Emmys: 115 Categories Predicted, With ‘Pluribus’ and ‘Beef’ Leading Series Pack and Netflix, HBO Battling for Networks

By Variety | Created at 2026-06-16 17:46:37 | Updated at 2026-06-20 13:02:20 3 days ago

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming OscarsEmmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

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Primetime Emmys Predictions Commentary All Categories (Updated: June 16, 2026): The Television Academy announced June 16 that all categories for the 78th Emmy Awards nominations will be unveiled on Wednesday, July 8, including the nine categories previously slated for July 15, such as cinematography, music and sound editing. The move means complete nomination totals for programs and networks will be available immediately following the announcement.


Emmy voting is open, and Television Academy members have 11 days to lock in their nominating ballots.

Members opened their ballots to 555 program submissions across the 14 program categories this year, down from 600 in 2025, a decline of 45 titles or roughly 7.5%. The performer races tell the same story, with 1,573 submissions in contention across the 17 acting categories, down from 1,706 last year, a drop of nearly 8%.

Among the acting races, two very different staples lead the pack. Prime Video’s superhero drama “The Boys” and NBC’s sketch institution “Saturday Night Live” each drew 28 performer submissions, the most of any series. HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” follows at 24, with fellow HBO Max title “Euphoria” close behind at 23. The now-canceled Peacock drama “The Copenhagen Test” landed 21, and the final season of HBO Max’s “Hacks” threw in 20.

Those tallies measure raw volume. Breadth across categories tells a richer story, spanning the lead, supporting and guest acting races, directing, writing and every below-the-line craft, and a few projected leaders stand out. Apple TV’s “Pluribus” is within earshot of breaking the all-time freshman drama series record set by “NYPD Blue” in 1994. Netflix’s anthology series “Beef” is looking good to build on its first season, which nabbed 13 nominations and swept the Emmys. The sophomore season of reigning drama winner “The Pitt” is sitting around 18 predicted noms and, I’ll admit, it seems a bit conservative, as I see potential for upwards of 23 nominations. The final season of “Hacks” could bring in its best Emmy numbers yet, while Ryan Murphy may land his biggest haul for a single show in years with FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette.”

One note for anyone reading this as a pure series ranking: “The Oscars” and NBC’s “The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny” are both sitting just outside the top 10 in projected nominations at nine apiece, and both are specials, not series, climbing that high almost entirely through the below-the-line crafts.

For networks, HBO Max had its best-ever showing in 2025 with 142 nominations. While it may not match that number, the top three from last year, which also included Netflix and Apple TV, will likely remain unchanged. Which one leads is the open question, and it won’t be answered until July 15. On July 8, the TV Academy will announce the nominees in all but nine categories. On July 15, we’ll learn the results for outstanding cinematography, music composition and sound editing, among others, which are being determined by peer-group screening panels.

Nomination voting runs June 11-22. Final-round voting takes place Aug. 17-26 ahead of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala on Sept. 5-6. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 14 on NBC.

Top 10 projected nomination leaders (series): “Pluribus” (24); “Beef” (19); “The Pitt” (18); “Hacks” and “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (17); “Shrinking” (14); “Saturday Night Live” (12); “DTF St. Louis” (11); “The Oscars” and “Stranger Things” (10)

Top 10 projected nomination leaders (networks): Netflix (135); HBO Max (113); Apple TV (77); FX (33); Hulu (31); ABC (27); Prime Video (26); CBS (25); NBC (24); Paramount+ (16)

*** = PREDICTED WINNER
(All predicted nominees listed below are in alphabetical order)

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