The Pitt Dominates 2026 Emmy Nominations With 25 Nods — Hacks Breaks Comedy Record With 24

The 2026 Emmy nominations just dropped, and HBO Max is throwing a massive party. The Pitt, the hit emergency room drama starring Noah Wyle, leads the entire field with 25 nominations for its sophomore season — nearly double what it earned in its breakout first year. Right behind it, Hacks closed out its final season with a record-shattering 24 nominations, making it the most-nominated comedy series in Emmy history.

The Pitt Eats Up the Acting Categories

If you watched The Pitt Season 2, you already know it was something special. The show didn’t just rack up technical nominations — it absolutely owned the acting categories. Noah Wyle secured another Best Actor nomination (plus nods for directing and producing), while Katherine LaNasa returned to the Best Supporting Actress race. But here’s the crazy part: The Pitt took four of the seven supporting actress spots, with Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, and Sepideh Moafi all landing nominations. The show also grabbed three supporting actor slots. That’s not dominance — that’s a takeover.

Last year, The Pitt was the rookie upstart that won Best Drama, Best Actor for Wyle, and Best Supporting Actress for LaNasa. This year, it came back as the reigning champion and somehow got even stronger. In an era when major Emmy contenders like 2025’s top drama nominee Severance often struggle to maintain momentum, The Pitt did the opposite.

Hacks Goes Out With a Bang

Emmy voters love a departing show, and Hacks certainly benefited from the farewell energy. The comedy, which explores the tension between comedy generations, has been a critical darling since Season 1. Star Jean Smart has won Best Actress in a Comedy for four consecutive seasons, and at this point, a fifth win feels like a formality. She’s that dominant.

But Hacks wasn’t a one-woman show. Hannah Einbinder earned her fifth nomination for Supporting Actress, fresh off her breakthrough win last year. Co-creator Paul W. Downs scored a rare triple — nominations for acting, writing, and producing. The 24-nomination haul broke the record previously held jointly by The Studio (last year) and The Bear (2024), cementing Hacks as one of the most acclaimed comedies of the streaming era.

The Streaming Wars: HBO Max vs. Netflix

Beyond the individual shows, the platform battle is real. HBO Max led all outlets with 122 total nominations, with three shows up for both Best Drama and Best Comedy Series. Netflix wasn’t far behind with 111 nominations, keeping the race tighter than ever. Apple TV+ also had a strong showing, with Shrinking and Widow’s Bay both landing major nominations.

Notable first-timers and surprises? Taylor Swift earned a nomination for The Eras Tour — The Final Show concert special. Bad Bunny landed a nod for his Super Bowl halftime show. The late Rob Reiner received a posthumous nomination for his guest role on The Bear. Even Dancing With the Stars got its first Emmy nod in a decade, and Bravo’s Summer House broke through with its first-ever nomination.

With 118 Primetime Emmy categories announced and the 78th Emmy Awards ceremony set for September on NBC, the stage is set for what could be one of the most competitive ceremonies in recent memory. Can anything stop The Pitt from repeating as Best Drama? Will Jean Smart make it five-for-five? One thing’s for sure: HBO Max is winning 2026, and they’re not quiet about it.