People are always going to enjoy arguing about TV shows, all the more so when you start throwing superlatives around. This year’s Emmy nominations are evidence of that, as ever, with plenty to furrow a brow or jump on a soapbox over. There are, however, probably a few things we can all agree on: Heated Rivalry being ineligible due to its Canadian-ness is a travesty. No one person on The Pitt besides Noah Wyle gets enough screen time to deserve a nomination, and yet every single person on The Pitt deserves a nomination (including you, Digby). And The Bear is still not a comedy.
Without further ado, here are our picks for snubs and surprises from this year’s crop of nominees.
SNUB: Jeremy Allen White misses one last best actor slot for The Bear
It was a strong, “No, chef!” in terms of the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy category for White, who’s been nominated three years in a row — and won twice — for his portrayal of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, the series’ resident tortured genius. The show did nab deserved nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series (though it’s unquestionably a drama), creator Christopher Storer (for directing), and Ayo Edebiri (Outstanding Lead Actress). But it seems weird that White was left out of the final service for the show’s awards run. —David Fear
SURPRISE: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms roars its way into the Outstanding Drama category
Look, it’s not like Game of Thrones wasn’t beloved by the Emmys. But this prequel show is almost the polar opposite of its juggernaut predecessor in terms of scale and tone, despite being set in the wonderful world of Westeros and featuring legacy GoT characters. It’s a buddy comedy that takes places on the saga’s margins, centered on a bumbling would-be knight and his bald-headed child companion, and owes more to The Canterbury Tales than the War of the Roses. Nevertheless, this adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk & Egg” novellas is so fabulous that, like its sword-wielding hero, it simply could not be denied a chance to compete. This is one the 2026 Emmys got right. —D.F.
SURPRISE: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II brings the wonder
Marvel’s TV shows tend not to get a lot of love in the Emmys’ main categories — and to be fair, you could not be blamed for forgetting that Wonder Man, a comedy about a struggling actor trying to win the lead role in a superhero TV series (meta alert!), was indeed part of the small-screen corner of the MCU. But Yahya Abdul-Mateen II more than earned his spot in the prestigious Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy category for his portrayal of the titular character. It’s not the first time our man has been rewarded for doing stellar work in this genre, of course — he won best supporting actor in a limited series in 2020 for his turn in HBO’s Watchmen. Let’s see if lightning strikes twice for him. —D.F.
SNUB: Half Man gets less than half of a chance
Remember when Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer became the out-of-nowhere sensation on the 2024 awards circuit, garnering 11 Emmy nominations and winning six — including Outstanding Limited Series, Supporting Actor for Gadd, and Supporting Actress for Jessica Gunning? Many of us thought that his follow-up, a scathing tale of toxic masculinity that somehow managed to feel even edgier (!), was a shoo-in for this year’s Limited Series category. Only Gadd received any love, however, in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category, and the shutout of both his co-star Jamie Bell and the show itself seems like one of the more egregious oversights in this year’s nominations. —D.F.
SNUB: The Amazing Race loses a step
Beloved host Phil Keoghan hasn’t worked this hard for this long to have the Outstanding Reality Competition Program snatched away by Dancing With the Stars. CBS’ globetrotting series has maintained steady nominations for 10 years despite having a virtually nonexistent social media presence — relying instead on old-school linear-TV viewership. While Dancing With the Stars has celebrated a recent Gen Z-led resurgence in popularity, what did this season really have over The Amazing Race except a charismatic and disgruntled Mormon wife? —CT Jones
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SNUB: Stranger Things goes out without an Emmys bang
No surprise that the VFX-heavy Netflix show cleaned up in the tech categories, earning seven nominations for its below-the-line staff. But it wasn’t so long ago that the show was a major player in the Outstanding Drama category, and both David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown earned two nominations each in the Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress categories for their work on the series. Harbour did get a nod this year for his work in the HBO show DTF St. Louis, but the Emmy committees clearly felt the bloom was off the Upside Down roses for the Duffer brothers’ hit. —D.F.
SURPRISE: Chase Infiniti starts a one-woman rebellion
Yes, we are still angry over Infiniti not getting an Oscar nomination for her breakout turn in One Battle After Another last year. And no, we did not think that the 26-year-old actor would secure a slot in the crowded and highly competitive Outstanding Actress in a Drama field this year, given that her Handmaid’s Tale spinoff The Testaments has not been on for long and has not been deafening in the buzz department (despite its very dedicated core fan base). Still, we may have whooped out loud when her name was called this morning alongside greats like Carrie Coon, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn, and Zendaya. Time to testify, people! —CTJ
SNUB: The Town continues to ignore Industry
Now four years into its reign as HBO’s cocaine-fuelled spiritual heir to Succession, Konrad Kay and Mickey Downs’ dark cautionary tale set in the world of finance has failed once again to win any recognition from the Emmys. Season Four turned the show’s central toxic love story, between frenemies Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) and Harper Stern (Myha’la), into a tour de force of power struggles and breakdowns. Every season of Industry has refined the series, asked more of its stars, and accurately spit at some of our culture’s biggest pain points. This feels like a snub we’ll look back on for years to come. —CTJ
SURPRISE: Nick Offerman nabs two nominations
Offerman’s nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy category for Margo’s Got Money Troubles was pretty much a lock, given that the Apple show is (rightly) beloved and his nuanced performance as an ex-pro wrestler and recovering addict is extraordinary. But there was less fanfare around his equally great performance as President Chester Arthur in the criminally underseen Netflix limited series Death By Lighting, making his second nomination, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, a pleasant surprise. —D.F.
SNUB: The Emmys are not so sweet on Abby Elliott’s Sugar
As The Bear has gone from rambunctious newcomer to business-as-usual regular on the awards circuit, one of the show’s most surprising and evolved performances has come from Abby Elliott. As exhausted new mother and business manager Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Elliott brings calm and reason to the show’s cacophony of characters having temper tantrums. It’s a performance so quietly grounding, it may be easy for Emmy voters to overlook in the surrounding chaos of The Bear. But it was one of the last uncomplicatedly good parts of this show. —CTJ
SURPRISE: Voters give all the love to All Her Fault
There’s nothing Sarah Snook can’t do, including lead an overwrought psychological thriller about the impossibilities of being a successful modern mother and the danger of expired EpiPens. The Peacock drama felt engineered for nothing more than capturing a weekend crowd, the kind of binge that dominates social media for three days and is then forgotten entirely. So, for the show to get nominations for Outstanding Limited Series as well as lead actress for Snook, supporting actress for Dakota Fanning, and a writing category feels a little head-scratching. —CTJ
SURPRISE: Connor Storrie scores a nom for SNL
We all knew that gorgeous clown had it in him. But Storrie’s first Emmy nomination for hosting the Feb. 28 episode of Saturday Night Live feels a bit like an Emmys voting body apologising for not being able to nominate the project everyone’s actually still talking about: Heated Rivalry. Even though the smutty gay hockey romance from Crave skyrocketed Storrie and his co-star Hudson Williams to bona fide superstar status, Emmy rules bar the project from eligibility for its first season as it was entirely made in Canada. No worries, this nomination means that fans might still have a chance to see Storrie get his in-person flowers for the undeniable show of the year. —CTJ
From Rolling Stone US
