2026 Emmy Awards Writing Predictions

The Variety Awards Circuit section is your home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring official predictions for upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety Awards Editor-in-Chief Clayton Davis. The predictions page reflects the current standings of the race and does not reflect the personal preferences of individual candidates. As other official (and unofficial) polls have suggested, the race is fluid and subject to change based on topics and events. Forecasts are updated every Thursday.

Writing Category (Updated: June 17, 2026): You can’t have a TV show without writers. This is one of the most obvious truths in the industry, and one that often gets lost in the buzz of stars and showrunners.

This truth flies in the face of math in the Emmy screenwriting race, as the Television Academy ties the number of nominees in each category to the number of submissions received. The drama script category had the most applications this year, with 97 entries, enough to produce six nominees. The field includes multiple episodes of Apple TV’s sci-fi drama “Pluribus” and HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt,” each of which serves as a reminder that a single series can rack up hours of voting, dominating the conversation or splitting its own votes.

Comedy writing was slightly behind with 91 submissions, which also resulted in strong results for six candidates. Among the entries are the series finale of HBO Max’s comedy “The Hux” and the season premiere of ABC’s mockumentary comedy “Abbott Elementary.” These two episodes are purpose-built for exactly this kind of evaluation, allowing them to carry the weight of an entire season in self-contained episodes. We’re keeping an eye on this category, as the biggest surprises could emerge, like Apple’s horror series “Widow’s Bay” and HBO’s “The Chair Company,” which could displace perennial contenders like FX’s “The Bear.”

There are 55 entries in the limited series or anthology series and film category, with only five nominated. This calculation rewards writers who (usually) write every episode of a miniseries. Because a unified voice gives voters a single name to support (even if the writer’s name is not on the ballot), rather than giving room for division among writers. That’s why screenwriters like Stephen Conrad, who wrote and directed all seven hours of HBO Max’s dark comedy DTF St. Louis, Richard Gadd, the sole original author of Half Man, and Mike Murkowski, who wrote every episode of Netflix’s Death by Lightning, may have an advantage in this race.

The variety feature, a category that typically brings together stand-up time from comics like Josh Johnson, Nikki Glazer and Ramy Youssef, alongside event telecasts like the Oscars and “The Roast of Kevin Hart,” attracts 49 entries and awards five nominations. It remains one of the most eclectic races on the ballot.

Next is a thin field. The variety series, long home to late-night shows like “SNL” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” competed with Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series “American Revolution” and Jordan Klepper’s “The Daily Show Presents” specials to write nonfiction programs, each receiving just 11 submissions. Each candidate will have a lineup of only three candidates.

All official submissions for all writing categories are listed below.

Voting for the nomination round will take place from June 11th to 22nd, with nominations announced on July 8th. The final round of voting will take place from August 17th to 26th, followed by the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governor’s Gala from September 5th to 6th. The Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast on NBC on September 14th.

drama series director

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comedy series director

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Limited/Anthology or Film Director

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Writing (all other categories, qualifications)

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