The biggest snubs and surprises from the 2026 Emmy nominations
The biggest snubs and surprises from the 2026 Emmy nominations
Joyce Eng, Gerrad HallWed, July 8, 2026 at 4:22 PM UTC
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Sheryl Lee Ralph; Jeremy Allen White; Paul Anthony KellyCredit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic (2); Neilson Barnard/Getty
The Television Academy threw in plenty of surprises with its 2026 Emmy nominations — from a reality competition favorite getting back in the game to the actors of Hacks and The Pitt landing multiple noms.
But not all surprises are good. With every surprise nominee, it means someone else who was expected (or who we hoped) to get in was snubbed. Lots of actors make that list, from The Bear stars Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach to Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette star Paul Anthony Kelly and Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph, who’s been nominated for each season of the show and won for its first.
See the full list of nominations, and read on for our list of the biggest snubs and surprises.
Surprise: Dancing With the Stars
It takes two to tango, but just one resurgent season to break back into the Emmys. Ten years after its last nomination for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, Dancing With the Stars pulled off a surprise nomination by knocking out 10-time champ and 22-time nominee The Amazing Race. Boasting a fan-favorite cast, Season 34 was the show’s most-watched in years — so successful that it spawned a spinoff, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro — and ABC mounted a huge FYC campaign, including an event at the Dolby Theatre with live performances and a panel, during which three-time Mirrorball champ Val Chmerkovskiy flat-out said he’s “appalled at the fact” that the show has never won. Now they’re halfway there. —Joyce Eng
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Snub: The Amazing Race
Survivor may be the granddaddy of reality competition shows, but The Amazing Race has been the grandaddy of the Emmy category. It’s a record 10-time champ, including seven wins in a row, and had never missed the category when eligible — until now. Was it just a fluke? Or can it make a comeback next year? Adding insult to injury, Hacks had an entirely Amazing Race-centered episode in its fifth and final season. —J.E.
Surprise: Nobody Wants This
Nobody was talking about season 2 the same way we all were about this first installment of this charming Netflix rom-comedy. In fact, few thought it would be a repeat nominee after its soft performance last year — just three nominations, for Outstanding Comedy Series and for leads Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. While the actors weren’t able to repeat, Academy members said, “We do want this show...to be a nominee.” In fact, Outstanding Comedy Series is the only nomination the show received...the one that really counts. —Gerrad Hall
Snub: Taylor Sheridan-verse
Taylor Sheridan’s shows have received Emmy nominations below the line, but voters do not eff with them above the line. The Madison star Michelle Pfeiffer earned arguably the best reviews of any Sheridan star yet, but she was MIA from the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama lineup. Not that Sheridan himself cares. “You’re not going to win no Emmys with me, but I’m not trying to win Emmys. That’s not my goal,” he said recently on The Bill Simmons Podcast, which dropped after nomination voting closed. —J.E.
More to come...
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
