2026 Emmy Awards Predictions for Every Category

The Television Academy has moved the announcement of all Primetime Emmy nominations for the 78th annual awards to Wednesday, July 8, 2026, bringing forward nine craft categories that had previously been scheduled for July 15. The change means full nomination totals for every program and network will be known immediately after the first announcement, rather than being split across two dates. Emmy nomination voting is currently underway, with members having 11 days left to submit their ballots.

This year’s field is smaller than last year’s. Television Academy voters opened ballots across 555 program submissions in the 14 program categories, down from 600 in 2025. In the acting races, there are 1,573 submissions across 17 categories, compared with 1,706 last year. That marks declines of roughly 7.5% in program entries and nearly 8% in performer submissions.

Among the most competitive acting titles, Prime Video’s “The Boys” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” lead all series with 28 performer submissions each. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” follows with 24, while HBO Max’s “Euphoria” has 23. Peacock’s canceled “The Copenhagen Test” drew 21, and the final season of “Hacks” collected 20. Those totals reflect raw submission volume, but broader projected performance across acting, directing, writing, and crafts points to several major contenders.

Apple TV’s “Pluribus” is emerging as a major drama contender and could challenge the all-time freshman drama nomination record set by “NYPD Blue” in 1994. Netflix’s anthology “Beef” is also positioned strongly to build on its first-season Emmy success. “The Pitt,” which won drama series last year, is projected to earn around 18 nominations, though that estimate may prove conservative. The final season of “Hacks” could post its strongest Emmy showing yet, while FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” may give Ryan Murphy one of his biggest single-show awards hauls in years.

In the top projected series categories, “Pluribus” is forecast to lead drama, while “Hacks” is the comedy frontrunner. “Beef” is predicted to top limited or anthology series, and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is leading in outstanding movie. In the acting categories, Noah Wyle, Martin Short, Jamie Bell, Carey Mulligan, and Jean Smart are among the predicted leaders in their respective races.

Among networks, Netflix is projected to remain the overall leader, followed by HBO Max and Apple TV. HBO Max had a record 142 Emmy nominations in 2025, but this year’s results could shift the ordering among the top three. The first wave of nominees will be announced on July 8, while the remaining craft winners in categories such as cinematography, music composition, and sound editing will be revealed on July 15.

Final-round Emmy voting will take place from August 17 to 26, ahead of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala on September 5 and 6. The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air on NBC on September 14, 2026.