Something Old, Something New: Who’s in Contention For This Year’s Emmys?
AwardsWatch TV Editor Tyler Doster breaks down the top returning and new contenders for this year’s Emmy Awards
After months of listening to film fans fight over the Oscars, it’s time to scoot them aside and make way to talk about television. The past year has given way to great television, and the eligibility period of June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026 has gifted audiences great returning series as well as new ones, so it’s time to look at what is and isn’t in contention, what could get nominated, and what might get left out.
Last year’s big drama winner, HBO Max’s The Pitt, has returned for a second season to great reviews. The Pitt has a distinct advantage over many of the dramas it found itself up against last year: it returned quickly. The show’s biggest competition last year, AppleTV’s Severance, did not return in the eligibility period this year (and who really knows when that show will return?). The Pitt took home Best Drama Series, Lead Lead Actor in a Drama (Noah Wyle), Supporting Actress in a Drama (Katherine LaNasa), Guest Actor in a Drama (Shawn Hatosy), and Casting for a Drama. It wouldn’t be a shock if the second season pulled in more nominations than its previous, especially if voters start looking towards supporting members of the cast like Taylor Darden, Sepideh Moafi, Patrick Ball, and Fiona Dourif.
The sophomore season of HBO Max’s medical drama will surely find itself in competition with AppleTV’s Pluribus, the Rhea Seehorn vehicle that will definitely land her a nomination, and possibly a win. Vince Gilligan’s (Breaking Bad) newest series will likely land a few key nominations outside of Lead Actress, including Drama Series, Directing for a Drama Series, Writing for a Drama Series, and Supporting Actress in a Drama for Karolina Wydra. Seehorn will be joined in the Lead Actress category by Keri Russell, who recently won the Actor Award for her role in Netflix’s The Diplomat. The show was nominated last year for Best Drama Series, so it will likely find itself in a similar position this year. Russell and Seehorn aren’t the only heavyweights in the category, as HBO’s Euphoria’s return this spring could signal two-time winner Zendaya’s return to the category. Even if Euphoria’s third season isn’t received well, Zendaya will have no issue breaking in.
Stranger Things (Netflix), Paradise (Hulu), and Slow Horses (AppleTV) could round out the Best Drama Series category. Paradise has Sterling K. Brown competing in Lead Actor, while Slow Horses has Gary Oldman — both will vie for the prize against Noah Wyle, The Pitt’s leading man. Other dramas like Task and The Gilded Age (both HBO) also came out in the eligibility period, which could lead to nominations for both shows. There are big series missing from this year’s lineup, including Andor, The White Lotus, Severance, and The Last of Us, all nominated in Drama Series last year but failed to produce a season in this year’s eligibility period.
HBO will face off against itself in Comedy Series and Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Hacks (HBO Max) will start its final season soon, a show that has 12 Emmys seeking to rake in a few more before taking a final bow. Jean Smart has won for every season of the show so far, akin to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ winning streak for Veep (the actress won six years in a row). Hannah Einbinder finally won for her performance in the Supporting Actress category last year, and will surely be a dominating force in the Emmys season to come. Jean Smart will be challenged by another beloved series, HBO’s The Comeback, and its lead actress, Lisa Kudrow. The Comeback hasn’t aired in 14 years, but this season has immediately grabbed the attention of its loving fans while bringing in new audiences as well. Kudrow and Smart will lead the way in their category, likely joined by Quinta Brunson for ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Kristen Bell for Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, and Elle Fanning for Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
Best Comedy Series will surely see past nominee FX’s Only Murders in the Building in the category, with certain inclusion for Nobody Wants This (Netflix) and Shrinking (Apple) as well. Last year’s big winner, The Studio, isn’t in contention this year as there hasn’t been a sophomore season yet. This spot could be taken by previous nominee The Bear, or perhaps a new series like Apple’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles. While there hasn’t been much talk of The Bear (FX) for its latest season, it has been nominated for its previous three and would be off course for the TV Academy to start ignoring it now. Abbott Elementary will round out the category, and could score more supporting nominations for its performers.
The limited series category is always a fascinating group of nominees because it’s a new batch every year, minus the anthology series like FX’s Love Story, which will be a big contender this season. Another anthology show, Netflix’s Beef, will be back in contention after taking home the category in 2023. Every person in Netflix’s anthology series will be in contention, including Oscar Isaac, Carrie Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, and Charles Melton. The first season did well at the Emmys, taking home eight. HBO’s Half Man will probably be a big contender, brought by Richard Gadd, who was made famous by his series Baby Reindeer. Other contenders for the category include Black Rabbit (Netflix) and DTF St. Louis (HBO).
It’s been a great year for television, with more on the way before the eligibility period ends. Return to AwardsWatch for Emmys coverage all season long, including predictions, interviews and more.
- Something Old, Something New: Who’s in Contention For This Year’s Emmys? - April 3, 2026
- ‘The Comeback’ Season 3 Review: Cherish is the Word I Use to Describe Lisa Kudrow [A-] - March 19, 2026
- ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Season One Review: Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer Momedy Hits the Mark [B+] - March 12, 2026
Something Old, Something New: Who’s in Contention For This Year’s Emmys? 
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