The 2026 Emmy predictions feature a mix of old favorites and new upstarts as the awards ceremony draws near. The Emmy Awards will air on NBC Monday at 8 p.m., and after a strong showing for new comedy Widow’s Bay at last weekend’s artistic and technical achievement awards, it should have another stellar haul. The Pitt also remains an Emmy darling. Sentiment should guarantee a final win for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which was canceled last spring.
2026 Emmy Predictions
Here’s a look at the most likely winners, based on critical sentiment and my knowledge from 25 years of covering the TV industry.
2026 Emmy predictions: “The Pitt” will win Best Drama Series.
MAX
2026 Emmy predictions: Best Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors
Winner: The Pitt. The drama followed up a strong first year with an equally outstanding second one as it explored real issues facing health care. No other show feels as relevant in the moment, and it’s the rare program that appeals to everyone, both critics and viewers.
2026 Emmy predictions: “Widow’s Bay” will win Best Comedy Series.
Apple TV
2026 Emmy predictions: Best Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
Winner: Widow’s Bay. In this category above all others, the Academy tends to reward the hot new thing—first-year shows have a long history of victories. Widow’s Bay has built critical acclaim throughout the summer, though don’t discount a sentimental final victory for the superlative Hacks, which wrapped up its run this year.
2026 Emmy predictions: Noah Wyle will repeat as Best Actor in a Drama Series.
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Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Winner: Noah Wyle, The Pitt. This category isn’t even close. While others had fine performances, Wyle’s turn as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch has become a career-defining performance. His ability to keep Robby likeable while fighting some demons is a real accomplishment.
2026 Emmy predictions: Rhea Seehorn will win for “Pluribus.”
Apple TV
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Winner: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus. Pluribus earned 18 nominations, and it’s clearly an academy favorite. Seehorn won a Golden Globe for the role earlier this year, and with the possible exception of Russell, no one else in the category stands a chance.
2026 Emmy predictions: Katherine LaNasa will win again for “The Pitt.”
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Winner: Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt. As the tough charge nurse, LaNasa brings order to the disorderly Pittsburgh emergency room. She won this category last year, and while multiple nominees from one show often split the vote, it’s very likely she’ll do it again.
2026 Emmy predictions: Tom Pelphrey will win for “Task.”
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Winner: Tom Pelphrey, Task. Benefitting from vote-splitting for the nominees from The Pitt, Pelphrey will be rewarded for his nuanced portrayal of a single dad trying to do right for his family in very wrong ways. Task didn’t resonate as deeply as other HBO hits, but the acting was stellar and Pelphrey is well-deserving.
2026 Emmy predictions: Matthew Rhys will win for “Widow’s Bay.”
Apple TV
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Winner: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay. Rhys will ride the Widow’s wave to victory as the flummoxed mayor trying to will his small town to relevance. The show demanded depth from Rhys since it veered from humor to horror to pathos—though certainly Segel and Carrell demonstrated similar depths.
2026 Emmy predictions: Jean Smart will win (again) for “Hacks.”
MAX
Lead Actress in Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks
The winner: Jean Smart, Hacks. The Academy absolutely adores Smart’s spot-on portrayal of an aging comic. There’s no way she’s walking out empty-handed for her final nomination for the role.
2026 Emmy predictions: Stephen Root will win for “Widow’s Bay.”
Apple TV
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Winner: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay. Popular character actor Root will ride the Widow’s bandwagon to a win for his terrific portrayal of the town curmudgeon/conspiracy theorist. It’s a notable victory in a deep category, and Ford has an outside chance of an upset for his consistently compelling work on Shrinking.
2026 Emmy predictions: Kate O’Flynn will win for “Widow’s Bay.”
Apple TV
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Winner: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay. Yes, Widow’s Bay again—O’Flynn is truly a standout for giving a character who could have come off as annoying or just quirky true depth.
2026 Emmy predictions: David Harbour and actress Linda Cardellini, winners of Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for “DTF St. Louis,” which will win Best Limited or Anthology Series.
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Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story
Winner: DTF St. Louis. The show earned kudos during last weekend’s artistic and technical ceremony, indicating the Academy liked it. But Beef could be an upset winner too.
2026 Emmy predictions: Carey Mulligan will win for “Beef.”
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Winner: Carey Mulligan, Beef. As a woman whose simmering resentment of her husband is tested when they fact a crisis together, Mulligan delivers a multi-note performance that lifts above the material.
2026 Emmy predictions: Oscar Isaac will win for “Beef.”
Courtesy of Netflix
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Winner: Oscar Isaac, Beef. Isaac shows greater range than many of the others in the category, though Hunnam could pull off a surprise win.
2026 Emmy predictions: “Traitors” will win for the third straight year.
Peacock
Reality Competition Program
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors
Winner: The Traitors. Make it three years in a row for this popular program, which won six awards in the artistic and technical ceremony.
2026 Emmy predictions: Stephen Colbert will win for his final season of “The Late Show.”
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Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The writing sharpened in its final season as Colbert consistently used his voice with nothing left to lose.
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