Spotlight

In the limited or anthology series categories, Netflix’s “Beef” led the way with 16 nominations. After a dominant first season in 2023, the anthology’s fresh set of grudge holders, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, and Charles Melton, all earned nods.

“Euphoria” made its Emmys return after a lengthy absence with seven nominations. Zendaya, who won best actress in a drama for the show’s first two seasons in 2020 and 2022, was recognized for the recently aired third season.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, airing on NBC, will be held September 14. Mariska Hargitay, the longtime star of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” will host and is a double nominee for directing and producing the documentary “My Mom Jayne.”