The late, great Catherine O’Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, once described her favorite season as, “Awards.” I couldn’t agree more.
Emmys season is huge for your most annoying friend who watches way too much TV and doesn’t stop nagging you if you have started whichever new series they’ve moved onto yet. You have to understand that these friends mean well; they are simply dying to discuss Rhea Seehorn’s performance in Apple TV’s Pluribus or a TikTok edit that moved them to tears. Truthfully, I’m proud to say that I am one of these people. My friends are not so happy, but nevertheless, my borderline obsession with staying pop-culturally relevant thrives.
With the Emmy Awards quickly approaching, allow me to break down and provide my unsolicited opinions on some of the year’s most anticipated categories.
Drama
Sometimes in life, you get busy. And as much as you love TV, you just happen to miss out on some of the newer, less exciting series of the season. This is a long-winded justification of the fact that I have only seen two of the eight shows nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. If it helps, I believe they are the front runners based off of my research!
Fresh off of last year’s triumph, The Pitt came back for more. With 25 nominations after five wins last season, this medical drama’s continued success stems from its fiercely talented crew both on and off the screen. However, it faces stiff competition against Pluribus, a show in which a hivemind takes over everyone in the world except for a select dozen, including Carol Sturka (Seehorn). With 18 nominations under the show’s belt for only its first season, this matchup is one to look for throughout the drama category.
These two shows couldn’t be more different. The slow pace, gorgeous cinematography, and mystical elements of Pluribus oppose the fast, shocking, chaotic energy of The Pitt. In my heart, The Pitt wins for a second season in a row, and they continue to give me more and more of my favorite show until baby Jane Doe is old enough to work there. However, with a Golden Globe under her belt (having already beaten Emmy winner Britt Lower), I wouldn’t be surprised if voters favored Seehorn in Vince Gilligan’s latest work. I would be pleased to see either of these series take home the trophy and I promise I will finally get around to Paradise.
As for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, I’m more than ready to watch Noah Wyle run his second victory lap. The key to knowing if you’re a good actor is if you can make me yell at my screen as if my expletives and harsh words about your character’s choices would change anything, and I did just that every week watching Wyle as Dr. Robby. His commanding performance as he leads his team through the toughest of times is an absolute acting masterclass. Wyle is in good company with three other fictional doctors beside him in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category: Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell, and Emmy winner Shawn Hatosy. I see Hatosy winning in this category, especially after his win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series last season, for his stellar return as the always cool Dr. Jack Abbot.
You want to hear about a real bloodbath? Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is stacked with unbelievable talent. It makes me want to recreate the end of Mean Girls when Cady breaks the plastic tiara at the Spring Fling and gives all of the other girls a piece to share the title of Spring Fling Queen. This is the hardest category for me to break down. With four Pitt ladies, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, and Sepideh Moafi, up against Seehorn’s Pluribus counterpart, Karolina Wydra, and lastly, Julianne Nicholson from Paradise and Allison Janney from The Diplomat, they really put the drama in the drama series category. It hurts me to sit here and not say I would vote for Dearden because her character, Dr. Mel King, is my favorite on The Pitt, but if I were an Emmy voter, my vote would go to Wydra or Moafi; I really can’t decide!
Rounding out the drama categories, I envision Seehorn getting her flowers for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, if you couldn’t already tell. Pluribus, as a whole, feels so singular and refreshing amongst some of the other shows in this season’s cycle, and that doesn’t exclude her performance. But this category is not an automatic sweep for the Better Call Saul alum; she’s up against other powerhouse performers such as Zendaya, Carrie Coon, Kerri Russell, and Chase Infiniti. This is definitely a highly competitive category in which all actresses nominated are deserving of the award.
Comedy
I did better with comedy this season than I did with drama, having watched five out of the possible eight nominated shows. While I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, there is no competition here. The winner of Outstanding Comedy Series for the 2026 season is going to be Hacks.
Hacks is a perfect show. Having just rounded out its fifth and final season with a bang, ringing in 24 nominations, the most ever for a comedy series in a single year. This show is a rare case in which each season was better than the last, never once dulling or dimming the light of the hysterical women-led, queer-filled ensemble involved. With one win in the comedy series category already, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky will be adding another trophy to their shelf. Others in this category, such as the season’s underdog Widow’s Bay, give Hacks a run for its money, but in the end, it will end its last awards season victorious. I extend my love to Abbott Elementary, Shrinking, and The Bear, but if I have to say goodbye to one of my favorite shows of all time, they’re going to get the recognition they deserve.
As for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, I believe there is one clear winner here: Matthew Rhys. Now don’t get me wrong, I think Jason Segal is great on Shrinking and Martin Short has had a legacy of a career in comedy. As for the other nominees, simply put, I did not care for Steve Carrell in Rooster, or the series entirely, and haven’t seen Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Wonder Man. But I do know that none of their performances this year hold a candle to Rhys in the debut season of Widow’s Bay.
An interesting topic of conversation this year regards the Emmys cutoff date. This year’s official Television Academy eligibility period was from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. This means that only the first seven out of the ten episodes of Widow’s Bay are eligible for consideration because the last three aired after June 1, 2026. Despite this, the mysterious, yet hilarious coastal town of Widow’s Bay snuck in 19 nominations across acting, directing, writing categories, and more.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series has been won by Jean Smart for every season of Hacks she has been a part of (all five of them). This year will be no different. Smart has gone on a generational run acting as comedian Deborah Vance and I can’t wait to see five Emmy Awards engraved with her name on them.
Every year for the past couple of years, Downs and Harrison Ford have been nominated against each other for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and it pains me every time. This year is another one of those years. I love both of their performances in Hacks and Shrinking so, so much. I also think Stephen Root (Widow’s Bay), Michael Urie (Shrinking), and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary) all gave amazing performances. The supporting actor categories being harder to choose a clear winner from compared to the lead actor is a testament to just how strong an ensemble cast can make a show. And when are we going to give Ted McGinley his flowers for his role of Derek in Shrinking? I’m personally jumpstarting his For Your Consideration campaign.
For the final blood bath of the season, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series is just as tough of a decision as the supporting drama actress category if not worse. With last year’s winner Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Kate O’Flynn (Widow’s Bay), Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), Dale Dickey (Widow’s Bay), Jessica Williams (Shrinking), and Megan Stalter (Hacks), it honestly makes my head spin. Every one of these women stepped up to the plate this season, and with the exception of Pfeiffer because I haven’t seen Margo’s Got Money Troubles, I would truly be happy to hear any one of their names be called. That being said, I do believe Einbinder leads the pack, but O’Flynn is just the darling of the season.
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. EST, broadcasted live on NBC and streaming on Peacock in the U.S.