Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2026 Emmy Nominations
We break down our picks for who and what will be nominated for the 78th Emmy Awards.
It is officially Emmy season, and although phase one has been put to bed, the meat season, or phase two, has yet to take shape. And from early days, we can safely say that overall, the look and feel of the 2026 Emmy season is a bit like watching a rerun. This is not to say it is a bad thing, but as we look over this year’s contenders, it’s mostly a revisit of marquee names from previous years.
In the drama category, last year’s winner, The Pitt, is in the frontrunner seat, though newcomer Pluribus, Vince Gilligan’s critically acclaimed but less seen darling starring Rhea Seehorn, isn’t far behind, and Keri Russell’s The Diplomat should also be in the mix. There’s speculation about whether bubble contenders like Task, The Gilded Age, or Industry could break through after years of being ignored by the television academy, but this year’s biggest new show contenders mostly appear in the Comedy and Limited Series categories.
Hacks finished out its run with another incredible season, making it hard to argue against it taking the top comedy prize, but there’s still drama to be had. Yes, Jean Smart is likely to walk away with yet another Emmy. But a new upstart show courtesy of Apple TV might also make some noise, as Widow’s Bay is a must-see series gaining popularity by word of mouth at just the right time. Additionally, shows like Rooster and another Apple TV show, Margo’s Got Money Trouble starring Elle Fanning, are making a case in several comedy categories.
For our money, the biggest contest is whether the long-suffering Harrison Ford will finally win a competitive prize for best supporting actor in a comedy series. After shows like The Bear and Hacks made him a non-contender for many years, Ford finally has a shot to win his first competitive award. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, let’s mark that yet again: Harrison Ford has never won a competitive prize at a major award show, which is an unforgivable injustice. His stellar work in Shrinking as Dr. Paul Rhoades, the patriarchal therapist with Parkinson’s, is some of the best acting of his career, and we, for one, are absolutely hoping that justice is finally served. Elsewhere, Michael J. Fox, the 5-time Emmy winner and 20-time nominee, is also poised to pull off a Best Guest Actor in a Comedy win for his work on the same show.
On the limited series side, it could be a clean sweep for Beef Season 2 with Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton, Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and series creator Lee Sung Jin all likely to be nominated and win their respective categories. The most interesting twist would be if Youn Yuh-jung, the Oscar winner from Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, could grab an Emmy to place alongside her Oscar for her work in Beef. No matter who wins on Emmy night, we will be recapping all the events leading up to it.
Read on for our predictions for the 78th annual Emmy nominations, and check back on our Awards Tour Hub for all Emmy and Awards News.
Outstanding Comedy Series
Who will be nominated:
Hacks
Widow’s Bay
Abbot Elementary
Shrinking
Only Murders in the Building
Woulda, coulda, shoulda:
The Comeback, Rooster, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Who will be nominated:
Jean Smart – Hacks
Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Elle Fanning – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Woulda, coulda, shoulda:
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This, Keke Palmer – The Burbs
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Who will be nominated:
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
Steve Carell – Rooster
Matthew Rhys – Widow’s Bay
Woulda, coulda, shoulda:
Alexander Skarsgård – Murderbot, Ethan Hawke – The Lowdown, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Wonder Man
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Who will be nominated:
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Jessica Williams – Shrinking
Michelle Pfeiffer – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Meg Stalter – Hacks
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Who will be nominated:
Harrison Ford – Shrinking
Paul W. Downs – Hacks
Michael Urie – Shrinking
Nick Offerman – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary, Stephen Root – Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Drama Series
Who will be nominated:
The Pitt
Pluribus
The Diplomat
Slow Horses
Paradise
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Made in Korea, Task
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Who will be nominated:
Zendaya – Euphoria
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
Jennifer Aniston – The Morning Show
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Chase Infiniti – The Testaments
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Who will be nominated:
Noah Wyle – The Pitt
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo – Task
Walton Goggins – Fallout
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Jon Hamm – Your Friends & Neighbors, Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Who will be nominated:
Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt
Karolina Wydra – Pluribus
Taylor Dearden – The Pitt
Allison Janney – The Diplomat
Sepideh Moafi – The Pitt
Christine Baranski – The Gilded Age
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Julianne Nicholson – Paradise
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Who will be nominated:
Patrick Ball – The Pitt
Tom Pelphrey – Task
Jack Lowden – Slow Horses
Gerran Howell – The Pitt
Carlos-Manuel Vesga – Pluribus
Shawn Hatosy – The Pitt
Outstanding Limited Series
Who will be nominated:
Beef
The Beast in Me
All Her Fault
Love Story
St. Louis DTF
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Half Man, Black Rabbit, Bait
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Who will be nominated:
Oscar Isaac – Beef
Matthew Rhys – The Beast in Me
Jamie Bell – Half Man
Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Paul Anthony Kelly – Love Story
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit, Riz Ahmed – Bait
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Who will be nominated:
Carey Mulligan – Beef
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Claire Danes – The Beast in Me
Sarah Pidgeon – Love Story
Sally Field – Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shoulda, woulda, coulda:
Kerry Washington – Imperfect Women, Tessa Thompson – His and Hers
Nominations for the 2026 Emmy Awards will be announced this Wednesday, July 8, at 8:30a.m. PT / 11:30a.m. ET.
