2026 Emmy predictions: Drama, comedy, limited series & TV movie
- S.J.
- 14 minutes ago
- 5 min read
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled to be presented on September 5-14, 2026. The nominations were announced on Tuesday, July 8th. Below, you can find our predictions in all the main categories for drama, comedy, limited series and TV movies. And because we like to have fun and celebrate things we've enjoyed, there are also the "Should win" shouts for shows, performers and achievements that we'd like to see take the trophy. Browse through them and perhaps you'll also find some help for your own predictions.
Last updated: August 23rd, 2026.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Will Be Nominated
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
Pluribus
Slow Horses
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
The Pitt
Your Friends & Neighbors
Will Win
The Pitt
Should Win
Slow Horses
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age)
Chase Infiniti (The Testaments)
Keri Russell (The Diplomat)
Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus)
Zendaya (Euphoria)
Will Win
Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus)
Should Win
Abstain
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
Mark Ruffalo (Task)
Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat)
Sterling K. Brown (Paradise)
Will Win
Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
Should Win
Mark Ruffalo (Task)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Allison Janney (The Diplomat)
Fiona Dourif (The Pitt)
Julianne Nicholson (Paradise)
Karolina Wydra (Pluribus)
Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
Sepideh Moafi (The Pitt)
Taylor Dearden (The Pitt)
Will Win
Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
Should Win
Abstain
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Carlos Manuel Vesga (Pluribus)
Gerran Howell (The Pitt)
Jack Lowden (Slow Horses)
Patrick Ball (The Pitt)
Shawn Hatosy (The Pitt)
Tom Pelphrey (Task)
Will Win
Patrick Ball (The Pitt)
Should Win
Tom Pelphrey (Task)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Nominees
Paradise (Exodus) - Hanelle Culpepper
Pluribus (We Is Us) - Vince Gilligan
Slow Horses (Scars) - Saul Metzstein
Task (Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river.) - Salli Richardson-Whitfield
The Gilded Age (My Mind Is Made Up) - Salli Richardson-Whitfield
The Pitt (12:00 P.M.) - Noah Wyle
Will Win
Pluribus (We Is Us) - Vince Gilligan
Should Win
Slow Horses (Scars) - Saul Metzstein
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Nominees
Pluribus (We Is Us) - Vince Gilligan
Slow Horses (Scars) - Will Smith
Task (A Still Small Voice) - Brad Ingelsby
The Diplomat (Amagansett) - Debora Cahn, Peter Akerman
The Pitt (1:00 P.M.) - Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman, R. Scott Gemmill
The Pitt (12:00 P.M.) - Valerie Chu
Will Win
Slow Horses (Scars) - Will Smith
Should Win
Slow Horses (Scars) - Will Smith
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Abbott Elementary
Hacks
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders In The Building
Shrinking
The Bear
Widow's Bay
Will Win
Hacks
Should Win
Widow's Bay
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)
Elle Fanning (Margo's Got Money Troubles)
Jean Smart (Hacks)
Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback)
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
Will Win
Jean Smart (Hacks)
Should Win
Elle Fanning (Margo's Got Money Troubles)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Jason Segel (Shrinking)
Matthew Rhys (Widow's Bay)
Martin Short (Only Murders In The Building)
Steve Carell (Rooster)
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man)
Will Win
Matthew Rhys (Widow's Bay)
Should Win
Matthew Rhys (Widow's Bay)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Dale Dickey (Widow's Bay)
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)
Jessica Williams (Shrinking)
Kate O'Flynn (Widow's Bay)
Megan Stalter (Hacks)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo's Got Money Troubles)
Will Win
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Should Win
Kate O'Flynn (Widow's Bay)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Be Nominated
Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons)
Harrison Ford (Shrinking)
Michael Urie (Shrinking)
Nick Offerman (Margo's Got Money Troubles)
Paul W. Downs (Hacks)
Stephen Root (Widow's Bay)
Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary)
Will Win
Harrison Ford (Shrinking)
Should Win
Nick Offerman (Margo's Got Money Troubles)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Nominees
Abbott Elementary (Ballgame) - Randall Einhorn
Hacks (Hacks) - Lucia Aniello
The Bear (Bears) - Christopher Storer
The Chair Company (Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does.) - Andrew DeYoung
The Ms. Pat Show (Give It Arrest) - Mary Lou Belli
Widow's Bay (Welcome to Widow's Bay!) - Hiro Murai
Will Win
Widow's Bay (Welcome to Widow's Bay!) - Hiro Murai
Should Win
Widow's Bay (Welcome to Widow's Bay!) - Hiro Murai
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Nominees
Abbott Elementary (Team Building) - Quinta Brunson
Hacks (Hacks) - Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs
The Chair Company (Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does.) - Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin
The Comeback (Valerie Does It All) - Lisa Kudrow, Michael Patrick King
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat (Mergers and Acquisitions) - Anthony King
Widow's Bay (Welcome to Widow's Bay!) - Katie Dippold
Will Win
Hacks (Hacks) - Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs
Should Win
Widow's Bay (Welcome to Widow's Bay!) - Katie Dippold
OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES*
Will Be Nominated
All Her Fault
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
The Beast In Me
Will Win
Beef
Should Win
Beef
*This category needs an overhaul, starting with the same amount of series nominees as there are in the drama and comedy series categories.
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE*
Will Be Nominated
Heads Of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet On Vacation
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War
Will Win
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Should Win
Abstain
*This category needs an overhaul; possibly changing it to celebrate all non-theatrical, and streaming or broadcast exclusive movies. The acting and other individual submissions should also be in their own category instead of lumping them together with miniseries and anthologies.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Will Be Nominated
Carey Mulligan (Beef)
Claire Danes (The Beast In Me)
Sally Field (Remarkably Bright Creatures)
Sarah Pidgeon (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette)
Sarah Snook (All Her Fault)
Will Win
Carey Mulligan (Beef)
Should Win
Carey Mulligan (Beef)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Will Be Nominated
Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story)
Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit)
Matthew Rhys (The Beast In Me)
Oscar Isaac (Beef)
Riz Ahmed (Bait)
Will Win
Oscar Isaac (Beef)
Should Win
Matthew Rhys (The Beast In Me)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Will Be Nominated
Constance Zimmer (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette)
Dakota Fanning (All Her Fault)
Joy Sunday (DTF St. Louis)
Laurie Metcalf (Monster: The Ed Gein Story)
Linda Cardellini (DTF St. Louis)
Youn Yuh-jung (Beef)
Will Win
Linda Cardellini (DTF St. Louis)
Should Win
Youn Yuh-jung (Beef)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Will Be Nominated
Charles Melton (Beef)
David Harbour (DTF St. Louis)
Jason Bateman (DTF St. Louis)
Nick Offerman (Death By Lightning)
Richard Gadd (Half Man)
Richard Jenkins (DTF St. Louis)
Will Win
David Harbour (DTF St. Louis)
Should Win
Abstain
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Nominees
Beef (It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey) - Jake Schreier
Beef (Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort) - Lee Sung Jin
Black Rabbit (The Black Rabbits) - Jason Bateman
DTF St. Louis - Steven Conrad
Will Win
DTF St. Louis - Steven Conrad
Should Win
Beef (Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort) - Lee Sung Jin
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Nominees
All Her Fault (Episode 8) - Megan Gallagher
Beef (All The Things We're Never Going To Have) - Lee Sung Jin
Death By Lightning - Mike Makowsky
DTF St. Louis - Steven Conrad
The Beast In Me (Sick Puppy) - Daniel Pearle, Gabe Rotter
Will Win
Beef (All The Things We're Never Going To Have) - Lee Sung Jin
Should Win
Beef (All The Things We're Never Going To Have) - Lee Sung Jin
**not nominated in the category
