The nominees for the 78th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced on Wednesday, showcasing a variety of new series and presenting a highly anticipated contest between two iconic figures for the title of outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
Apple TV emerged as a major victor on Wednesday, with its new shows “Pluribus,” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” and “Widow’s Bay” receiving substantial recognition. However, voters continued to celebrate established favorites like “The Pitt,” which once again excelled in the drama categories, garnering 25 nominations—the highest of any series this year.
In other drama categories, “Euphoria” missed out on a nomination in the top category following a controversial final season, but its stars Zendaya and Colman Domingo were recognized for their performances. Meanwhile, fans of “Heated Rivalry” should know that the series didn’t receive any nominations due to its Canadian production status, but co-star Connor Storrie did receive an Emmy nomination for his guest role on “Saturday Night Live.”
In the comedy categories, the competition for lead actress is fierce, with Lisa Kudrow for “The Comeback” and Jean Smart for “Hacks” likely to be the leading contenders, both delivering impressive performances in their series’ concluding seasons. Smart has already secured four Emmys for her role as Deborah Vance in the HBO comedy, whereas Kudrow won her sole Emmy in 1998 for her beloved character Phoebe Buffay in “Friends.”
Another notable aspect in the outstanding comedy series category is the strong performance of “Widow’s Bay,” which received 19 nominations. This horror-comedy, featuring Matthew Rhys as the mayor of an island plagued by supernatural events, has become a significant word-of-mouth success for Apple TV.
Despite growing criticisms from viewers and critics as each season progresses, “The Bear” still received a nomination for outstanding comedy series. However, while Ayo Edebiri and the late Hollywood icon Rob Reiner were nominated for their roles in the show, main star Jeremy Allen White was overlooked despite being a two-time winner in his category.
Wednesday was particularly rewarding for Rhys, who also received a nomination in the limited series category for his portrayal of a sinister billionaire in “The Beast in Me.” He shares this honor with his co-star Claire Danes, who also earned a nomination. Additionally, Rhys’ partner, Keri Russell, was recognized for her performance as a determined U.S. ambassador in the Netflix drama “The Diplomat.”
The Emmy Awards will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay, known for her role in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and will be broadcast live on Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC, also available for streaming on Peacock.
Below is a list of the major categories. For the complete list of nominees, please visit the Television Academy website.
Outstanding drama series
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“The Diplomat”
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“The Gilded Age”
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“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
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“Paradise”
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“The Pitt”
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“Slow Horses”
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“Your Friends & Neighbors”
Outstanding comedy series
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“Abbott Elementary”
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“The Bear”
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“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
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“Nobody Wants This”
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“Only Murders in the Building”
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“Shrinking”
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“Widow’s Bay”
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“Hacks”
Outstanding limited series
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“All Her Fault”
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“The Beast In Me”
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“Beef”
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“DTF St. Louis”
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“Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette”
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
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Sterling K. Brown – “Paradise”
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Gary Oldman – “Slow Horses”
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Mark Ruffalo – “Task”
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Rufus Sewell – “The Diplomat”
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Noah Wyle – “The Pitt”
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
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Carrie Coon – “The Gilded Age”
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Chase Infiniti – “The Testaments”
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Keri Russell – “The Diplomat”
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Rhea Seehorn – “Pluribus”
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Zendaya – “Euphoria”
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series
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Patrick Ball – “The Pitt”
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Billy Crudup – “The Morning Show”
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Shawn Hatosy – “The Pitt”
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Gerran Howell – “The Pitt”
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Jack Lowden – “Slow Horses”
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Tom Pelphrey – “Task”
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Carlos-Manuel Vesga – “Pluribus”
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
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Taylor Dearden – “The Pitt”
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Fiona Dourif – “The Pitt”
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Allison Janney – “The Diplomat”
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Katherine LaNasa – “The Pitt”
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Sepideh Moafi – “The Pitt”
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Julianne Nicholson – “Paradise”
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Karolina Wydra – “Pluribus”
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
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Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary”
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Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear”
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Elle Fanning – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
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Lisa Kudrow – “The Comeback”
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Jean Smart – “Hacks”
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – “Wonder Man”
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Steve Carell – “Rooster”
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Matthew Rhys – “Widow’s Bay”
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Jason Segel – “Shrinking”
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Martin Short – “Only Murders in the Building”
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series
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Dale Dickey – “Widow’s Bay”
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Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks”
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Janelle James – “Abbott Elementary”
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Kate O’Flynn – “Widow’s Bay”
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Michelle Pfeiffer – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
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Megan Stalter – “Hacks”
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Jessica Williams – “Shrinking”
Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series
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Michael J. Fox – “Shrinking”
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Brett Goldstein – “Shrinking”
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Hamish Linklater – “Widow’s Bay”
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Christopher McDonald – “Hacks”
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Rob Reiner – “The Bear”
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Connor Storrie – “Saturday Night Live”
