These are the most important series of 2026, according to the Emmys

BarcelonaThe 78th edition of the Emmy Awards, presented by the United States Television Academy, announced its nominations today, and the medical drama The pitt(HBO Max) has once again proven to be the darling of the academics. The series starring Noah Wyle will fight to reclaim its title of best drama, an award it won last year. Furthermore, a good portion of the cast is nominated in the acting categories. The drama will compete, among others, against Pluribus (AppleTV), which debuts at the awards with its first season. Vince Gilligan's series is not the only notable novelty of these Emmys: another AppleTV production, La maldición de Widow's Bay, one of the season's word-of-mouth phenomena, has managed to sneak into the comedy categories.

Apple TV is one of the platforms most favored by this year's Emmy edition. Besides getting Pluribus and La maldición de Widow's Bay to compete in drama and comedy respectively, it has also entered Vicios ocultos, starring Jon Hamm, and Margo tiene problemas de dinero, with Elle Fanning, into the list of contenders. The former is vying for the award for best drama, and the latter for best comedy. Additionally, Fanning has been nominated for best comedy actress, a category in which she will face heavyweights like Lisa Kudrow and Jean Smart, who has won four consecutive Emmys for Hacks. If she were to win this year as well, she would have been recognized for all seasons of the HBO Max comedy, which has concluded this season. In fact, in its latest installment, Hacks has received 24 nominations, the most a comedy has ever received in a single year.

The categories with the most unexpected names are the acting ones. In comedy, predictions did not include Yahya Abdul - Mateen II, from Wonder Man, who has been nominated alongside Jason Segel, Martin Short, Steve Carrell, and Matthew Rhys. Mateen II's inclusion leaves Jeremy Allen White, from The bear, out of the competition. In the best drama actress category, there's also new blood: Chase Infiniti is vying for an award for Los testamentos and has left Kathy Bates, who was expected to be on the list for Matlock (she was nominated last year), which can be seen on Movistar, without a nomination.

Miniseries without surprises

In the miniseries categories, there were some productions for which nominations were already taken for granted. One isLove story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, one of the productions that has generated the most serious and controversial conversations and has driven Disney. Besides competing in the miniseries category, it has also placed its protagonist, Sarah Pidgeon, who is already a star thanks to this romantic drama that recalls the tragic love story of John John Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette.

The nominations forThe beast in me (Netflix) and DTF St. Louis (HBO Max). Instead, the one from Their worst nightmare, a thriller about a missing child that has gone more unnoticed here because it is available on SkyShowtime, a platform with little penetration in Spain.

Among the big losers in the miniseries sections areHalf man, by Richard Gadd, which has not convinced the academics, unlike what it did with My plush reindeer. Although it sounded like a nominee for best miniseries and Jamie Bell was also expected to be nominated as the lead, in the end only Gadd has been nominated as best supporting actor in a miniseries.

The nominations for the 2026 Emmy Awards

Comedy series

• Abbott Elementary (Disney+)
• The bear (Disney+)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Only Murders in the Building (Disney+)
• Unfiltered Therapy (AppleTV+)
• The Curse of Widow's Bay (AppleTV)
• Margo has money problems (AppleTV)
• Nobody wants this (Netflix)

Drama series

• Paradise (Disney+)
• The pitt (HBO Max)
• Pluribus (AppleTV)
• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
• The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Max)
• Slow horses (AppleTV)
• Hidden flaws (Apple TV)

Miniseries

• Love story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (Disney+)
• DTF St. Louis (HBO Max)
• The beast in me (Netflix)
• Your worst nightmare (Skyshowtime)
• Bronca (Netflix)

Comedy actor

• Jason Segel, by Shrinking (AppleTV+)
• Martin Short, for Only Murders in the Building (Disney+)
• Yahya Abdul - Mateen II, by Wonder Man
• Steve Carell, by Rooster
• Matthew Rhys, for The Curse of Widow's Bay (AppleTV)

Comedy actress

• Quinta Brunson, by Abbott Elementary (Disney+)
• Ayo Edebiri, for The bear (Disney+)
• Jean Smart, for Hacks (HBO Max)
• Lisa Kudrow, for The comeback (HBO Max)
• Elle Fanning, Margo has money problems (AppleTV)

Drama actor

• Noah Wyle, for The pitt (HBO Max)
• Gary Oldman, for Slow Horses (AppleTV+)
• Sterling K. Brown, by Paradise (Disney+)
• Mark Ruffalo, for Task (HBO Max)
• Rufus Sewell, for The Diplomat (Netflix)

Drama actress

• Keri Russell, for The Diplomat (Netflix)
• Rhea Seehorn, by Pluribus (AppleTV)
• Carrie Coon, for The Gilded Age
• Zendaya, for Euphoria
• Chase Infiniti, for The Testaments

Miniseries actor

• Riz Ahmed, by Bait
• Jason Bateman, by Black Rabbit
• Oscar Isaac, by Bronca
• Charlie Hunnam, for Monster: The Ed Gein Story
• Matthew Rhys, for The Beast in Me

Actress in a miniseries or TV movie

• Sarah Pidgeon, by Love Story
• Claire Danes, by The Beast in Me
• Sally Field, for Remarkably bright creatures
• Carey Mulligan, by Bronca
• Sarah Snook, by Her worst nightmare