The Pitt leads 2026 Emmy nominations with 25

The Television Academy released nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards on July 8, with HBO Max’s “The Pitt” leading the field at 25 and “Hacks” close behind with 24. The nominations set up a race dominated by returning awards players and a handful of first-season breakouts, including Apple TV+ titles “Widow’s Bay” and “Pluribus.” The awards will be handed out on Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, in a ceremony hosted by Mariska Hargitay and carried live on NBC and Peacock. ### Why did “The Pitt” finish first? “The Pitt” received 25 nominations across the 2026 field, according to the Television Academy and multiple published nominee lists. The drama’s total put it ahead of every other program announced on July 8 and made it the top overall nominee of this year’s race. AP reported that “The Pitt” was the biggest winner of the morning in raw nomination count. (televisionacademy.com) The Television Academy’s show page lists 2026 nominations including acting, guest acting and craft categories, reflecting broad support beyond the top drama race. ### How big was the morning for “Hacks”? “Hacks” earned 24 nominations for its final season, one behind “The Pitt,” and CBS said that total set a new record for a comedy series in a single year. (televisionacademy.com) The show was also identified by AP as the top comedy performer in the 2026 nominations. Yahoo reported that HBO Max had a strong overall showing, driven by “The Pitt” and “Hacks.” That left the platform with the two most visible headline titles of nomination morning, even as other networks and streamers landed major contenders in drama, comedy and limited series. (televisionacademy.com) ### Which newcomers broke into the race? (cbsnews.com) “Widow’s Bay” emerged as one of the clearest first-season surprises with 19 nominations, according to AP and Yahoo. The total put the Apple TV+ series among the top nomination leaders despite being a newcomer. “Pluribus” also joined the top tier of new contenders. Yahoo reported that the series received 18 nominations, placing it just behind “Widow’s Bay” among the breakout titles in this year’s field. (yahoo.com) ### Where were the nominations announced? Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller announced the top categories on Wednesday morning at the Wolf Theatre in the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Yahoo reported. (yahoo.com) Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego hosted the nominations ceremony. The Television Academy’s nominations page lists July 8, 2026, as the event date for the announcement. (yahoo.com) The same page identifies Sept. 14, 2026, as the date of the 78th Emmy Awards telecast. ### When is the ceremony, and who is hosting it? Mariska Hargitay will host the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Peacock Theater at L.A. (yahoo.com) Live, the Television Academy said in a July 7 announcement. NBC and Peacock will carry the ceremony live. The Television Academy said the Creative Arts Emmy Awards are scheduled for Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 ahead of the main telecast. (televisionacademy.com) The full nominee lists and category breakdowns are posted through the Television Academy and major entertainment outlets that published the July 8 nominations in full. (yahoo.com) (televisionacademy.com)