The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations brought drama to the television industry on Wednesday morning, with a clear runaway leader dominating the race while several high-profile shows and stars found themselves surprisingly left out in the cold.
HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt,” the reigning best drama champion, commanded the field with 25 total nominations, establishing itself as the overwhelming frontrunner heading into September’s ceremony. The show’s dominance reflected the Television Academy’s enthusiasm for the series, which had already won big at last year’s awards. Close behind, the final season of HBO Max’s comedy “Hacks” shattered previous records with 24 nominations, breaking the previous record of 23 held jointly by FX’s “The Bear” in 2024 and Apple TV’s “The Studio” in 2025.
The surprise breakout came from Apple TV’s horror comedy “Widow’s Bay,” which despite launching late in April and having three of its final episodes ineligible for consideration, still managed to earn 19 nominations. The show’s late arrival and relatively quiet rollout made its strong showing unexpected among Emmy voters, who embraced the genre-heavy comedy with enthusiasm. Apple TV’s dystopian drama “Pluribus” followed with 18 nominations, while Netflix’s “Beef” landed 16 and HBO Max’s “DTF St. Louis” received 13.
The nominations also revealed significant snubs that sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Jeremy Allen White, the two-time Emmy winner for his role as Chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto on “The Bear,” was completely shut out despite the series itself earning a nomination for outstanding comedy series. His co-star Ayo Edebiri was the only main cast member to receive recognition in the lead actress category, marking an unusual exclusion for the previous champion performer.
Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” which concluded its five-season run in 2025 with a highly anticipated final season, missed the outstanding drama series category for the first time in its history. The show received only seven nominations, all in below-the-line technical categories including production design, makeup, and sound mixing. The snub affected the entire cast, leaving stars David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown without recognition despite their celebrated performances in the franchise’s finale, though Harbour did earn a nomination for his work in HBO’s limited series “DTF St. Louis.”
Creator and writer Taylor Sheridan suffered another disappointment, as his shows “The Madison” and “Landman” received no major nominations at all, despite his previous Emmy success and the expanded second season of “Landman.” The only recognition for Sheridan’s universe came from a stunt coordination nomination for “Tulsa King,” and oddly, “The Madison” star Michelle Pfeiffer did earn a nomination, but for the Apple TV show “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” not for Sheridan’s Paramount+ series.
The Emmy process revealed several other high-profile omissions. HBO’s acclaimed financial drama “Industry” failed to earn any nominations whatsoever for its fourth season, marking yet another snub for the critically praised series. Richard Gadd’s Netflix limited series “Half Man,” which followed his breakthrough success with “Baby Reindeer,” was shut out entirely. Reality competition veteran “The Amazing Race” failed to earn a nomination in its category for only the second time in the award’s history.
On the flip side, unexpected nominees emerged to round out the nominations. YouTube’s “Subway Takes” earned its first Emmy nomination as a short-form series, reflecting the Television Academy’s embrace of creator-driven content. Marvel’s “Wonder Man” scored an acting nomination for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, a rare honor for a superhero series, while “Saturday Night Live” cast member Connor Storrie earned his first Emmy nomination for hosting an episode, even though he’s best known for his role in the Canadian series “Heated Rivalry,” which remains ineligible for Emmy consideration due to its entirely Canadian production funding.
The ceremony will take place Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay, marking the first time a woman has hosted the Emmys in 15 years. NBC and Peacock will broadcast the event at 8 p.m. ET, with the Creative Arts Emmy Awards preceding it on September 5 and 6.
