Prime Video's action series Ride Or Die will compete in comedy categories this awards season, putting its two leads — Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer — directly into the Lead Actress in a Comedy race for the guild awards, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, according to Deadline.

The move is unusual only in label, not in strategy. Ride Or Die is an hourlong spy action series, but it will be submitted as a comedy — a route that this Emmy cycle has also been taken by shows including The Bear, Wednesday, Elsbeth, Spider-Noir and several others. Networks and studios choose which category to enter; there is no fixed rule that an hour-long show must compete as a drama. The comedy field often has fewer heavyweight dramas to contend with, which makes it an attractive target.

Created by Tessa Coates, Ride Or Die follows best friends Debbie Claybourne (Spencer), the wife of an MP, and Judith Burton (Waddingham), an assassin, on a road trip across Europe. The eight-part series premiered on Prime Video on 15 July 2026, following a red-carpet launch in New York on 13 July. Amazon MGM Studios described the show's theme as "Loyalty, Laughs, and a Little Lawlessness" in a press release.

Supporting cast entries round out the submissions: Ed Skrein and Bill Nighy will be submitted as Supporting Actors in a Comedy Series, per Deadline.

For Waddingham, the category choice creates an interesting split. She also stars as Rebecca in Season 4 of Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso, for which she is submitted in the Supporting Actress in a Comedy category — meaning she could appear twice in the same comedy field, once as a lead and once as a supporting actress, for two different shows on two different platforms. Waddingham won an Emmy for Ted Lasso Season 1 and earned nominations for Seasons 2 and 3. She also holds two Critics Choice Awards, an Actor Award (the SAG trophy) and two Golden Globe nominations, per Deadline.

The show arrived to a warm reception. Rotten Tomatoes listed the series at 96% Certified Fresh at launch, and Spencer said on Instagram that it ranked number one worldwide on Prime Video after its 15 July premiere. CinemaBlend reported the audience score at 82% as of 20 July. Variety's review carried the headline "It's No Thelma & Louise," describing Waddingham and Spencer as best friends on a wild ride to elude a monstrous assassin.

For fans, the awards submission means Ride Or Die will be positioned alongside traditional half-hour comedies when nomination lists arrive — and viewers who enjoyed the show's blend of action and friendship will see how that registers with voters in a category built for laughs.