2026 Emmy Winner Predictions: ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘Pluribus’ Loom Large

The 78^th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 14, 2026. It will air live at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT on NBC and stream on Peacock. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay will be hosting the ceremony this year.

During the Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies held over the weekend of September 5-6, “Widow’s Bay” took home eight awards, making it the biggest winner across the early ceremonies. Betty Gilpin won for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The show also won awards for casting, cinematography, music supervision, dramatic score, sound editing, sound mixing, and production design. “Pluribus” also picked up four awards: Original Main Title Theme Music, Picture Editing for a Drama Series, Production Design, and Sound Mixing.

Both shows are competing for the top honors this year, including Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Matthew Rhys and Supporting Actress for Kate O’Flynn and Dale Dickey. “Pluribus,” meanwhile, has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Rhea Seehorn.

Outstanding Drama Series

• The Diplomat
• The Gilded Age
• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
• Paradise
• The Pitt
• Pluribus
• Slow Horses
• Your Friends & Neighbors

It’s going to be a close call between “The Pitt” and “Pluribus,” but the Emmys have been friendly to newcomers over the past several years. One could argue that the second season of “The Pitt” wasn’t as strong as the first, but “Pluribus” is fresh, original, and might just be able to steal the win here.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary
• The Bear
• Hacks
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles
• Nobody Wants This
• Only Murders in the Building
• Shrinking
• Widow’s Bay

Let’s face it. “The Bear” hasn’t been great since season two. It’s been good, but not great. “Hacks” could pull off a win here, but “Widow’s Bay” has already pulled off a strong performance last week and is likely to do it again. The show manages to pull off a blend of horror and comedy that’s unlike anything else on TV right now.

A win here would be even more impressive, considering not all episodes were nominated or eligible. The final three episodes of the show’s first season were released after the May 31 Emmy eligibility deadline. Win or lose, it’s doubtful that they’ll make that mistake again for season two.

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

• All Her Fault
• The Beast in Me
• Beef
• DTF St. Louis
• Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

Although “DTF St. Louis” could score a win here, it’s probably going to go to “Beef.” The Netflix anthology was an Emmy darling for the show’s first season, and an all-new cast featuring “Star Wars” alum Oscar Isaac is hoping to pull off a repeat performance at the award show.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
• Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
• Keri Russell, The Diplomat
• Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
• Zendaya, Euphoria

Although Zendaya could score a win for her final season of “Euphoria,” the win is probably going to go to Rhea Seehorn, who was a one-woman show throughout the first season of “Pluribus.” The show’s premise could have collapsed under the weight of a lesser actress, but the fact that she singlehandedly carries the show should earn her the Emmy win without question.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
• Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
• Mark Ruffalo, Task
• Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
• Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Is this one really a question? Although Sterling K. Brown could pick up a win for “Paradise,” Noah Wyle is going to pick up a second Emmy for his role as Dr. Robby in “The Pitt.”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
• Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
• Allison Janney, The Diplomat
• Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
• Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
• Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
• Karolina Wydra, Pluribus

It’s likely that Katherine LaNasa is going to pick up a second Emmy for her role in “The Pitt.” It’s possible that Allison Janney could steal it away with her role in “The Diplomat,” but with three other ladies from “The Pitt” to contend with, it’s a crowded race.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Patrick Ball, The Pitt
• Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
• Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
• Gerran Howell, The Pitt
• Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
• Tom Pelphrey, Task
• Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus

Can we say that one of the guys from “The Pitt” is going to get it? Patrick Ball might get it just due to that ICE-focused episode of “The Pitt,” but the win could just as easily go to Shawn Hatosy or Gerran Howell. And, although “Pluribus” is likely to pick up the win for Best Series, Carlos-Manuel Vesga just wasn’t in the show’s first season enough to make him a serious contender.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
• Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
• Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
• Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
• Jean Smart, Hacks

The win is going to Jean Smart, without question. It’s possible that Elle Fanning might be able to steal it away for her role in the breakout hit “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” but it’s tough to say. This one’s a coin flip.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
• Steve Carell, Rooster
• Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
• Jason Segel, Shrinking
• Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Everyone loves Martin Short, but Matthew Rhys is almost a shoo-in to win for his role in “Widow’s Bay.” His role as Mayor Tom Loftis might have struggled in early episodes, but his acting is undeniable in “Seasickness,” the show’s seventh episode, and only gets stronger from there.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
• Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
• Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
• Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
• Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
• Megan Stalter, Hacks
• Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Although Hannah Einbinder might pick up another Emmy win for her role in “Hacks,” the win could just as easily go to newcomer Kate O’Flynn, who won fans over in “Widow’s Bay.” The show’s fourth episode, “Beach Reads,” and eighth episode, “Your Baggage,” are a testament to her stellar acting.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
• Paul W. Downs, Hacks
• Harrison Ford, Shrinking
• Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
• Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
• Michael Urie, Shrinking
• Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

No one from “The Bear” was nominated this time around, so it’s likely that it’s going to go to one of the guys from “Shrinking.” The actor has scored two Emmy nominations for his role as Dr. Paul Rhoades, but hasn’t won yet. 2026 is his year!

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Riz Ahmed, Bait
• Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
• Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
• Oscar Isaac, Beef
• Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

Could Matthew Rhys win for both “Widow’s Bay” and “The Beast in Me”? It’s doubtful. There are two “Star Wars” alums in this category: Oscar Isaac appeared in all three movies in the sequel trilogy, while Riz Ahmed just appeared in “Rogue One.” While it’s likely that the win is going to go to Oscar Isaac, it’s possible that Charlie Hunnam could steal the Emmy for his role in the third installment of “Monster.” Either way, it’s a win for Netflix!

The 2026 Emmy Winner Predictions: ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘Pluribus’ Loom Large first appeared on The Blast

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