The 78th Emmy Awards are scheduled to take place Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with NBC’s Mariska Hargitay set to host the ceremony. The show will also be streamed live on Peacock. This year marks NBC's 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated with a "peacock blue" carpet instead of the traditional red.
Leading the nominations are HBO Max’s emergency room drama "The Pitt," which garnered 25 nominations, and the acclaimed comedy "Hacks," which secured a record 24 nominations for its fifth and final season. "The Pitt" is widely predicted to win its second consecutive best drama award, while "Hacks" is a strong favorite for best comedy.
However, the competition is expected to be close across several major categories. The majority of Emmy awards were already presented at earlier ceremonies over the weekend. "Widow's Bay," an Apple TV+ horror comedy, surprised many by winning eight early Emmys, including best guest actress for Betty Gilpin. "Hacks" secured one early win, and "The Pitt" took home four, including an award for Ernest Harden Jr. as best guest actor in a drama.
"Pluribus," another Apple TV+ series from "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan, also won four early awards. Host Mariska Hargitay earned two Emmys for a documentary she directed about her mother, Jayne Mansfield, adding to a previous win for her role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
"The Pitt" faces internal competition in many categories due to its 12 nominations for Monday night's awards, allowing it to win a maximum of six. Star Noah Wyle is personally nominated for three Emmys, including best drama as a producer, best actor, and directing. Other nominees for best drama include "Paradise," "Slow Horses," "The Diplomat," "The Gilded Age," "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," "Your Friends & Neighbors," and "Pluribus."
Rhea Seehorn is a strong contender for best actress in a drama for her role in "Pluribus," where she plays the sole human resisting an alien takeover. Zendaya, a previous two-time winner in the category for "Euphoria," is also nominated. "The Pitt" also features multiple nominees in the supporting actress and actor categories, including Katherine LaNasa, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Sepideh Moafi, Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy, and Gerran Howell.
In the comedy race, Jean Smart is expected to win best actress for her role as comedian Deborah Vance in "Hacks," a role for which she has won in previous seasons. However, "Widow's Bay" could challenge "Hacks" for the top comedy prize. Other nominees for best comedy include "Abbott Elementary," "The Bear," "Margo’s Got Money Troubles," "Only Murders in the Building," and "Shrinking."
Supporting actor and actress categories in comedy also feature nominees from both "Hacks" and "Widow's Bay." Notably, Harrison Ford is nominated for his performance in "Shrinking."
Apple TV+ has become a dominant force in Emmy comedy categories, benefiting from the absence of its own past high-performing shows like "The Studio" and "Ted Lasso" this year.
The limited series categories saw significant awards handed out during the weekend ceremonies, with HBO Max’s "DTF St. Louis" winning best supporting actor and actress for David Harbour and Linda Cardellini. "Beef" also received nominations in lead acting categories, with Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac considered frontrunners.
Late-night shows "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and the now-canceled "The Stephen Colbert Show" are nominated for outstanding variety series, both having frequently featured segments critical of former President Donald Trump.