Television's awards season opened in earnest on Wednesday with the announcement of the nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, and two shows stood out at the top of the list.
The leaders
"The Pitt," the hospital drama, led all programs with 25 nominations, while the comedy "Hacks" was close behind with 24, Rolling Stone reported. Two other series, the drama "Pluribus" and "Widow's Bay," also finished among the leaders, as Forbes noted.
"Hacks" turned its haul into a piece of history: its 24 nominations set a record for the most received by a comedy series in a single year, surpassing the 23 earned by "The Studio" in 2025 and "The Bear" in 2024, Forbes reported.
New faces in the mix
As in recent years, the nominations reached beyond traditional scripted fare. Ariana Madix earned her first Emmy nomination, for hosting the reality series "Love Island USA," a milestone for a performer who came up through unscripted television. And the academy recognized two of music's biggest names on the television stage: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show and Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" concert film both landed nominations, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.
The ceremony, in Los Angeles
The awards will be handed out on Monday, Sept. 14, at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. The host will be Mariska Hargitay, the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star, a choice that puts a dramatic-television face at the center of a night that has often been led by comedians.
What it sets up
With "The Pitt" and "Hacks" out front, the nominations frame a familiar kind of Emmy season: a heavily backed drama and a record-setting comedy as favorites, a crop of newcomers pushing in, and a ceremony, in the industry's hometown, still two months away. The winners will be decided in September; for now, the contenders have their nods, and the campaigning begins.
