Emmy Awards 2026: Nominees announced for television's top honors

The Television Academy unveiled the full list of nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards on July 8, 2026, building anticipation for the September 14 ceremony. This prestigious event will honor the most outstanding television productions of the past year, bringing together key figures from the entertainment industry.

Liza Colón-Zayas, an Emmy winner for 'The Bear,' and actor Jeff Hiller presented the official nominations from the Saban Media Center. Earlier that day, NBC's 'Today' program had previewed nominees for Best Variety Talk Series and Best Reality Competition Program, setting the stage for a day of significant industry attention. Eligibility for this year's awards covers productions released between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.

Significant rule changes mark this edition of the Emmys. The categories for talk shows and scripted variety series have been unified into a single category: Best Variety Series. This new category will utilize an 'area award' system, where nominees do not compete directly against each other. Instead, each submission must achieve a minimum approval threshold from voters to receive an award, potentially allowing multiple recipients in the same category.

Further modifications include renaming the former TV movie category to Best Movie and updating technical criteria for production eligibility and the use of artificial intelligence in audiovisual creation. The Academy reported a slight decrease in participation compared to the previous year, with 555 productions submitted across the 14 main categories.