Last updated: July 8, 2026, ahead of the 8:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. ET main announcement

What's behind the first 2026 Emmy nominations?

The first 2026 Emmy nominations were revealed Wednesday morning, July 8, with five shows named in both the reality competition and newly reworked variety series categories. The wider nomination announcement is set to follow from the Television Academy in Los Angeles, opening an awards race shaped by fewer submissions, major rule changes and several closely watched returning shows.

For Canadian television fans following the ceremony from home, the early results bring familiar titles including Survivor, Top Chef, Saturday Night Live and The Traitors into the race before the full field is unveiled.

The Full Story

The rollout began on NBC's Today show with two categories. Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul's Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef and The Traitors were nominated for outstanding reality competition program. The variety series field includes The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live.

The Dancing With the Stars nomination is its first in the reality competition category since 2016. The Traitors enters after winning the category for the past two years, while Saturday Night Live adds another nomination during its 51st season.

The rest of the nominations are being announced from the Wolf Theatre at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center. Previous Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller are presenting the nominees, with Television Academy chair Cris Abrego also involved in the morning's announcement.

This year's eligibility window covers programs that ran from June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026. Several major shows are already central to the conversation: last year's drama winner The Pitt is back in contention, while Pluribus has been identified as a potential challenger with a chance to approach the 26-nomination debut-season record set in 1994. Hacks is also entering the race after its fifth and final season.

The Main Players

The Pitt arrives as the reigning drama series winner after taking major awards last year, including acting wins for Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa. Pluribus, created by Vince Gilligan and led by Rhea Seehorn, is being watched for its possible strength across acting and technical categories.

In comedy, Hacks enters its final Emmy campaign after a long run of recognition for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. Shrinking is also drawing attention, with Harrison Ford among the closely watched supporting actor contenders.

Mariska Hargitay will host the awards ceremony. The Law & Order: SVU star becomes the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years. The broadcast is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Key Statistics

555 programs were submitted across 14 program categories this year, compared with 600 last year, a decline of 7.5%. The total included 110 dramas, 71 comedies, 31 limited or anthology series, 34 movies, 18 variety series and 45 reality competition shows.

The smaller field matters because the number of available nominations in some categories is tied to submission totals. That means a nomination can place a performer or show in a tighter group than during years with larger entry numbers.

Area award

A category in which nominees are judged independently rather than directly against one another.

Eligibility window

The period when a program must have aired to qualify, running this year from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026.

What This Means

The biggest structural change affects outstanding variety series. The Television Academy merged talk and scripted variety into one category and classified it as an area award. Nominees are assessed independently, and any nominated program can win if it reaches the required approval threshold from voters. That creates the possibility of multiple winners from the same field.

For viewers in Canada, the nominations offer an early map of which widely available television and streaming titles will dominate awards coverage through September. The smaller submission pool and altered variety rules also make this year's results harder to compare directly with previous ceremonies.

What to Expect

The full nomination field is being revealed Wednesday, July 8. The Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, before the main Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14.

The next major questions are how many nominations The Pitt and Pluribus collect, whether Hacks can turn its final season into another major awards run, and which performers emerge from the acting categories once the full list is confirmed.

FAQ

When were the 2026 Emmy nominations announced?

The first categories were revealed on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, before the main announcement at 8:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. ET.

Which shows received the first 2026 Emmy nominations?

The early nominees included The Traitors, Survivor and Top Chef in reality competition, plus Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and three other shows in variety series.

When are the 2026 Emmy Awards?

The 78th Emmy Awards are scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Who is hosting the 2026 Emmys?

Mariska Hargitay will host the ceremony from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

How many programs were submitted for the 2026 Emmys?

A total of 555 programs were submitted across 14 program categories, down 7.5% from 600 last year.