In this week’s episode of The Envelope podcast, “The Pitt’s” Noah Wyle reflects on 25 Emmy nominations for the series, responds to criticism of casting decisions, and previews Season 3 of the HBO Max medical drama, now in production.
Kelvin Washington: Hello, and welcome back to The Envelope. It’s been a little while. Kelvin Washington alongside Yvonne Villarreal. We also have Mark Olsen. Good to see you. This is one of my favorite things, because I learn so much from you two. And by the way, I got a big shout-out from somebody at the other job that I do —
Yvonne Villarreal: You have another job?
Washington: Which one do you want to talk about? I have 17 of them. But she was saying how she was listening to something and then she said, “I want to hear more about it.” So she Googled, we came up and she was blown away to see it, and we did such great jobs. So she’s a big fan of you two. Shout out to Larissa if she watches again. But let’s get into, of course, Emmy nominations. You have surprises, you have ones you kind of expected, snubs, the whole nine. Let’s start with you, Yvonne. Anything jump out?
Villarreal: Leading the pack was “The Pitt,” which I think everyone expected, and coming in close second was “Hacks.” But I think the third most-nominated show that was thrilling to see have a big showing was “Widow’s Bay.” It was this latecomer to the race, and it’s just this show that has taken people by storm. The word of mouth has really grown. And I know, Mark, you got Matthew [Rhys] in an upcoming episode here. It’s just nice to see how that show’s performed.
I was a little bummed that we didn’t get a [big] showing of “The Comeback,” the third season. That was maybe my snub mark.
Mark Olsen: Not that it’s a causal thing, but I was excited to see a guest from the [podcast], Riz Ahmed, was nominated for the show “Bait,” [which is] kind of like a meta-psycho-emotional biography of an actor caught in conflict between his community and his career. And then also, I have to say, Meg Stalter from “Hacks,” I thought was exciting. For no other reason than to have her on that red carpet, to maybe get a little time on the telecast and the chaos that that just promises.
Villarreal: I want to know who she’s going to come dressed as. She always stuns on the red carpet with who she is sort of making fun of.
Washington: You need a little bit of that, a little chaos. That’s what makes those things interesting. For me, I was just thinking about, again, how we’ve had so many folks who were known for films now all of a sudden becoming television stars. Seems a little weird to say it, but Jason Bateman being one of them, nominated for a couple of shows. So it’s just been incredible to see some people’s transition into that, where 15, 20 years ago, it‘d almost be the downfall of your career to do so much TV. Now it’s a cool addition to your career. Let’s get into it. You mentioned “The Pitt,” Yvonne. And Noah Wyle, you had a chance to have a chat with him. Tell me a little bit more about it.
Villarreal: They got the big news about their 25 nominations while on set. They’re in production on Season 3. And when we caught up with Noah, he had just wrapped filming the episode that he wrote and directed this season, Episode 3. And it was really fun to catch up with him, especially considering how much he’s shouldered in portraying Dr. Michael Rabinovitch, a.k.a. Dr. Robby. You know, this is a character that’s had a really deep mental health journey the past two seasons. Season 2 picked up with him on the eve of a three-month sabbatical, and we think he’s finally going to get this break that he needs to deal with some of the things he’s been going through. But as the season progresses, we see him really confronting just how much of a mental breakdown he’s at right now. And we talked about that. He shared a lot about what’s coming up in Season 3. And we also get into some of the advocacy efforts he’s been involved with.
Washington: You know what I find interesting about that is, when you look at the folks from “Law & Order: SVU” and some other shows, [they’re] just a character, but all of a sudden folks really look at you as this advocate and they’ve turned around and become very passionate about those things, and I can see how that would be the case [here] as well. All right, let’s get into it. Yvonne and Noah, here’s their conversation.
Wyle on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank in June.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Yvonne Villarreal: Noah, thanks so much for taking the time. We’re on the Warner Bros. lot inside an office space because you are deep in the throes of production on Season 3 while navigating the awards circuit. Tell me what that’s like. What is your headspace right now? Have you learned anything from last year?
Noah Wyle: It feels like we’ve just come back, even though today we started shooting Episode 4 already, which is amazing that we’re almost a third of the way through the season. It feels really good to be back. It’s odd that this is Season 3. It still feels like a new show. Everybody’s still energetic and excited to be there. The awards stuff hasn’t really kicked into overdrive yet, so it hasn’t been too much of a distraction. It’s just been really exciting, especially for our cast and crew who are so well represented in the nominations.
Villarreal: It was really staggering. Is there a moment from the last award season that stands out? An interaction or an experience going through that?
Wyle: The first one that comes to mind was an impromptu meeting I had with Stephen Graham after the Emmys where we bumped into each other on the street and he said some lovely things to me, and I said some lovely things to him. It was the first time I’d ever met him, then Keith David walked by, who was an old friend. It was a very collegiate moment. That was the time I actually took a breath that night and was like, “Hey, look at this — oh, my God, look at all of this.”
Villarreal: Where are the trophies?
Wyle: They’re on the mantle at the moment, at home.
Villarreal: Next to the Golden Globe made by your daughter?
Wyle: Yep, it’s right there in the center.
Villarreal: I want to review the show’s chart. “The Pitt” leads this year’s Emmy nominees with 25 nominations overall. You are nominated in the lead actor category, as well as directing. Do you feel like you’re better equipped or prepared to deal with the spotlight and attention that the show’s receiving now versus when you were doing “ER” at the height of its moment?
Wyle: Oh, I thought you were going to compare it to last year. Comparing it to 30 years ago, yes, I’m way better equipped.
Villarreal: Tell me.
Wyle: Just older, wiser. You’ve been to the dance before, know it for what it is. There’s nothing that’s going to be shocking about the process. Also, I have enough life perspective to just be extremely grateful and present for it and just be really excited about it.
Villarreal: How aware are you that the spotlight is on you? What does that feel like?
Wyle: I’m not that aware of it because I feel mostly cloistered once we start production on Soundstages 21 and 22. Occasionally the tours go by and I see [people] get all excited. But for the most part, I live a pretty hermetic life when we’re working. So except for when I Instagram scroll or one of my kids brings me news from out there, I don’t really get out much.
Villarreal: Your mom is a nurse. What does she think of this moment? Does it feel any different than during your “ER” days?
Wyle: Yes. I think back then it was just a novelty that she was working in a hospital and her son was on this extraordinarily popular medical drama at the same time. Now we’ve had an opportunity, especially the last couple years, through the [medical apparel] company Figs, to go to Washington and do some lobbying together, which allows her career, my career, to sort of work hand in hand. And for me to have a different perspective on who she was as a woman while she was a nurse working, because I only really saw her as Mom through those years. To answer your question, how was her perspective different? I think she’s, dare I say it, maybe a little more proud of me than she used to be. She’s said as much. I think in the old days she was proud of me being successful in having my dream of becoming an actor come true. Now she’s proud of me because she feels that I’ve used that platform to do some humanitarian good works outside of personal aggrandizement.
Villarreal: How many times is she visiting the set?
Wyle: Oh, I don’t let anybody visit this. By design, we keep a very closed set. In fact, if you come as a visitor, you have to put on scrubs so you fit in — and you feel really uncomfortable and you can’t wait to leave. That’s how we roll.
Villarreal: I want to dig into Season 2. When we pick up with Robby, it’s the eve of his three-month sabbatical, and we think maybe it’s this much-needed break. But as hour by hour goes by, it becomes clear that he’s maybe viewing this as a death sentence. What intrigued you, what worried you, about what he was facing in Season 2?
Wyle: Once we decided that we wanted to put, at the center of this medical drama that was an exposé and sharp look at the medical world, in 2026, a mental health journey of one particular person and have as part of that mental health journey be suicidal ideation, which speaks to a lot of the prevalence of that in this profession, once we committed to that idea, it was really exciting to walk it through. And to play the first half of the season as a guy going on vacation to get his head clear and play the second half of a season as a man buttoning up every aspect of his life in the event that this was a one-way trip. And leaving that almost to the Fates to decide as the day unfolded, looking for signs and signals to determine which way that should go. And increasingly as the day goes on, to be met with both the increasing desire to make it a one-way trip and the community that desperately don’t want him to, and ultimately keep him on this side of that edge.
Villarreal: You wrote two episodes in Season 2, and in “8 p.m.” we really see Robby’s mental health journey come to a head. What was that like, to put dialogue to what he was feeling internally, for you as the actor playing him?
Wyle: That particular dialogue was gifted to me by a doctor who shared with me that that was exactly what he said to his wife one morning when he was going through something very similar. And the way that it resonated with me when he said it, the way it went straight to my heart, I knew if I spoke it as simply, it would speak to other people. And rather profoundly, I got a letter by a young man who said that exact dialogue was so reminiscent of what was going inside his own head that it kept him from harming himself and was the catalyst for having him reach out to get help. Because it was so truthful, because it came from such a truthful place, it had a multiplier effect when we put it on TV. So to get to voice it to the world, that was extremely significant to me. It was the masks just really starting to fall to the point where you can no longer keep it in. And the Duke character [played by guest actor nominee Jeff Kober] is the only person who he felt he could share it with, because it’s enough objectivity, away from the hospital, without any kind of preconceived history. And it’s obviously somebody who’s been down a very bumpy road himself and won’t judge the decision one way or the other. He’ll just sit there, almost Buddha-like, and absorb it.
Villarreal: I know during the pandemic — this was sort of what was the impetus for the show — you were getting a lot of messages during that time, people messaging you about “ER” and what that did for them. How do you shoulder those types of interactions?
Wyle: That one made me cry. My hands started shaking. … You always want your work to have impact, you want it to have meaning, you want people to glean something from it that’s relevant to their own lives. And I’ve been very fortunate in my career. I remember back in the “ER” days, when Carter got sober, people would write me and say, “You helped me deal with my drug addiction.” When I was on “Falling Skies” and played the grievous loss of a spouse, people reached out to me. I’ve been a lightning rod for pain a couple of times in my career. And you asked me, how do I shoulder it? I think I sort of see it as a gift. When you have that connection to somebody, when they respond that way, it’s the ultimate compliment. And you’ve built a bridge where there didn’t exist one before. It’s even better if you build them between two strangers that don’t know each other, that now have commonality that has nothing to do with you.
Villarreal: Not to compare the two professions, but does it make you see the work you do as an actor a form of public service? We see how, when people are at their lowest moments in the hospital, they’re watching TV, they’re connecting with characters, with their family members, in these rooms. And then also what you just described, the interactions that you’ve had with these people [who were] inspired to become healthcare workers, shows you how they connect with the characters.
Wyle: As you’re saying that, that’s what birthed “The Pitt.” I was getting letters from people telling me that my work had meaning to them at the very moment when I didn’t feel like my work had meaning at all, because it had no relevance, because we were in the middle of a pandemic. Who wants to see a guy jump around in a costume while people are out there really being sick? And suddenly, I felt like I didn’t have a skill that actually could hurt or help anybody. It was only sort of a frivolous skill. Then those letters turned into the DNA that the show became.
Villarreal: Seeing what Robby is facing, how do you establish boundaries for yourself in terms of taking it in — dealing with the burnout, and overwhelming emotion of it?
Wyle: It’s a process. I am engaged in several modes of therapy to offload this and be able to surf it from both an artistic curiosity perspective and a need for balance. It’s interesting work, this work, and I do it with the full support of a loving wife and family who understand that this is different than what most people do for a living.
Villarreal: You seem to be giving yourself a lot of work these days in addition to acting in this hit show. As the No. 1, you’re writing and your directing. Do you like stress, Noah?
Wyle: I know it sounds odd, but my brain works really fast and it works nonstop. I don’t know what to do with myself most of the time. But when I’m engaged in [creative work], especially directing, it is a full-course meal for me. I feel totally alive and in my happy place. This last week, getting to direct a piece that I wrote, was even more fun because I’d pictured it already in my mind when I was writing it, which is a form of prep. But then you get to give it to everybody else to see what they want to do with it and what you’re creating communally suddenly becomes the third version of it, which I think is really great.
Villarreal: We like a tease here. Is there a note from this recent episode that you wrote and directed that was interesting to give that won’t make sense to us until we watch it?
Wyle: A directorial note? More glitter!
Villarreal: The episode you directed in Season 2, you had the interesting job of dealing with vomit.
Wyle: Yes. Vomit is hard. We’ve been making movies for a long time and we still haven’t come up with a decent vomit rig. I’m not selling Rob Nary, our special effects supervisor, down the drain here with this comment, but it is really hard to come up with a piece that doesn’t look like it’s on the side of a guy’s mouth when he’s throwing up. And you can put stuff in a guy’s mouth and have him spit it out, but to really get a good projectile vomit, you need to have some sort of cannon apparatus. And it has to come from a place that looks localized to the mouth, and it has to be the same diameter of the actor’s mouth. We went through, I don’t know, five designs on that thing and still ended up with something I thought was passable but not impressive — not “Pitt”- level impressive.
Villarreal: Interesting. Do you feel like you’ve upped the ante —
Wyle: I feel like I’ve put a challenge out there to somebody to come up with a decent vomit [effect]. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
Villarreal: It was also the episode where we get the passing of Louie [guest actor nominee Ernest Harden Jr.], and it was such a heartfelt moment and a reminder of the people that are there day-to-day or frequently, and the humanity that you still want to show them.
Wyle: Valerie Chu wrote a hell of a script. Valerie is a wonderful writer, and that episode just dramaturgically was a little different than the other ones because it did put more of an emphasis on the nursing staff than it did the doctors. Usually, we walk into a room and walk out of a room with a doctor. This time, we walked into rooms and out of rooms with the nurses, and we really tried to highlight the whole range of services that nurses give — pushing medications, double-checking doctor’s orders, holding hands, bringing blankets, wiping asses; all of the dirty work that goes into palliative care and treatment. That was the thesis. How do we exemplify those actions? Then, of course, at the center of it was Louie’s passing and the conferring of dignity to somebody after they’ve died was the theme I wanted to focus on. In the beginning, he’s a bloody mess, almost unrecognizable, and certainly not dignified. Then, through the cleaning and the preparation and then eventually the service — that’s on a clock because we’ve got other Louies to treat — we confer him his dignity. We fill in the backstory of his narrative. We give context to his life and honor the man. That was the lens progression we were going for and heart progression we were looking for.
Villarreal: What did it say to you that Robby committed those life details to memory from those interactions?
Wyle: To me, that is what you carry with you. It’s odd, the things you remember about somebody. It’s odd, the things that land with you. Usually, they resonate with something that you’re vulnerable to or have experienced. But with Robby, who never had a family and always seemingly wanted one but never allowed himself, the idea of somebody who had one and lost one is particularly profound. And as we get into subsequent episodes that we’re dealing with now, we see that Robby’s sense of loss predates Louie and his mentor, Adamson, and it goes back to almost an original sin.
Villarreal: A lot of people wanted you to take home Baby Jane Doe to heal and deal with some of your stuff.
Wyle: I don’t think you should throw a drowning man a baby. It doesn’t seem like a good, logical thing to do for either one of them. I think Robby went home and wished that he had the capacity to be someone who could have taken that baby home for a little while. And that was probably one of the things that nagged at him along that trip. If you wish you were better, then why wouldn’t you come back and try? And as we watch him begin to try to evolve and work through some of the things that have been stumbling blocks for him in becoming a fully evolved human, that’ll be one of them, hopefully.
Villarreal: I want to return to an earlier point, which is, you’ve done a lot of advocacy work. Even before “The Pitt,” you were arrested in 2012 in Washington, D.C., alongside 100 activists from the disability rights group ADAPT during a demonstration urging Congress not to cut Medicaid. Recently, you joined healthcare workers along with your mom at a rally on Capitol Hill. You also spoke at a congressional hearing focused on declining entertainment jobs in L.A. and the push for federal production tax incentives. How has using this spotlight and your voice for causes that are important to you deepened your experience with “The Pitt”?
Wyle: Well, that’s a very apropos question because I wrote into Episode 3 [of Season 3] a character based on a guy I was with when I was arrested with back then. A really wonderful guy, sort of a self-advocate and kind of a grump, total badass activist who has muscular dystrophy and has a tracheotomy. And so I thought, why don’t we put that character on the show and put him as a patient? And then I thought, “Well, who the hell is going to play that guy?” I called this guy and said, “Hey, I got a part for you, man. I need you to do it for me.” And we flew him out with his aide. And he came in, shot two days last week. He was phenomenal. The representation that we are going to give people in that community is going to be unprecedented, but it comes from a 30-year friendship I’ve had with this guy from some of the wars we fought together through the years, so it all dovetails together. I’m using one to feed the other at the moment and seeing where it’s applicable and where I think it could do the most good.
It’s just an amazing confluence of events. I’m an Angeleno who thinks there should be work here. I have an opportunity to bring a show here and employ 300 people nine months a year and be an advocate for other shows to follow a similar economic model to try and take full advantage of the generational talent that’s here. That’s just an alignment of my values and opportunities that seems almost blessed at the moment, but it’s not effortful. When you read it like that, it makes it sound like Mr. Smith.
Villarreal: Well, so many choose not to put their voice out there in those ways, but you’ve decided to do it
Wyle: I’ll speak up for my city.
Villarreal: What’s so great about a show like “The Pitt” is we get to watch regular, decent people doing competent work. Some call it competency porn. What do you think is our attraction to that?
Wyle: I think it’s twofold. I think on one hand, it’s wish fulfillment. You want to believe that there’s really competent, smart people in those jobs, so that, God forbid, if anything happens to you, that’s what you’re gonna encounter. And then I just read an article, I forget who wrote it, I wish I could cite it, that talked about this other aspect of watching people do work that has meaning, that actually makes a difference, touches a vacuum that we feel we don’t have in our lives and it’s a different kind of wish fulfillment. It’s almost like, “I want to be doing something more with my life that has absolute physical and tangible connection to another human being that makes a difference, that has a net positive.” And I think that’s interesting.
Villarreal: Sort of what you were feeling during the pandemic.
Wyle: It’s exactly what I was feeling during the pandemic: “How can I make more of this time on Earth and serve more than myself?”
Villarreal: I want to talk about “The Pitt” fandom because they are passionate and vocal. Has anything surprised you about their response to the show?
Wyle: Only everything. The embracement, the passion, the creativity, the advocacy, the identification, the continued support. It’s really been incredibly gratifying. It’s exactly what you hope, you know, that your work will do, spark a conversation and maybe a bit of change. But you certainly, you never anticipate reaching the levels that this one has where people are just gaga for it.
Villarreal: Recent cast departures have obviously drawn some criticism. As the No. 1 on the show and an executive producer, how do you navigate fan response when it’s negative? What are you learning about how to take that in?
Wyle: It’s nuanced. It’s new for me, new for all of us in a way. You try to put it in perspective, and it’s relatively small in relation to the overall [response], in terms of the more vocal critics. But at the same time, this is who’s watching. This is why you’re telling a story. If it’s touching a nerve that’s unintended, address it. Figure out a way to do it more sensitively, to come at it from a different point of view. We’re certainly doing the best that we can in there, but it’s impossible to anticipate what’s going to resonate and why. And I can’t tell you how many times I was surprised at what people thought was funny or what people thought was horrific or offensive. And it’s an interesting barometer of where we are as a country. It’s an interesting cross section of where the population’s at. But in terms of how it affects the creative work, it becomes a slippery slope if that’s the tail that wags the dog. So every year, we come in and we sort of have to gut-check ourselves and do a postmortem on the season. What worked well, what didn’t work well. And what is going to be part of this narrative as we go forward? Cast changes are gonna be part of that. That’s inevitable.
Villarreal: How about in relation to your character? Some of the discussion about what’s playing out onscreen, it’s been interesting to see how people look at Robby and maybe some of his flaws that come out. What do you see as his blind spot?
Wyle: Well, can we start with [we’re] watching a guy who’s going to kill himself? The guy is going to kill himself today, most likely. He’s going to leave and not come back. And as that reality gets increasingly clear to him, he acts continually beneath his grace. He doesn’t necessarily want people to miss him. He doesn’t necessarily want [them] to overidealize him because he doesn’t want them to mythologize him. So some people he was really tender with, and some people he was really harsh with, and some he will carry regret with, and some he probably wishes he had gone further. But all of that pathology was on display as a cry for help for anybody that was really looking to see it, more than I felt it was indicative of how he felt in a normal frame of mind in those relationships. I think he pushed Abbot [Shawn Hatosy] so far away. He pushed Dana [Katherine LaNasa] so far away. He was overly harsh with Mohan [Supriya Ganesh]. He was almost paternal with Javadi [Shabana Azeez]. He had a different vibe and energy with everybody. But ultimately, it was to sort of say goodbye in a way that he felt would be most appropriate. And I’m glad people felt that it wasn’t appropriate, because it was a man setting fire.
I did say in casting, I was like, “Can we cast some guys that are like my size that I could yell at that so people feel like it’s a good, fair fight?”
Villarreal: And you were vetoed?
Wyle: No, no, we’re going to sort of figure that out because it’s nice to show volatility in character, but if it’s a character that’s surrounded by women, it’s very difficult thing to depict without it seeming disproportionate in power. So it’s something I was conscious of when I came back this year. I was like, “It‘s difficult to show this character’s rage when it would be super inappropriate to express it with every single person in this room.” So, bring somebody in that can handle it and match it a little bit. And for my money, that’s what Al-Hashimi [Sepideh Moafi] was. She gave as good as she got, and those scenes between us were terrific.
Villarreal: Season 3 will be taking place on Nov.r 12, 2026, right? A lot of that had to do with the anticipation of and preparation for the ramifications of the Big Beautiful Bill on people’s lives. Tell me about that.
Wyle: It’s Thursday, November 12th, which means that tomorrow is Friday the 13th. And there was something fun about playing with the eve of a day that is usually fraught with peril. But this day is fraught with peril for all sorts of reasons. And it isn’t Friday the 13th. It also is coming into the holidays and it’s getting colder. A lot of the social issues that Pittsburgh and a lot [of places] with colder climates deal with are going to come up. People are turning on their heaters for the first time, if they can afford to turn on their heaters; people that don’t have access to housing are gonna be feeling the pinch even more than that. All of that goes into our narrative. And then, as I think you were alluding to, this is in preparation for what’s gonna take place in January [2027] with [provisions of] the Big Beautiful Bill [going into effect], which is gonna throw a lot of people off the rolls in a lot of states and cause a whole ripple effect through the healthcare industry. In anticipation of that happening, people are gonna have to make some very hard choices. They’re going to probably want to hoard medication if they can. They’re gonna try and load up on as many treatments as possible, put as many things into place as they can for that eventuality. And we wanted to highlight what some of those struggles are gonna be because I don’t know that they’re gonna be reported in January.
Villarreal: How fast, when that decision came through, were you getting outreach from healthcare professionals wanting to meet with you, with the writers room, about how can they can help you think about what’s going to happen?
Wyle: We have a great organization that’s an adjunct to the Norman Lear Foundation called Hollywood Health. And they broker all sorts of meetings for us in the writers room with experts from every aspect of the healthcare spectrum you can imagine. And so we really were curious to find out from those experts what the statistics were going to be. And they run models on best-case scenario to worst-case scenario and tell us pretty much with a high degree of certainty what the bandwidth is gonna be. And then we take that data and try to figure out the storyline that would be most effective to tell it. But it starts with trying to get it as accurate as possible in our crystal ball, looking forward to where we’re gonna be.
Villarreal: If you could give one word to Dr. Robby’s mental state in Season 3, what would that word be? Or what would the song he’d be listening to at that moment, walking back into work?
Wyle: I don’t want to tip the bit on a song that we might use and the ones that are in my head are so corny and cheesy that I don’t want anybody to suddenly start cutting memes to it. [Looks at camera.] Because you know you will.
Villarreal: Come on, Noah. Give us a ’90s throwback.
Wyle: “Scar Tissue” [by the Red Hot Chili Peppers].
Villarreal: Oh, that’s a good one. OK, before I let you go, is there any PSA you want to give folks right now about whether they should be consuming lettuce? Is Dr. Robby consuming lettuce?
Wyle: Oh, my God, don’t ask me. My wife and I have huge fights about produce every night. I don’t know what the hell’s going on.
Villarreal: I’m always like: What would Dr. Robby do?
Wyle: I don’t know that Dr. Robby eats a lot of vegetables. I think all of your canned vegetables are safe, says Dr. Robby.
HBO’s emergency medical drama “The Pitt” was the top nominee, with a total of 25. The premium cable network’s intergenerational comedy comeback story “Hacks,” meanwhile, earned 24 nominations. Other top nominees include Apple TV’s freshman offerings “Widow’s Bay” and “Pluribus,” which nabbed 19 and 18 nods a piece, respectively.
With its 24 nominations, “Hacks” set a new record for most nominations in a year by a comedy series. The previous record of 23 nods was set by “The Bear” in 2024 and matched by “The Studio” in 2025.
“[The nominees’] creativity and talent remind us why television remains one of our most powerful art forms,” Television Academy chair Cris Abrego said in his introductory remarks Wednesday morning. “While these nominations recognize individual achievement, they also celebrate the collaborative spirit that defines our industry. Every nomination today is a result of countless people coming together to create work that moves us, entertains us and, above all, inspires us.”
Previous Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas, known for her role as no-nonsense chef Tina on FX’s culinary dramedy “The Bear,” and Jeff Hiller, the “Widow’s Bay” actor who also portrayed sweet and lovable best friend Joel on HBO’s tender comfort-watch “Somebody, Somewhere,” were on hand at the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre to joke about their nerves — and height difference — while presenting the nominations.
The nominees for variety series and reality competition program were announced before the main nominations ceremony on NBC’s “Today” show.
The 78th Emmy Awards will be held Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay, the live telecast will air on NBC and stream on Peacock. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which honor artistic and technical achievements as well as some performance categories, will be held on Sept. 5 and 6.
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”
Drama supporting actor
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”
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”
“Heads of State” “Miss You, Love You” “People We Meet on Vacation” “Remarkably Bright Creatures” “Jack Ryan: Ghost War”
Limited series / TV movie lead actress
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” Carey Mulligan, “Beef” Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story” Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault”
Limited series / TV movie lead actor
Riz Ahmed, “Bait” Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Oscar Isaac, “Beef” Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me”
Limited series / TV movie supporting actress
Linda Cardellini, “DTF St. Louis” Dakota Fanning, “All Her Fault” Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Joy Sunday, “DTF St. Louis” Yuh-Jung Youn, “Beef” Constance Zimmer, “Love Story”
Limited series / TV movie supporting actor
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”
Reality competition program
“Dancing With the Stars” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” “Survivor” “Top Chef” “The Traitors”
And if you didn’t hear your name called, well, you’re feeling like you’re out there on the street behind the police barricade, hot and sweaty, wondering what happened to your dragons and how in this underwhelming Emmy season things could go so wrong.
Share via
With Emmy submissions still down this year, there aren’t as many slots available to salute all the worthy work, leading to some sad omissions — which, for the sake of alliteration and search engine optimization, we’ll call “snubs.” There were also some surprises, some worthy, some about as welcome as the aftermath of a hot dog-eating contest on the Fourth of July.
Now that I’ve whetted your appetite, grab a donut (or a footlong) while I run down the morning’s notables.
SURPRISE: “The Bear” (comedy series)
OK, not that huge a surprise when a series nominated for its first three seasons, and winning for its first, snags another nod. But given the number of people complaining about the show’s pokey plotting, it was fair to wonder if “The Bear” would again make the cut for Season 4. The show dropped its final season three days after nominations voting ended and because things actually happened during this crowd-pleasing conclusion, it’s possible we might be seeing it again here next year too.
SNUB: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear” (comedy lead actor)
While “The Bear” made the cut for series, the only cast member to join the party was Ayo Edebiri. Past winners White, Liza Colon-Zayas and Ebon Moss-Bacharach were left out, though all will have a shot at returning next year. Whether they will is open to question. Voters seem to have had their fill of the show.
Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri in “The Bear.”
(FX)
SURPRISE: “Your Friends and Neighbors” (drama series)
The Jon Hamm-led Apple crime drama failed to land any nominations for its first season outside a nod for main title music. Now moved from limited series to drama, it inexplicably landed a single nomination for its enjoyable-enough follow-up season — for the big prize, drama series. No other noms. Nothing for Emmy favorite Hamm. It’s almost as confusing as some of the plotting in the show.
SNUB: “Half Man” (limited series)
Richard Gadd’s limited series was provocative with its brutally violent look at male rage and unresolved trauma. But some voters I talked with found it so off-putting that they never made it past the first episode. Could be we’ve had our fill of toxic male behavior in the news without having to endure it on our down time too.
SURPRISE: Riz Ahmed, “Bait” (limited series / TV movie lead actor)
Ahmed created, wrote and produced this limited series about a struggling actor whose life is upended when rumors circulate he might be the next James Bond. His sharp comic timing and affecting vulnerability landed with voters.
SNUB: Cailee Spaeny, “Beef” (limited series / TV movie supporting actress)
OK, you didn’t like her character and you’re still afraid to drink orange juice after watching the show. But to nominate everyone else from the series and omit Spaeny? That feels like a case of Millennials and Boomers taking out their grievances on Gen Z.
Cailee Spaeny, left, with Carey Mulligan and Charles Melton in “Beef.”
(Netflix)
SURPRISE: Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday (limited series / TV movie supporting actor and actress)
The weird and unpredictable “DTF St. Louis” had one last surprise for us, as voters indicated their enthusiasm for it by nominating not just David Harbour, Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini, but also Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday, who were terrific as the mismatched law enforcement partners. “DTF,” not “Beef,” might now be the limited series to beat at the Emmys.
SNUB: “Stranger Things” (drama series)
Nostalgia, it would seem, has its limits.
SURPRISE: Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat” (drama lead actor)
He’s overly involved on the show, so why not at the Emmys, too?
SNUB: Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (drama lead actress)
Dirty birdies.
Chase Infiniti in “The Testaments.”
(Disney)
SURPRISE: Chase Infiniti, “The Testaments” (drama lead actress)
Infiniti was overlooked at the Oscars for her lead turn in “One Battle After Another,” but Emmy voters did right by her, nominating her formidable work in the sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
SNUB: Adam Brody and Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (comedy lead actor and actress)
Though Netflix’s rom-com nabbed a comedy series nomination, voters took the title to heart regarding its two leads, both of whom were nominated for its first season.
SURPRISE: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Wonder Man” (comedy lead actor)
A show about a struggling actor navigating the indignities of auditions? No doubt voters found it relatable and Abdul-Mateen II made his anxieties and aspirations vivid.
SNUB: Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (comedy lead actress)
Wednesday’s child is full of woe.
Megan Stalter, left, with Robby Hoffman and Paul W. Downs in “Hacks.”
Stalter’s loud, boundary-pushing nepo baby Kayla on “Hacks” was divisive, but she coasted to her first nomination on the wave of goodwill surrounding the show’s final season. Cringe comedy enthusiasts are celebrating. Now we await a reprise of her jeans and white T-shirt red carpet look from last year.
SNUB: “Saturday Night Live” cast members (comedy supporting actor and actress)
Admittedly it’s a low bar, but “Saturday Night Live” was better this year, not that voters seem to have noticed. Bowen Yang failed to earn a nomination for his farewell season, ending a four-year streak. And breakout cast member Ashley Padilla was overlooked too, her comic timing apparently too absurd for voters’ tastes.
Hopes were high for “Widow’s Bay,” television’s best new comedy, which arrived late in the Emmy season — so late that its last three episodes weren’t eligible for consideration. But that didn’t stop voters from embracing it, giving the show 19 nominations, including one for Dickey’s turn as the gruff town hall worker who is the Spielberg of overhead projector presentations.
SURPRISE: Connor Storrie (comedy series guest actor)
HBO Max’s hockey romance drama “Heated Rivalry” wasn’t eligible for the Emmys because it’s a production of the Canadian TV network Crave, and the television academy requires the U.S.A. be part of a show’s funding to make the ballot. But star Storrie still received an Emmy invite thanks to his impressive comic turn hosting “Saturday Night Live” in February. The guest actor trophies are handed out during the Creative Arts Emmys, a week before the primetime show, but we’ll likely see Storrie and “Heated Rivalry” co-star Hudson Williams show up to present something during the main telecast. They do want people to watch, right?
Taylor Swift has yet another new thing to celebrate.
Now in her newlywed era, the pop superstar’s concert film, “The Eras Tour: The Final Show,” earned five Emmy nominations Wednesday. This includes nods for variety special (pre-recorded), sound mixing for a variety series or special, directing for a variety special, picture editing for variety programming, and technical direction and camerawork for a special.
The nomination for variety special (pre-recorded) means Swift herself is a nominee as the performer and a producer of the concert film, which showcased the final performance of her record-breaking tour. This marks the “The Life of a Showgirl” singer-songwriter’s second career Emmy nomination. She previously won in 2015 in the category of creative achievement in interactive media — original interactive program, as the executive producer of the mobile app AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience.
The accolades come just five days after Swift married beau Travis Kelce in an extravagant — yet secretive — Manhattan affair at Madison Square Garden. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has spoken about his failed attempt to slide Swift his phone number (via friendship bracelet) when he attended an Eras tour concert in 2023.
The Emmy nominations follow her latest legal win. On Monday, a federal judge in Florida dismissed with prejudice a copyright lawsuit that accused Swift of plagiarizing a self-published poet.
In February 2025, Kimberly Marasco, representing herself, filed a lawsuit that alleged Swift copied “unique expressions” such as short phrases and specific words from her poetry in numerous songs, including “The Man,” “Down Bad,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” “Hoax,” “Guilty as Sin?” and “It’s Time to Go.” A similar lawsuit Marasco filed against Swift and other named defendants was dismissed by the same judge last September.
Swift’s lawyers called the lawsuit “absurd and legally baseless” in their filings. “For instance, the concept of betrayal or the words ‘fire’ or ‘love’ cannot be owned by one person, as basic themes or words are not protectable by copyright law,” reads the motion to dismiss submitted by attorneys James Douglas Baldridge and Katherine Wright Morrone, who also represented co-defendants Republic Records and Universal Music Group.
In her order granting Swift and her record label’s motion, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed, reiterating that “the allegedly infringed material — basic ideas, themes, metaphors, isolated words, and short phrases — is not protected expression and cannot be infringed.”
Cannon mentioned these allegedly plagiarized words and phrases included “tears,” “running,” “fire,” “rain,” “sky,” “love,” “invisible,” “caged me,” “flesh and blood” and “it’s time to go.”
Even if they were protected expressions, “the works are not even substantially similar — a point Plaintiff effectively concedes by characterizing the alleged copying as ‘paraphrase[s],’ ‘rephrase[s],’ and copying with ‘minor word substitutions,’” Cannon wrote.
But it appears Swift has not completely shaken off Marasco’s copyright lawsuit. The Florida poet has already filed an appeal.
Whether you covet a golden statuette of your own or just want to see your favorite show sweep its categories, it’s time to start gearing up for the 2026 Emmy Awards.
The best way to stay in the know is to follow nominations as they’re revealed in real time Wednesday. It may have been a somewhat underwhelming year for television, but there are still a number of standout series to root for and races with the potential to surprise us.
Will Jean Smart win her fifth straight Emmy for “Hacks”? Will “Widow’s Bay” shoot to the top of the nominations list despite its late-season arrival? And which streamer will dominate the ceremony?
Read our predictions here, and find everything you need to know about this year’s nominations below.
When will Emmy nominations be announced?
Nominations for the 78th Emmys will be announced live Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m. Pacific./11:30 a.m. Eastern. Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas (“The Bear”) and Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”) will do the honors, along with Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego.
How can I watch?
You can livestream the announcement on the Television Academy’s website or Youtube channel. If social media is more your speed, you can also stream it on Facebook, TikTok or Instagram.
Who are the predicted nominees?
“Pluribus” and “The Pitt” are expected to lead in overall nominations, with the latter poised to shine in the acting categories.
Other top drama series likely to score a nomination include “Task,” “Paradise,” “Slow Horses” and “The Diplomat.”
In the comedy field, “Hacks” is once again considered the frontrunner on the heels of its fifth and final season. “Shrinking,” “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear” and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” are also strong contenders.
Among limited series, nominations are probable for “Beef,” “Half Man,” “DTF St. Louis” and “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”
This year’s awards will honor programming that aired between June 2025 and May 2026, meaning summer releases are not eligible. Neither are foreign productions, which means the Canadian hockey romance “Heated Rivalry” is off the table.
When is the actual awards show?
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. It will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
No host has been named yet. In January, the Television Academy announced that this year’s ceremony will include the first new major prize in almost 20 years: the Legacy Award, which will be “presented to television programs that have made a ‘profound and lasting impact’ on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry.”
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards, honoring artistic and technical achievements, will be held Sept. 5 and 6.
Death, taxes and Jean Smart winning another Emmy are among life’s certainties.
But outside of the realm of the expected, what are we looking for when Emmy nominations arrive Wednesday?
I do have questions, namely:
Can two-time Emmy winner Zendaya earn a nod for “Euphoria,” a show that remained a ratings hit even if it seemed like people mostly watched to complain about it?
Might “Widow’s Bay,” television’s best new comedy, grab the momentum from “Hacks,” Smart’s Emmy-winning series that looked like it’d be taking a victory lap for its final season?
And, will voters stop encouraging Ryan Murphy or do we need to write another hundred think pieces about why “Love Story” felt so wrong?
For an Emmy season that looked more than a little underwhelming just a few weeks ago, those intrigues offer a wrinkle or two, something for us to chew on as we search for a candle that doubles as a receptacle for hot caramel sauce, as seen in the just-released final season of “The Bear” — a season that, because of its June release, won’t be eligible until 2027.
Meanwhile, here’s what we can look for this year.
Comedy series
Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root in “Widow’s Bay.”
(Apple)
“Abbott Elementary” “The Bear” “The Comeback” “Hacks” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” “Only Murders in the Building” “Shrinking” “Widow’s Bay”
Possible surprise: “Rooster” Possible snub: “The Bear”
Google “Widow’s Bay” and your first result will be: “Did you mean: the next Martha’s Vineyard and definitely not cursed.” It’s an inspired bit of marketing for a series that found the sweet spot between comedy and horror, making us shriek with laughter and revulsion, sometimes simultaneously.
The Apple TV series premiered on April 29, arriving so late that only seven of its 10 episodes are eligible for Emmy consideration. Apple had considered bumping it to October, so it could establish a beachhead with guild and Globes voters before competing at the 2027 Emmys, but decided to enter the fray this year to compete with shows that, while still favorites, are a bit past their prime.
The inaugural season of “Widow’s Bay” evolved as a classic slow burn, establishing the world of its cursed New England island with care and then burrowing into its characters and lore with the kind of detail that prompts full-blown obsession. The 811-song playlist that Patricia made for her Sunset Cocktails party? Who doesn’t have a spare 60 hours to listen? Mining the multitude of horror movie references that the show ingenuously employs? Of course! Something’s wrong with you if you didn’t rewatch “Jaws” after the episode where, out at sea, Stephen Root’s cantankerous Wyck has his own Captain QuintUSS Indianapolis monologue.
The question now: Did “Widow’s Bay” have enough time to hook Emmy voters? Or am I just so taken with this show, a series I myself came to late, that my enthusiasm is clouding my judgment? Short answer: “Widow’s Bay” may not get every nomination it deserves. (The late arrival makes its extraordinary season finale ineligible.) But I don’t think you can argue with perfection.
Comedy actress
Ayo Edebiri, left, with Liza Colon-Zayas in Season 4 of “The Bear.”
(FX)
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” Elle Fanning, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback” Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Possible surprise: Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” Possible snub: Edebiri
Remember when the biggest Emmy question about “The Bear” revolved around whether it belonged in the comedy categories? Now, after a couple of seasons that tried viewers’ patience when it came to narrative momentum, it’s fair to wonder whether the series — and its cast — will continue to be nominated. In the absence of anything better and because the show, even when spinning its wheels, continues to offer much to enjoy, I think “The Bear” is safe for now. And its final season, which dropped after voting ended, reaffirms just how good the series and its stars can be when it’s cooking.
Comedy actor
Martin Short, right, with “Only Murders in the Building” co-stars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.
(Patrick Harbron / Disney)
Steve Carell, “Rooster” Matthew Rhys, “Widow’s Bay” Jason Segel, “Shrinking” Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Possible surprise: Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” Possible snub: White
It’s worth remembering that “The Studio” won comedy series last year, and its co-creator, Seth Rogen, prevailed here. In its absence, this category is open for business, with Rhys, so good at shifting between his show’s droll humor and genuine terror, an obvious choice. Short figures to get a small boost from the Netflix documentary “Marty, Life Is Short,” which offers a moving look at the losses he has endured over the years and his inspiring endurance. Short has never won an acting Emmy and you know he’d give a great speech.
Comedy supporting actress
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay.”
(Robert Clark / Apple TV)
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary” Kate O’Flynn, “Widow’s Bay” Ashley Padilla, “Saturday Night Live” Michelle Pfeiffer, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary” Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”
Possible surprise: K Callan, “Widow’s Bay” Possible snub: Padilla
Last note (I promise) on “Widow’s Bay.” Because its season finale aired after the May 31 eligibility deadline, K Callan’s showcase episode opposite Rhys isn’t eligible, though anyone who watched the series might be inclined to vote for the 90-year-old actor anyway. Dorothy’s walk down memory lane, filled with tantalizing stories (“He got bit by an animal and became that animal,” she says of an old boyfriend), Tennessee Williams stitch-quotes, existential wisdom and bombshell revelations, was pitch-perfect, one of the standout moments of the television year. (Another, of course, was Patricia’s Sunset Cocktails party, with a tour de force turn from O’Flynn.)
Comedy supporting actor
Harrison Ford, left, with Michael J. Fox in “Shrinking.”
(Kevin Estrada / Apple)
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” Harrison Ford, “Shrinking” Ebon Moss-Bacharach, “The Bear” Nick Offerman, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Stephen Root, “Widow’s Bay” Michael Urie, “Shrinking” Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”
Possible surprise: Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” Possible snub: Williams
Can we roll over last year’s “It’s time to give Harrison Ford an Emmy” campaign? Because it’s still time.
Drama series
Noah Wyle in “The Pitt.”
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
“The Diplomat” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” “Paradise” “The Pitt” “Pluribus” “Slow Horses” “Stranger Things” “Task”
Possible surprise: “The Testaments” Possible snub: “Stranger Things”
It’s hard to believe that “The Pitt” earned a mere 13 nominations for its first season, winning for series, casting and for actors Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Shawn Hatosy. Encore victories seem assured for all but Hatosy, who will bump from guest actor to supporting, where he’ll compete against castmate Patrick Ball, among others. “Pluribus” figures to score plenty of recognition too — it might even best “The Pitt” for most nominations. But its prognosis for victory would seem guarded at best.
Drama actress
Zendaya as Rue Bennett in “Euphoria.”
(Eddy Chen / HBO)
Kathy Bates, “Matlock” Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age” Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Possible surprise: Chase Infiniti, “The Testaments” Possible snub: Bates
Zendaya won for the first two seasons of “Euphoria,” becoming the youngest person to win in 2020 and, two years later, the youngest actress to take two Emmys. So hate on her show all you want (seriously, go ahead, it was a mess), but voters will (rightfully) give her a pass. Winning another Emmy is off the table, though, making this a race between the gifted Seehorn, a perennial Emmy underachiever, and Russell, nominated five times as actor and still looking for her first trophy. How fun would it be if the Emmys turn into a reunion for “The Americans” with both Russell and Rhys winning?
Drama actor
Mark Ruffalo in “Task.”
(Peter Kramer / HBO)
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” Walton Goggins, “Fallout” Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” Mark Ruffalo, “Task” Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Possible surprise: Jon Hamm, “Your Friends and Neighbors” Possible snub: Goggins
Brown, Oldman and Wyle were nominated last year, with Wyle winning. Ruffalo as the grief-stricken, alcoholic FBI agent in “Task” is an easy add. That leaves one spot, and it’ll probably go to a veteran actor — Goggins, Hamm, maybe Billy Bob Thornton for “Landman” — though Peter Claffey would be a better choice as the beloved gentle giant in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Drama supporting actress
Katherine LaNasa, left, and Sepideh Moafi in “The Pitt.”
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
Isa Briones, “The Pitt” Taylor Dearden, “The Pitt” Allison Janney, “The Diplomat” Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” Sepideh Moafi, “The Pitt” Julianne Nicholson, “Paradise” Karolina Wydra, “Pluribus”
Possible surprise: Fiona Dourif, “The Pitt” Possible snub: Briones
Last year, “The White Lotus” accounted for four of the category’s nominees. In its absence, the women from “The Pitt” figure to equal that number and perhaps even surpass it, though it’s hard to see voters bypassing past favorites Janney and Nicholson or overlooking Wydra’s subtle work as the emotionless emissary of the alien hive mind in “Pluribus.” Then again, understated performances often go unrewarded. Just ask Wydra’s co-star Seehorn.
Drama supporting actor
Patrick Ball stars in Season 2 of “The Pitt.”
(HBO Max)
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”
Possible surprise: James Marsden, “Paradise” Possible snub: Vesga
Will we ever know what this category would look like if “Severance,” “The White Lotus” and “The Pitt” aired seasons during the same eligibility window? I’m not holding my breath. But with “Severance” and “The White Lotus” vacating six of the seven supporting actor slots from last year, there’s plenty of room for old favorites (Lowden, Crudup) and new (Vesga for his nonverbal brilliance in “Pluribus”) as well a trio of standouts from “The Pitt.”
Limited series
The cast of “Beef” Season 2.
(Netflix)
“The Beast in Me” “Beef” “DTF St. Louis” “Half Man” “Love Story”
Possible surprise: “All Her Fault” Possible snub: “Half Man”
It wasn’t exactly a banner year for limited series with only “Love Story” sparking cultural discourse — mostly for all the wrong reasons. Richard Gadd’s “Half Man” was provocative with its brutally violent look at male rage and unresolved trauma. But you can’t permeate the culture if viewers refuse to watch the second episode. That leaves “Beef,” Lee Sung Jin’s anthology series about enmity, envy and the multiple ways that blood orange juice can be made, as the presumptive front-runner. “DTF St. Louis,” the strange, affecting look at suburban loneliness, belongs at the head of the pack.
Limited series / TV movie actress
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette in “Love Story.”
(FX)
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” Carey Mulligan, “Beef” Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story” Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault”
Possible surprise: Kerry Washington, “Imperfect Women” Possible snub: Field
Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. in “Love Story.”
(FX)
Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Oscar Isaac, “Beef” Paul Anthony Kelly, “Love Story” Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me”
Possible surprise: Jamie Bell, “Half Man” Possible snub: Bateman
Linda Cardellini, “DTF St. Louis” Grace Gummer, “Love Story” Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Cailee Spaeny, “Beef” Naomi Watts, “Love Story” Yuh-Jung Youn, “Beef”
Possible surprise: Constance Zimmer, “Love Story” Possible snub: Cardellini
Misplaced or otherwise, all the best performances from limited series are in supporting this year, including Spaeny’s scene-stealing schemer in “Beef” and Cardellini’s passive-aggressive perfection in “DTF: St. Louis.”
Limited series / TV movie supporting actor
Jason Bateman and David Harbour in “DTF St. Louis.”
(Tina Rowden)
Jonathan Banks, “The Beast in Me” Jason Bateman, “DTF St. Louis” Richard Gadd, “Half Man” David Harbour, “DTF St. Louis” Charles Melton, “Beef” Alessandro Nivola, “Love Story”
Possible surprise: Troy Kotsur, “Black Rabbit” Possible snub: Banks
And here you have Melton’s vulnerable people-pleaser trying his best to find the right color of Gatorade for Spaeny in “Beef” and unlikely BFFs Bateman and Harbour burrowing into the mind of the suburban American male in “DTF: St. Louis.”
The Inside Soap Awards are back and they have announced a major change to this years’ event to mark the 30th anniversary
The Inside Soap Awards are back!(Image: PA)
The Inside Soap Awards are back – and are making the move up North for the first time ever.
This year’s event will take place in Manchester and will be the only soap awards ceremony held this year.
Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks will all go head to head whilst Australian soap Home and Away has also been nominated as well as dramas like Casualty and Waterloo Road.
Up for nomination this year is the epic Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover episode – Corriedale – as well as Nigel’s sad death in EastEnders, amongst other dramatic and heartbreaking scenes.
“The Inside Soap Awards are still going strong after 30 years, and we’re proud to be championing all the wonderful work the soaps produce day in, day out. Our readers are just as passionate and loyal now as they were back in 1996, with over 90,000 of them voting each year – and the Inside Soap Awards remain the only accolades of their kind to be voted for entirely by the true experts, the soap fans themselves,” Inside Soap magazine editor Sarah Ellis said.
To mark the awards’ 30th anniversary, there will be their very own Hall of Fame and the first inductee will be announced during the ceremony. She added: “The soap star who receives this prestigious accolade will be someone who’s been closely associated with the Inside Soap Awards since they began in 1996.
“In addition, fans will also be able to nominate their Soap Superstar of 2026, a person they feel has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to providing entertainment.”
Voting opens midday on Tuesday 30 June, and the winners will be revealed in Manchester in September.
The full list of nominations are as follows:
Best Actress
Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster, Coronation Street )
Vicky Myers (Lisa Connor-Swain, Coronation Street )
There are more than 100 Emmy categories, and if you scroll through each and every one of them on the Television Academy’s website, you’re probably one of those people who read the terms and conditions on a document before signing your name.
This hasn’t been the greatest year for television, which has had the converse effect of prompting me to sample more shows than ever in a quest to unearth that one hidden gem that merits a place on my mock Emmy ballot. Truth be told, I’m still looking. I’m sure I’ve missed something. And I’m sure you’ll let me know.
In the meantime, here are my picks for the top 15 categories — five each for comedy, drama and limited series — along with a brief line of reasoning for each. And if it’s predictions you’re after, you can find our full BuzzMeter panel’s choices here. Emmy nominations will be announced July 8.
Sign up for The Envelope
Get exclusive awards season news, in-depth interviews and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis straight to your inbox.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
Comedy series
“Abbott Elementary” “The Bear” “The Comeback” “Hacks” “The Lowdown” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” “Shrinking”
Sterlin Harjo’s “The Lowdown” feels like it’s on the same trajectory as his last series, “Reservation Dogs,” an under-the-radar charmer that grows in estimation as its audience builds. Noir crime stories don’t come more delightful.
Comedy actress
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” Rose Byrne, “Platonic” Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” Elle Fanning, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback” Jean Smart, “Hacks”
“Platonic” heightened the chaos and conflict in its second season, affording the gifted Byrne additional room to flex her comic chops. How do you sleep on a show starring a newly minted Oscar nominee?
Comedy actor
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Wonder Man” Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” Tracy Morgan, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” Jason Segel, “Shrinking” Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Morgan acting oblivious is one of the funniest things ever.
Comedy supporting actress
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary” Ashley Padilla, “Saturday Night Live” Michelle Pfeiffer, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary” Jeanne Tripplehorn, “The Lowdown” Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”
The Padilla Pause is one reason I’m watching “Saturday Night Live” again.
Comedy supporting actor
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking” Marcello Hernández, “Saturday Night Live” Ben Kingsley, “Wonder Man” Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear” Nick Offerman, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Stephen Root, “Widow’s Bay” Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”
Hernández’s charisma and physical comedy is another.
Drama series
“Industry” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” “The Night Manager” “Paradise” “The Pitt” “Pluribus” “Slow Horses” “Task”
How many Emmy voters finally caught up on “Industry,” the fast-paced drama about a group of cutthroat Gen Zers? Four seasons in, it’s more addictive than ever.
Drama actress
Caitriona Balfe, “Outlander” Myha’la, “Industry” Chase Infiniti, “The Testaments” Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Madison” Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Now that “Outlander” is over, it’s time to pour one out for Balfe. Over the course of eight seasons, she hopscotched through time, enduring and overcoming numerous assaults and kidnappings, dealing with grief and trauma and enjoying lots of emotionally grounded sex. Balfe has earned a final reward.
Drama actor
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” Peter Claffey, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” Tom Hiddleston, “The Night Manager” Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” Mark Ruffalo, “Task” Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Claffey turned bumbling into art.
Drama supporting actress
Isa Briones, “The Pitt” Taylor Dearden, “The Pitt” Fiona Dourif, “The Pitt” Supriya Ganesh, “The Pitt” Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” Sepideh Moafi, “The Pitt” Karolina Wydra, “Pluribus”
LaNasa should have bumped herself up to lead. As Whitaker explains to Langdon in Season 2’s penultimate episode, Robby’s the Professor of the ER and LaNasa’s Dana is the Skipper. And the Skipper should be lead.
Drama supporting actor
Patrick Ball, “The Pitt” Diego Calva, “The Night Manager” Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt” Gerran Howell, “The Pitt” Ken Leung, “Industry” Tom Pelphrey, “Task” Carlos-Manuel Vesga, “Pluribus”
Pelphrey has called his desperate single dad on “Task” the role of a lifetime. No argument here.
Limited series
“Bait” “Beef” “DTF St. Louis” “Death by Lightning” “Half Man”
I put off watching the finale of the punishing “Half Man” for weeks. Does that mean the show worked?
Limited series/TV movie actress
Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” Camila Morrone, “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” Carey Mulligan, “Beef” Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story” Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend”
Riz Ahmed, “Bait” Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Matthew Macfadyen, “Death by Lightning” Mitchell Robertson, “Half Man” Michael Shannon, “Death by Lightning”
The young actors on “Half Man” — Robertson and Stuart Campbell — outshone their well-known counterparts.
Limited series/TV movie supporting actress
Linda Cardellini, “DTF St. Louis” Grace Gummer, “Love Story” Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Cailee Spaeny, “Beef” Joy Sunday, “DTF St. Louis” Constance Zimmer, “Love Story”
Both Cardellini and Sunday for “DTF St. Louis”? No way, José, you say? Yes way, I say. All the way!
Limited series/TV movie supporting actor
(Larry Horricks / Netflix)
Jason Bateman, “DTF St. Louis” Stuart Campbell, “Half Man” Richard Gadd, “Half Man” David Harbour, “DTF St. Louis” Charles Melton, “Beef” Nick Offerman, “Death by Lightning”
The mutton-chopped Chester A. Arthur joins Ron Swanson’s ’stache in television’s facial hair hall of fame.
