Emmy Predictions – Tom O’Brien

Here are Tom O’Brien’s 2026 Emmy Predictions. Ranking is updated in real-time, and is constantly changing until the end of the season.

Click each heading to view individual staff rankings, or search/sort by the drop-downs below:

Outstanding Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1"Hacks" (HBO Max)
2"Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
3"Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
4"Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5"Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
6"The Bear" (FX)
7"Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
8"Nobody Wants This" (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2"Pluribus" (Apple TV)
3"Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
4"The Diplomat" (Netflix)
5"The Gilded Age" (HBO Max)
6"Paradise" (Hulu)
7"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (HBO Max)
8"Your Friends and Neighbors" (Apple TV)

Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series

Tom O'Brien
1"DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
2"Beef" (Netflix)
3"The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
4"All Her Fault" (Peacock)
5"Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)

Outstanding Television Movie

Tom O'Brien
1"Remarkably Bright Creatures" (Netflix)
2"Miss You, Love You" (HBO Max)
3"People We Meet on Vacation" (Netflix)
4"Jack Ryan: Ghost War" (Prime Video)
5"Heads Of State" (Prime Video)

Outstanding Animated Program

Tom O'Brien
1"South Park" (Comedy Central)
2"The Simpsons" (FOX)
3"Bob's Burgers" (FOX)
4"Rick and Morty" (Adult Swim)
5"Star Wars: Visions" (Disney+)
6"Smiling Friends" (Adult Swim)

Outstanding Competition Program

Tom O'Brien
1"The Traitors" (Peacock)
2"Survivor" (CBS)
3“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
4"Top Chef" (Bravo)
5"Dancing with the Stars" (ABC)

Outstanding Variety Series
 

Tom O'Brien
1"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO Max)
2"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" (CBS)
3"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (ABC)
4"The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
5“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Jean Smart, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Elle Fanning, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
3Lisa Kudrow, "The Comeback" (HBO Max)
4Ayo Edebiri, "The Bear" (FX)
5Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Rhea Seehorn, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
2Keri Russell, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)
3Carrie Coon, "The Gilded Age" (HBO Max)
4Zendaya , "Euphoria" (HBO Max)
5Chase Infiniti, "The Testaments" (Hulu)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Sarah Snook, "All Her Fault" (Peacock)
2Carey Mulligan, "Beef" (Netflix)
3Claire Danes, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
4Sarah Pidgeon, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
5Sally Field, "Remarkably Bright Creatures" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Matthew Rhys, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
2Jason Segel, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
3Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
4Steve Carell, "Rooster" (HBO Max)
5Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, "Wonder Man" (Disney)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Noah Wyle, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2Mark Ruffalo, "Task" (HBO Max)
3Gary Oldman, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
4Sterling K. Brown, "Paradise" (Hulu)
5Rufus Sewell, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Oscar Issac, "Beef" (Netflix)
2Matthew Rhys, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
3Jason Bateman, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix)
4Charlie Hunnam, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)
5Riz Ahmed, "Bait" (Prime Video)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Hannah Einbinder, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Kate O'Flynn, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
3Michelle Pfeiffer, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
4Jessica Williams, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5Meg Stalter, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
6Janelle James, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
7Dale Dickey, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Katherine LaNasa, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2Karolina Wydra, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
3Sepideh Moafi, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
4Allison Janney, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)
5Fiona Dourif, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
6Taylor Dearden, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
7Juliane Nicholson, "Paradise" (Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Linda Cardellini, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
2Yuh-Jung Youn, "Beef" (Netflix)
3Constance Zimmer, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
4Laurie Metcalf, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)
5Dakota Fanning, "All Her Fault" (Peacock)
6Joy Sunday, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Harrison Ford, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
2Nick Offerman, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
3Paul W. Downs, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
4Michael Urie, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5Stephen Root, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
6Ebon Moss-Bachrach, "The Bear" (FX)
7Colman Domingo, "The Four Seasons" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Patrick Ball, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2Tom Pelphrey, "Task" (HBO Max)
3Shawn Hatosy, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
4Jack Lowden, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
5Gerran Howell, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
6Carlos-Manuel Vesga, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
7Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show" (Apple TV)
8

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1David Harbour, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
2Jason Bateman, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
3Richard Gadd, Half Man (HBO Max)
4Charles Melton, "Beef" (Netflix)
5Richard Jenkins, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
6Nick Offerman, "Death By Lightning" (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Shailene Woodley, “Paradise” (Hulu)
2Merrit Wever, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
3Tal Anderson, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
4Brittany Allen, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
5Miriam Shor, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
6Tina Ivlev, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Kaitlin Olson, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Cherry Jones, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
3Leslie Bibb, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
4Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear” (FX)
5Laurie Metcalf, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
6Betty Gilpin, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
7Lauren Weedman, "Hacks" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Jeff Kober, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2Colman Domingo, "Euphoria" (HBO)
3Jonathan Pryce, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
4Jeff Hiller, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
5Ernest Harden Jr., "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
6Bradley Whitford, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Michael J. Fox, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
2Rob Reiner, "The Bear" (FX)
3Brett Goldstein, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
4Christopher McDonald, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
5Hamish Linklater, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
6Connor Storrie, "Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Hiro Murai, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV) - "Welcome to Widow's Bay!"
2Lucia Aniello, “Hacks” (HBO Max) - "Hacks"
3Christopher Storer, "The Bear" (FX) - "Bears"
4Randall Einhorn, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC) - "Ballgame"
5Andrew DeYoung, "The Chair Company" (HBO Max) - "Life Goes By Too F*cking Fast, It Really Does."
6Mary Lou Belli, “The Ms. Pat Show” (BET) - "Give It Arrest"

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Vince Gilligan, "Pluribus" (Apple TV) - "We Is Us"
2Saul Metzstein, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV) - "Scars"
3Noah Wyle, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "12:00 P.M."
4Salli Richardson-Whitfield, "Task" (HBO Max) - "Out Beyond Ideas Of Wrongdoing And Rightdoing, There Is A River."
5Salli Richardson-Whitfield, "The Gilded Age" (HBO Max) - "My Mind Is Made Up"
6Hanelle M. Culpepper, "Paradise" (Hulu) - "Exodus"

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series

Tom O'Brien
1Steven Conrad, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
2Jason Bateman, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix) - "The Black Rabbits"
3Lee Sung Jin, "Beef" (Netflix) - "Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort"
4Jake Schreier, "Beef" (Netflix) - "It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey"

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series  

Tom O'Brien
1Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky, "Hacks" (HBO Max) - "Hacks"
2Katie Dippold, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV) - "Welcome to Widow's Bay!"
3Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow, "The Comeback" (HBO Max) - "Valerie Does It All"
4Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC) - "Team Building"
5Tim Robinson & Zach Kanin, "The Chair Company" (HBO Max) - "Life Goes By Too F**king Fast, It Really Does."
6Anthony King, "Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat" (Prime Video) - "Mergers And Acquisitions"

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
 

Tom O'Brien
1Vince Gilligan, "Pluribus" (Apple TV) - "We Is Us"
2Will Smith, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV) - "Scars"
3Valerie Chu, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "12:00 P.M."
4Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "1:00 P.M."
5Brad Ingelsby, "Task" (HBO Max) - "A Still Small Voice"
6Debora Cahn, "The Diplomat" (Netflix) - "Amagansett"

Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Steven Conrad, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
2Lee Sung Jin, "Beef" (Netflix) - "All The Things We're Never Going To Have"
3Gabe Rotter and Daniel Pearle, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix) - "Sick Puppy"
4Mike Makowsky, "Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
5Megan Gallagher, "All Her Fault" (Peacock) - "Episode 8"

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series

Tom O'Brien
1"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO Max)
2"The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
3"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (ABC)