The 2026 Emmy Awards air Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay. HBO Max's medical drama "The Pitt" is favored to repeat as best drama, which would make it the first series since "Mad Men" in 2009 to win for its first two seasons. The best comedy race features a tight battle between freshman horror-comedy "Widow's Bay" and veteran winner "Hacks." In limited series, HBO Max's "DTF St. Louis" slightly leads Netflix's "Beef" Season 2.

History hangs in the balance: Jean Smart could tie Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus with 8 acting Emmys if she wins best comedy actress. Matthew Rhys eyes a historic trifecta with nominations for best comedy actor ("Widow's Bay") and best limited series actor ("The Beast in Me"), having won drama actor in 2018 for "The Americans."

Apple TV+ leads the overall count with 19 Emmys after technical awards weekend, ahead of HBO's 16, challenging the HBO/Netflix duopoly since 2003. The ceremony covers 19 categories for shows airing June 2025 through May 2026, amid a shrinking TV landscape — 212 eligible series, down 7% from last year and 39% from the 2022 peak.