Photo credit: NBC
The Emmy nominations 2026 are officially here. On Wednesday, the Television Academy revealed the first nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards. The early announcement highlighted the Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Variety Series categories.
The Television Academy planned to reveal the remaining nominees later in the day. Actors Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller were scheduled to announce the drama, comedy, limited series and acting categories during a live presentation.
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Mariska Hargitay will host the ceremony. NBC will air the show live, while Peacock will stream the event.
Emmy nominations 2026 spotlight reality competition favorites
The Outstanding Reality Competition Program category once again features several of television’s biggest franchises. These programs have earned praise from both viewers and Emmy voters over the years.
This year’s nominees are:
- Dancing With the Stars
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Survivor
- Top Chef
- The Traitors
Each series has built a loyal audience. As a result, the category promises another close contest when the winners are announced in September.
Reality television continues to attract millions of viewers. The returning nominees also show the lasting popularity of long-running competition shows.
Variety series nominees include late-night television favorites
The Television Academy also announced the nominees for Outstanding Variety Series. The category recognizes some of the most successful programs in late-night television and sketch comedy.
The nominees include:
- The Daily Show
- Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
- The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
- Saturday Night Live
These shows have dominated the category for years. Many have collected multiple Emmy Awards and continue to deliver strong ratings and cultural influence.
Because of their consistent success, the competition remains one of the most anticipated races of awards season.
More Emmy nominees will follow
The first announcement covered only two categories. However, dozens of additional nominations were scheduled to follow later Wednesday.
Fans eagerly awaited the Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Comedy Series and acting categories. These awards often generate the biggest headlines during Emmy season.
Programs that aired between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, qualified for this year’s competition.
Industry observers expected several returning favorites to earn nominations. Those shows include The Bear and Only Murders in the Building. Newer series such as Pluribus, Widow’s Bay and Margo’s Got Money Troubles also entered the conversation.
Awards season officially gets underway
The Television Academy now begins its annual awards rollout with an early announcement of selected categories. The approach gives television fans a preview before the complete nominations become public.
Attention will now shift to the full list of nominees and the races expected to dominate the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
The 78th Emmy Awards will celebrate television’s biggest achievements on Sept. 14. Winners across drama, comedy, reality, variety and limited series categories will take home one of the entertainment industry’s highest honors.
The Emmy nominations 2026 are officially here. On Wednesday, the Television Academy revealed the first nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards. The early announcement highlighted the Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Variety Series categories.
The Television Academy planned to reveal the remaining nominees later in the day. Actors Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller were scheduled to announce the drama, comedy, limited series and acting categories during a live presentation.
The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Mariska Hargitay will host the ceremony. NBC will air the show live, while Peacock will stream the event.
Emmy nominations 2026 spotlight reality competition favorites
The Outstanding Reality Competition Program category once again features several of television’s biggest franchises. These programs have earned praise from both viewers and Emmy voters over the years.
This year’s nominees are:
- Dancing With the Stars
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Survivor
- Top Chef
- The Traitors
Each series has built a loyal audience. As a result, the category promises another close contest when the winners are announced in September.
Reality television continues to attract millions of viewers. The returning nominees also show the lasting popularity of long-running competition shows.
Variety series nominees include late-night television favorites
The Television Academy also announced the nominees for Outstanding Variety Series. The category recognizes some of the most successful programs in late-night television and sketch comedy.
The nominees include:
- The Daily Show
- Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
- The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
- Saturday Night Live
These shows have dominated the category for years. Many have collected multiple Emmy Awards and continue to deliver strong ratings and cultural influence.
Because of their consistent success, the competition remains one of the most anticipated races of awards season.
More Emmy nominees will follow
The first announcement covered only two categories. However, dozens of additional nominations were scheduled to follow later Wednesday.
Fans eagerly awaited the Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Comedy Series and acting categories. These awards often generate the biggest headlines during Emmy season.
Programs that aired between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, qualified for this year’s competition.
Industry observers expected several returning favorites to earn nominations. Those shows include The Bear and Only Murders in the Building. Newer series such as Pluribus, Widow’s Bay and Margo’s Got Money Troubles also entered the conversation.
Awards season officially gets underway
The Television Academy now begins its annual awards rollout with an early announcement of selected categories. The approach gives television fans a preview before the complete nominations become public.
Attention will now shift to the full list of nominees and the races expected to dominate the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
The 78th Emmy Awards will celebrate television’s biggest achievements on Sept. 14. Winners across drama, comedy, reality, variety and limited series categories will take home one of the entertainment industry’s highest honors.
Source: The New York Times
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