2026 Emmys: NPR Critics’ Picks From a Packed Field
With the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards set for Monday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, NPR’s television critics have weighed in on who deserves to win television’s biggest honors. In a Pop Culture Happy Hour feature titled “If the Emmys were up to us …”, critics Glen Weldon, Aisha Harris, and Eric Deggans offered personal picks across the major categories — a snapshot of a season defined by returning juggernauts and buzzy newcomers.
The ceremony, hosted for the first time by Mariska Hargitay, will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
A Wide-Open Field
The nomination tallies tell the story of an unusually crowded year. The Pitt leads all contenders with 25 nominations, while Hacks follows with 24 — a record for the most nods ever received by a comedy in a single year, according to The Guardian. Widow’s Bay earned 19 nominations and Pluribus 18, marking Apple TV’s strongest showing to date.
The depth of the field was on display earlier in September. The Television Academy rebranded the Creative Arts ceremonies as the first two nights of the 78th Emmys, held September 5–6, and moved five categories normally reserved for the main telecast — including supporting actor and actress in a limited series — to the earlier events.
At those early ceremonies, Widow’s Bay dominated with eight wins, while The Pitt took four and DTF St. Louis won six. Both Widow’s Bay and The Pitt could add up to six more trophies each on the final night.
Early Winners and Milestones
The first two nights produced a string of first-time winners and notable milestones. David Harbour and Linda Cardellini each won their first Emmy for DTF St. Louis, and Shailene Woodley won best guest actress in a drama for Paradise — also her first. Ernest Harden Jr., 73, captured best guest actor in a drama for The Pitt, the first Emmy of his career.
“I am just on cloud 25,” Harden said, according to the AP. “I’m not saying it’s a complete surprise because ‘The Pitt’ is such a powerful show to come from, but just to get it in your hands is unreal.”
The early ceremonies also carried a somber note. Rob Reiner won a posthumous Emmy for best guest actor in a comedy for The Bear, months after he and his wife were killed in December. His friend and fellow Bear guest star Jamie Lee Curtis was among those in the crowd who paid tribute.
Other milestones: Betty Gilpin won outstanding guest actress in a comedy for Widow’s Bay, delivering an acceptance poem that declared “our business is stupid, but actors are the bomb” and urged the room to “lean more toward Sam Shepard and less toward Sam Altman.” Bad Bunny won his first Emmy for his Super Bowl halftime show, and Mariska Hargitay — this year’s host — picked up two Emmys for her documentary “My Mom Jayne.”
At 100, David Attenborough became the oldest-ever Emmy nominee.
The Critics’ Picks
NPR’s critics largely acknowledged the front-runners while championing a few favorites of their own. Deggans conceded that The Pitt is likely to win outstanding drama series but argued the prize should go to Pluribus, calling it a “revolutionary sci-fi story” in which a virus “created with instructions sent from the stars, unites humanity in a giant hive mind, creating paradise or the largest cult in history.”
For lead actress in a drama, Harris backed Rhea Seehorn of Pluribus, noting that the performance is “always compelling, because Seehorn is a talent who should already have an Emmy.” Deggans chose Noah Wyle, the defending winner, for lead actor in a drama, and Karolina Wydra for supporting actress in a drama.
In the comedy categories, the critics split. Deggans picked Margo’s Got Money Troubles for outstanding comedy series and its star, Nick Offerman, for supporting actor, while naming Yahya Abdul-Mateen II of Wonder Man as lead actor. Harris chose Lisa Kudrow of The Comeback for lead actress — “self-absorbed yet caring, oft-humiliated yet resilient, wacky but grounded when necessary” — and Kate O’Flynn of Widow’s Bay for supporting actress.
Weldon selected The Comeback for comedy writing, and Deggans chose DTF St. Louis for limited or anthology series.
The vote for outstanding comedy series is widely seen as a genuine three-way race among former winners The Bear and Hacks and newcomer Widow’s Bay.
What to Watch
Several storylines will converge on Monday night. Jean Smart of Hacks could win her eighth Emmy, which would tie her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman. Matthew Rhys of Widow’s Bay enters as a front-runner for lead comedy actor, while Seehorn is widely viewed as the actress to beat in the drama field, as awards watchers have predicted.
The evening will also test whether Apple TV’s strong showing — powered by Widow’s Bay and Pluribus — can convert nominations into the night’s biggest prizes, or whether The Pitt and Hacks hold their ground.
Television Academy president Cris Abrego said this year’s nominees prove that TV remains “one of our most powerful artforms.” Monday’s ceremony will determine which of this season’s many contenders gets to make that case from the stage.