Emmys 2026: Who will steal the spotlight?

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place in Los Angeles on Monday, bringing together some of the biggest names and most popular television shows of the year.

Among the leading contenders are The Pitt, Hacks, Beef, Pluribus, Slow Horses and Abbott Elementary. Major stars including Zendaya, Noah Wyle, Sarah Snook, Colman Domingo, Carey Mulligan and Matthew Rhys are also competing for acting honours.

The Pitt is returning as a major drama contender after winning the top prize last year. The medical series has received eight acting nominations, including a nomination for its leading star Noah Wyle.

In the comedy categories, Hacks is expected to remain a strong contender following its fifth and final season. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are among the show’s major acting nominees.

Smart has already won four Emmys for her performance in Hacks. Another victory would take her career total to eight, putting her alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.

Netflix’s second season of Beef is another strong contender in the limited or anthology series categories. Its stars Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac are also competing for acting awards.

British nominees include Matthew Rhys, Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Riz Ahmed, Rufus Sewell and Kate O’Flynn. Rhys has earned nominations in two lead acting categories for Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me.

Why Heated Rivalry is missing

Despite becoming one of the most talked-about shows of the year, Heated Rivalry is absent from the Emmy nominations.

The hockey romance, starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, was not eligible because it is a fully Canadian-funded production and did not have the required US involvement to qualify for the awards.

The series is instead expected to compete at the International Emmys, which will be held in New York in November.

Other popular shows have also received fewer nominations than expected. The final season of Stranger Things earned seven nominations, all in technical categories, while Euphoria received only one acting nomination for Zendaya.

Changes to this year’s ceremony

The organisers have introduced several changes to the awards ceremony. The best talk series and scripted variety series categories have been combined into a single outstanding variety series category.

Several acting awards have also been moved to the Creative Arts Emmys. As a result, the number of trophies presented during the main ceremony has been reduced from 26 to 19.

The changes are intended to create more time for musical performances, comedy segments and acceptance speeches.

The ceremony will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will be hosted by actress Mariska Hargitay, best known for her long-running role as Detective Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Hargitay has received eight Emmy nominations for the role and won the lead actress award in 2006. She also recently won two Creative Arts Emmys for her documentary My Mom Jayne.