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Dear {{first_name | Reader}},

The wait is over. The nominations for the 78th annual Emmy Awards are here, and the list is jam-packed with surprises, sure things and more than a few snubs. (Actually, a lot of snubs.) Don’t worry, I’m going to break down who's leading the pack, who's celebrating their first nomination and who got left off the list entirely. 

H. Alan Scott is Newsweek’s Senior Editor for Entertainment, host of the celebrity interview podcast ‘The Parting Shot’, and author of the entertainment newsletter For The Culture. Follow H. Alan Scott on Twitter and Instagram at @HAlanScott.

The Pitt and Hacks lead the pack this year.

The Pitt picked up 25 nominations, while Hacks broke a record with 24, the most a comedy has ever earned in a single year. (That record also tells you everything you need to know about the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series showdown between Jean Smart for Hacks and Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback. With this much love for Hacks, Smart is the clear frontrunner to take home the prize.)

This year also welcomed a healthy crop of first-time nominees, including Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), Chase Infiniti (The Testaments), Charles Melton (Beef), Sarah Pidgeon (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette), Megan Stalter (Hacks) and Connor Storrie (Saturday Night Live).

The Pitt didn't just lead the drama field. It also delivered a wave of first-time acting nominees, with much of the cast recognized in the supporting categories. Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa both won Emmys for the show last year.

Despite a few shockers (more on those below), the list mostly went as expected. And it sets up the two races that will dominate the conversation between now and the ceremony: can The Pitt repeat its drama dominance from last year, and which comedy takes the crown, The Bear or Hacks, with both series bowing out after their final seasons.

Read more: Emmy Nominations 2026: ‘The Pitt’ Dominates, ‘Hacks’ Makes History

I'm joined by comedian Anna Roisman to debate this year's biggest comedy acting race—and whether anyone can stop Smart from winning another Emmy.

Now for the snubs. (Sit back, we need to break these down.)

The biggest shock is Jeremy Allen White missing from Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bear. The series wrapped this year and picked up plenty of nominations, just none for its lead, who happens to be a past winner. Also surprising: Ashley Padilla shut out of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live after a stand-out year that had her widely expected to make the seven-nominee cut. And in Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Paul Anthony Kelly's absence for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette stings, especially with co-star Sarah Pidgeon making the list.

But wait, there's more snubbery! The Amazing Race, once the untouchable champion of Outstanding Reality Competition Program, was nowhere to be found. Another past winner, Sheryl Lee Ralph, came up empty for her work on Abbott Elementary. And Netflix's Nobody Wants This landed an Outstanding Comedy Series nomination but nothing for its two leads, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, both past nominees. Ouch.

Mariska Hargitay will host the 78th annual Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock.

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