The 78th Emmy nominations are here, and nomination morning delivered exactly what Emmy nomination mornings usually do: a few coronations, a few head-scratchers, a few “wait, that got in?” moments and at least one reminder that the Television Academy has its own mysterious internal weather system.
Leading the field this year is HBO Max’s The Pitt, which earned a massive 25 nominations, making it the most-nominated program of the year. HBO Max also landed big with Hacks, which followed closely with 24 nominations, proving the comedy favorite is not slowing down anytime soon.
Apple TV also had a major morning. The streamer’s Widow’s Bay earned 19 nominations, while Pluribus landed 18, giving Apple two of the year’s strongest overall showings. Netflix’s Beef followed with 16 nominations, while HBO Max’s DTF St. Louis picked up 13.
In drama, the nominees include The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, The Pitt, Pluribus, Slow Horses and Your Friends & Neighbors. It is a field that mixes returning favorites, streaming prestige and a clear show of strength from both HBO Max and Apple TV.
But the story of drama nomination morning belongs to The Pitt. Not only did the medical drama lead all programs with 25 nominations, but it also landed acting recognition for Noah Wyle, who picked up a lead actor nomination, as well as several supporting nods for the ensemble. Wyle is also nominated for directing and producing the series, making him one of the morning’s biggest individual winners.
The lead drama races are especially stacked. Carrie Coon earned a nomination for The Gilded Age, joined by Chase Infiniti for The Testaments, Keri Russell for The Diplomat, Rhea Seehorn for Pluribus and Zendaya for Euphoria. On the actor side, the nominees are Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Mark Ruffalo for Task, Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat and Wyle for The Pitt.
Comedy brought a few expected names and a few notable shifts. The nominees for comedy series are Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking and Widow’s Bay.
Yes, The Bear is still here. FX/Hulu’s Chicago-set kitchen pressure cooker earned 8 nominations, keeping it in the awards conversation even as the show continues to inspire debate over whether it belongs in comedy, drama or its own category called “panic attack with excellent plating.”
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But the comedy leader is clearly Hacks, which earned 24 nominations overall and remains one of the Academy’s favorite shows. Jean Smart is back in the lead actress race, while Hannah Einbinder, Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs also scored supporting nominations. Downs is additionally nominated for writing and producing the series.
The comedy acting races include Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Ayo Edebiri for The Bear, Elle Fanning for Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback and Smart for Hacks. In lead actor, the nominees are Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man, Steve Carell for Rooster, Matthew Rhys for Widow’s Bay, Jason Segel for Shrinking and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building.
One of the more interesting comedy developments: Adam Brody did not land for Nobody Wants This, even though the Netflix series made the comedy series lineup. That gives the show a nomination, but not the broader acting embrace some predicted.
Limited series also delivered a crowded and very Netflix-heavy morning. The nominees are All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Beef landed 16 nominations overall, while DTF St. Louis earned 13.
The limited acting categories brought plenty of star power. Claire Danes, Sally Field, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon and Sarah Snook will compete for lead actress, while Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac and Matthew Rhys landed in lead actor. Hunnam’s nomination for Monster: The Ed Gein Story gives the Midwest-set true-crime entry one of its major-category breakthroughs.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story earned 7 nominations overall, including a supporting actress nomination for Laurie Metcalf. For Midwest viewers, that gives the Wisconsin-based story a notable Emmy presence alongside Chicago’s The Bear.
Elsewhere, Saturday Night Live continued its historic Emmy run with 11 nominations, bringing its total Emmy nomination count to date to a staggering 359, with 98 previous wins. The variety series race includes The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live.
The live variety special race includes The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny, which earned 9 nominations, including at the Golden Globes, Grammys, Oscars, and Tony Awards. In pre-recorded variety specials, nominees include Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…, The Muppet Show, Nikki Glaser: Good Girl, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | Final Show and Wicked: One Wonderful Night.
Reality remained mostly familiar, with Dancing with the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef and The Traitors nominated for reality competition program. Game show nominees include Celebrity Family Feud, Jeopardy!, The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The biggest takeaway from nomination morning? HBO Max had a very strong day, Apple TV had an even louder one than expected, and Netflix remained formidable across limited series and movies. Meanwhile, The Bear may no longer be the unstoppable Emmy machine it once was, but it is still very much in the kitchen.
And with The Pitt leading all programs, this year’s Emmy race may have found its clearest front-runner before the ceremony even begins.
Key 78th Emmy nominations
Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors
Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Television Movie
Heads of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet on Vacation
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Variety Special — Live
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
83rd Annual Golden Globes
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
Variety Special — Pre-Recorded
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Reality Competition Program
Dancing with the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors
Game Show
Celebrity Family Feud
Jeopardy!
The Price Is Right
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE, airing live coast-to-coast on NBC and streaming on Peacock, hosted by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
