Please report your concerns to Olivia Benson.
The 2026 Emmy Awards will be hosted by “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay, and nominations were announced Wednesday.
Most of the nods went to highly anticipated shows like “The Pit,” “The Hux” and newcomer “Widow’s Bay,” but big stars like Jeremy Allen White, Paul Anthony Kelly and Sidney Sweeney were shut out.
And Connor Story, the breakout star of “Rivals,” surprisingly landed a role in the HBO/Clave series despite not being eligible to appear.
To be eligible, shows must air between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026.
This year, many popular shows have had their farewell seasons, including “Euphoria,” “Stranger Things,” “Hacks,” and “The Bear.” Some of them got their swan song for the love of the award, while others were kicked out the door empty-handed.
Keep reading for more snubs and surprises at the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Snub:
sidney sweeney
No matter what you think about the controversial OnlyFans storyline in the third and final season of HBO’s “Euphoria,” it would be hard to argue that Sweeney wasn’t involved in the role.
The 28-year-old gave one of the most talked about performances of the season, even though the show’s final episode was met with a largely negative critical response.
Although the cast was at a disadvantage during the much-maligned season, co-stars Zendaya and Coleman Domingo still managed to score nominations. Sweeney, who received an Emmy nomination for Season 2 of Euphoria, appeared to have a chance to repeat that feat, but was ultimately shut out.
paul anthony kelly
The 37-year-old “Love Story” star received a lot of attention for his role as John F. Kennedy Jr. on FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.”
While the series was nominated for Best Limited or Anthology Series, and co-star Sarah Pidgeon was nominated for Best Performance, Kelly was noticeably absent from this year’s list of nominees.
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
NBC’s freshman comedy “Reggie Dinkins” was a huge success in its first appearance at the Emmy Awards. Despite starring Daniel Radcliffe and Tracy Morgan and receiving critical acclaim, the mockumentary received no nominations.
The comedy category was particularly crowded this year, but the shutout was especially surprising considering the show’s positive reception. Luckily, the series could have a clearer path to the Emmys in 2027, as “Reggie Dinkins” has already been renewed for a second season and “Hux” is expected to be out of contention next year.
“Halfman”
After sweeping awards season with Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd returns this year with another dark limited series, HBO’s Half Man. Although the show received high ratings and generated a lot of buzz, it was never able to replicate the Emmy success of Gad’s blockbuster.
Gad could have won Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Movie nomination, but that was the show’s only major recognition. “Half Man” was shut out of the race for best limited series and anthology series, and co-star Jamie Bell was also snubbed.
jeremy allen white
Jeremy Allen White’s Emmy winning streak came to an end in what was expected to be his last year of eligibility to appear on “The Bear.” Although the FX hit still received a nomination for Best Comedy Series, and co-star Ayo Edebiri won Best Actress in a Comedy Series, White was clearly removed from the race for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
The actor, who has been nominated for three consecutive Emmy Awards and won twice for “The Bear,” was eclipsed by a wave of newcomers in the category, including Steve Carell for HBO’s “Rooster,” Matthew Rhys for Apple TV+’s “Widow’s Bay” and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Disney+’s “Wonder Man.”
ethan hawke
Ethan Hawke gave an amiable, brazen comedic performance on the FX series “The Lowdown.” He was a big star and the show was well received by critics.
But this year has been a busy year for the lead actor in the comedy race. The Oscar-nominated Hollywood veteran was overlooked.
surprise:
“Widow’s Bay”
“Widow’s Bay” was widely expected to receive an Emmy nomination, but few expected it to emerge as one of the morning’s biggest success stories.
Apple TV’s breakout horror-comedy racked up an impressive 19 nominations, cementing its status as a legitimate awards contender behind “The Pit” (25) and “The Hux” (24).
The impressive win numbers show that Emmy voters are embracing the freshman series far beyond the major categories, turning what seemed like a promising contender into one of the biggest surprises on nomination day.
jason bateman
Jason Bateman’s Emmy nomination for “Black Rabbit” was a surprise. The 57-year-old had a rare dual-role year for the “Arrested Development” alum, winning lead actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie for the Netflix crime drama, while also receiving a supporting actor nomination for HBO’s “DTF St. Louis.”
When Black Rabbit premiered last fall, despite starring Bateman and Jude Law, it failed to generate critical acclaim or audience buzz, and quickly disappeared from the awards conversation. That’s what made Bateman’s nomination so unexpected.
conner story
Rivals breakout star Connor Story, 25, who rose to prominence as Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov, was not eligible for an Emmy because the hockey romance series is produced by a Canadian media company, but the Television Academy hasn’t completely ignored him.
Instead, Story hosted Saturday Night Live and was nominated for guest actor in a comedy series, earning him the first Emmy nomination for a rising star.
The 2026 Emmy Awards will be held live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on NBC on September 14th at 8pm ET.
