The Television Academy announced the nominees for the 78th Emmy Awards on Wednesday. HBO's "The Pitt" received the most nominations of any show with 25, followed closely by another HBO series, "Hacks," with 24 The Guardian. Former Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller announced the picks in a ceremony broadcast on Emmys.com Emmys.com.

Apple TV+ also did well, placing two shows in the top tier: "Widow's Bay" with 19 nominations and "Pluribus" with 18 The Guardian. What stands out is that almost all the biggest nomination hauls went to just four shows—two from HBO and two from Apple TV+. Rather than spreading recognition across many different series, the Emmy Awards are increasingly concentrating their attention on a small group of prestige programs.

"Hacks" broke a record by earning more nominations than any other comedy series has ever gotten in a single year The Guardian. The show's main star, Jean Smart, has won the award for best comedy actress four years in a row. If she wins again this year, it would be her fifth straight. Smart was also selected for induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, along with Ted Danson, Sheila Nevins, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Ted Sarandos, and Ed Bradley Emmys.com.

For best drama series, the nominees are "The Pitt," "Pluribus," "The Diplomat," "The Gilded Age," "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," "Paradise," "Slow Horses," and "Your Friends & Neighbors" The Guardian. "The Pitt" is the defending champion, having won last year, and these new nominations are for its second season Sun-Sentinel; ABC7.

The best comedy series field includes "Hacks," "Widow's Bay," "Abbott Elementary," "Shrinking," "Nobody Wants This," "Margo's Got Money Troubles," "Only Murders in the Building," and "The Bear" (season four) The Guardian. Some of these shows have been nominated before, while others are new to the mix.

The Emmy Awards ceremony takes place on September 14 at 5:00 PM Emmys.com. Voters already submitted their initial ballots on June 11. The final voting round happens on August 17, just before the ceremony Television Academy. NBC and Peacock will broadcast it live, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment Emmys.com. The Creative Arts Emmys—an earlier event that honors technical and behind-the-scenes work—happen September 5 and 6 Emmys.com.

The full list of nominees is available as downloadable PDFs on Emmys.com Emmys.com.

A separate regional awards show, the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, announced its own 122 nominations across 33 categories on June 2 Television Academy. That ceremony is July 25 Emmys.com. ABC7's David Ono won the 2026 LA Area Emmy Governors Award Emmys.com.

HBO and Apple TV+ dominating the nominations tells a story about how television awards work today. HBO's success reflects its strategy of investing heavily in fewer, higher-quality prestige shows rather than many programs at once. This approach still impresses Emmy voters, even though the company has gone through major ownership and branding changes in recent years. Apple TV+ is following a different path: even though it has fewer subscribers than its rivals, it spends heavily on awards campaigns and builds strong relationships with major talent, which helps it win recognition beyond its size.

Getting nominated does not guarantee winning. When the votes are counted in August, we will see whether "The Pitt" can defend its drama title against competition that includes a fantasy series, a diplomatic thriller, and a period drama—a much more varied field than in some past years. And Jean Smart's potential fifth comedy actress win will happen within a category that now revolves largely around the record-breaking success of her own show.