Each September, the television industry pauses to take stock of itself, and the 78th Emmy Awards — unfolding Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles — offer a portrait of a medium in transition: celebrated shows compete for history, beloved ones are absent on technicalities, and the ceremony itself has been quietly reshaped to feel less like an industry ritual and more like a night of genuine entertainment. Mariska Hargitay hosts a field defined by Beef, Hacks, and The Pitt, while the viral sensation Heated Rivalry watches from the outside, a reminder that cultural resonance and instituti
Emmy Awards 2026: Beef and Hacks lead nominations as Heated Rivalry misses out
A technicality that keeps a viral hit off the ballot entirely
Mark
So Heated Rivalry is the big story here—the show everyone's talking about suddenly isn't eligible. How does that actually work?
Mimi
It comes down to financing. The show is fully Canadian-produced, without the American financial backing or broadcast partnerships the Emmys require. It's a technicality, but it's a real one.
Luke
But Schitt's Creek was Canadian too, right? And it swept the Emmys in 2021.
Mimi
Exactly. The difference is Schitt's Creek had American production involvement and Dan Levy's US-based company behind it. Heated Rivalry doesn't have that infrastructure.
Mark
So it's not about where it's made or who's in it—it's about the money trail.
Mimi
Precisely. The Academy has specific rules about what qualifies, and this show fell on the wrong side of them.
Luke
Does that feel arbitrary to you? I mean, the show clearly resonated with audiences.
Mimi
It does feel arbitrary in some ways, but the rules exist. What's interesting is that Heated Rivalry will now compete at the International Emmys in November instead.
Mark
And what about the shows that *are* eligible but seem to have disappointed? Stranger Things and Euphoria?
Mimi
Both had weaker showings than people expected. Stranger Things got only seven technical nominations, and Euphoria—despite having a huge cast—managed just one acting nomination, for Zendaya, who's already won before.
Luke
That's a real drop-off. Does that say something about how the industry views those shows now, or just about the competition this year?
Mimi
Probably both. The competition is genuinely strong, and there may be some fatigue with those franchises as they wind down.
Il Polso
- Hacks star Jean Smart stands one win away from tying the all-time Emmy record at eight, a milestone that would place her alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman in television history.
- Heated Rivalry — the ice hockey romance that consumed the cultural conversation — is entirely absent from the ballot because its fully Canadian financing disqualifies it under Academy rules, a bureaucratic irony that stings given Schitt's Creek's past success.
- Stranger Things and Euphoria, two of the most-watched shows of their era, have arrived at the nominations with surprisingly little to show — seven technical nods and a single acting nomination respectively — signaling a disconnect between popularity and peer recognition.
- The Academy has trimmed the televised ceremony from 26 awards to 19, merging categories and shifting others to the Creative Arts weekend, clearing space for performances and speeches in a deliberate bid to make the broadcast feel alive again.
- British talent saturates the field — Mulligan, Ahmed, Sewell, Oldman, Lowden, Rhys — with Matthew Rhys achieving the rare distinction of competing in two lead actor categories simultaneously on the same night.
Each September, the television industry pauses to take stock of itself, and the 78th Emmy Awards — unfolding Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles — offer a portrait of a medium in transition: celebrated shows compete for history, beloved ones are absent on technicalities, and the ceremony itself has been quietly reshaped to feel less like an industry ritual and more like a night of genuine entertainment. Mariska Hargitay hosts a field defined by Beef, Hacks, and The Pitt, while the viral sensation Heated Rivalry watches from the outside, a reminder that cultural resonance and institutional eligibility do not always travel together.
The 78th Emmy Awards arrive Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles carrying the usual mix of frontrunners, surprises, and conspicuous absences. Beef, the Netflix limited series starring Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac, has positioned itself as the dominant force in the limited series category, while Hacks — the Hollywood satire now entering its fifth and final season — seeks to extend a winning streak that has made it the defining comedy of its era. The Pitt returns to defend its best drama title, bolstered by eight individual acting nominations including one for star Noah Wyle.
The most discussed absence is Heated Rivalry, the Canadian ice hockey romance that became a genuine cultural phenomenon. The show is ineligible because it was entirely financed and produced in Canada without the American involvement the Academy requires — a rule that once allowed Schitt's Creek to qualify through its US production partnerships, but leaves Heated Rivalry to compete instead at the International Emmys in New York this November. Stranger Things and Euphoria, meanwhile, have underperformed in nominations despite their enormous audiences, with the former receiving only technical recognition and the latter earning just one acting nod for Zendaya.
Jean Smart, already a four-time Emmy winner for Hacks, stands at the edge of history: another victory would bring her total to eight, tying the record held by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman. British performers are unusually well represented across categories, with Riz Ahmed, Rufus Sewell, Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kate O'Flynn all nominated, and Matthew Rhys achieving the rare distinction of competing in two lead actor categories simultaneously.
The Academy has restructured the broadcast itself, reducing the televised awards from 26 to 19 by merging categories and moving others to the Creative Arts ceremony, creating room for musical performances and a more fluid evening. Mariska Hargitay — nominated eight times for Law and Order: SVU and a winner herself at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys for her documentary about her mother Jayne Mansfield — will host. The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, airing on NBC and Peacock in the United States.
The 78th Emmy Awards will unfold Monday evening at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the shape of this year's ceremony reflects both the television industry's current obsessions and some notable absences. Beef, the Netflix limited series starring Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac, has emerged as a formidable contender in its category, while Hacks—the Hollywood satire that has dominated the comedy Emmys for years—is positioned to extend its winning streak in what will be its fifth and final season. The Pitt, last year's best drama winner, returns to defend its title with eight individual acting nominations, including one for its star Noah Wyle.
But the most conspicuous gap in this year's field is the absence of Heated Rivalry, the ice hockey romance that became a viral sensation and captured the cultural conversation like few shows have managed. The show, starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, does not appear on the Emmy ballot because it is entirely financed and produced in Canada without the American financial or broadcast involvement the Academy requires for eligibility. The irony is sharp: Schitt's Creek, a show that seemed as Canadian as the country itself, dominated the Emmys in 2021, but it qualified because of its American production partnerships and creator Dan Levy's US-based company. Heated Rivalry will instead compete at the International Emmys in New York this November. Two other shows that captured younger audiences have also underperformed in the nominations: the final season of Stranger Things secured only seven technical nominations, while Euphoria, despite its star-studded cast, managed just one acting nomination for returning winner Zendaya.
The drama category includes The Pitt, Pluribus, Slow Horses, The Diplomat, and the Game of Thrones prequel A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms. In comedy, Hacks faces challengers including Widow's Bay, Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, and Nobody Wants This. Jean Smart, Hacks' lead, has already won four Emmys for the role and stands on the edge of history: another win would bring her total to eight, tying the record held by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman. Her co-star Hannah Einbinder is also nominated.
The British presence at this year's ceremony is substantial. Carey Mulligan competes for Beef alongside Riz Ahmed (Bait), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), Kate O'Flynn (Widow's Bay), Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden (both for Slow Horses). Matthew Rhys has achieved a particular distinction: he is nominated in two lead actor categories simultaneously, for the comedy Widow's Bay and the limited series The Beast in Me. At last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, which handed out preliminary awards, British winners included Julie Andrews, who won best voiceover performance for Bridgerton, and Alan Cumming, who took best reality host for the US version of The Traitors.
The Academy has restructured the ceremony itself to sharpen its focus. Two categories have been merged—best talk series and best scripted variety series now compete as a single outstanding variety series category, meaning Jimmy Kimmel will face off against Saturday Night Live and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Several categories have been moved off the main broadcast and awarded during the Creative Arts Emmys instead, a shift designed to create space for musical performances, comedy sketches, and acceptance speeches. The total number of awards presented during the televised ceremony has been reduced from 26 to 19.
Mariska Hargitay, the star of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, will host the ceremony. Hargitay has been nominated for Emmys eight times for her role as detective Olivia Benson, winning in 2006, and her long-running crime series continues to find new audiences through streaming. At last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, she also won two prizes for her documentary My Mom Jayne, about her mother Jayne Mansfield, who died in a car accident when Hargitay was three. "Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career," she said in a statement about hosting. "Whether it's an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us."
The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, or 8 p.m. Eastern. In the United States, NBC and the Peacock streaming service will carry it live. British viewers will need to wait until 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, and while no UK broadcaster is scheduled to show the ceremony live, the BBC News website will provide overnight coverage of the red carpet and awards.
Citazioni salienti
Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career. It's my great honour to host the 78th Emmy Awards and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers.— Mariska Hargitay, ceremony host
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