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"The Comeback" (HBO Max)
4"Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5"Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
6"Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
7"The Bear" (FX)
8"The Lowdown" (FX)
9"Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
10"Rooster" (HBO Max)

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"Task" (HBO Max)
6"The Gilded Age" (HBO Max)
7"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (HBO Max)
8"Paradise" (Hulu)
9"The Morning Show" (Apple TV)
10"Stranger Things" (Netflix)

Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series

Tom O'Brien
1"Half Man" (HBO Max)
2"Beef" (Netflix)
3"Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
4"DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
5"The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
6"All Her Fault" (Peacock)
7"Lord of the Flies" (Netflix)
8"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
9"Black Rabbit" (Netflix)
10"Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)

Outstanding Television Movie

Tom O'Brien
1"Remarkably Bright Creatures" (Netflix)
2"Miss You, Love You" (HBO Max)
3"Deep Cover" (Prime Video)
4"Swiped" (Hulu)
5"People We Meet on Vacation" (Netflix)
6"Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" (Hulu)
7"Straw" (Netflix)
8"Jack Ryan: Ghost War" (Prime Video)
9"Echo Valley" (Apple TV)
10"Pizza Movie" (Hulu)

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"King of the Hill" (Hulu)
6"Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord" (Disney+)
7"Primal" (Adult Swim)
8"Invincible (Prime Video)
9"Stranger Things: Tales from '85" (Netflix)
10"Splinter Cell: Deathwatch" (Netflix)

Outstanding Competition Program

Tom O'Brien
1"The Traitors" (Peacock)
2"Survivor" (CBS)
3“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
4"The Amazing Race" (CBS)
5"Top Chef" (Bravo)
6
7
8
9
10

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)
6"Late Night With Seth Meyers" (NBC)
7
8
9
10

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Jean Smart, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Lisa Kudrow, "The Comeback" (HBO Max)
3Elle Fanning, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
4Ayo Edebiri, "The Bear" (FX)
5Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
6Kristen Bell, "Nobody Wants This" (Netflix)
7Jenna Ortega, "Wednesday" (Netflix)
8Selena Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
9Kristen Wiig, "Palm Royale" (Apple TV)
10Rachel Sennott, "I Love L.A." (HBO Max)

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)
5Kathy Bates, "Matlock" (CBS)
6Chase Infiniti, "The Testaments" (Hulu)
7Michelle Pfeiffer, "The Madison" (Paramount+)
8Jennifer Aniston, "The Morning Show (Apple TV)
9Emma Thompson, "Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV)
10Myha'la , "Industry" (HBO Max)

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)
6Allison Janney, "Miss You, Love You" (HBO Max)
7Kerry Washington, "Imperfect Women" (Apple TV)
8Robin Wright, "The Girlfriend" (Prime)
9Camila Morrone, "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen" (Netflix)
10Tessa Thompson, "His and Hers" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Matthew Rhys, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
2Jason Segel, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
3Ethan Hawke, "The Lowdown" (FX)
4Steve Carell, "Rooster" (HBO Max)
5Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
6Jeremy Allen White, "The Bear" (Hulu)
7Adam Brody, "Nobody Wants This" (Netflix)
8Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
9Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, "Wonder Man" (Disney)
10Dan Levy, "Big Mistakes" (Netflix)

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)
5Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" (Apple TV)
6Morgan Spector, "The Gilded Age" (HBO Max)
7Rufus Sewell, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)
8Walton Goggins, "Fallout" (Prime Video)
9Peter Claffey, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (HBO Max)
10Tom Hiddleston, "The Night Manager" (Prime Video)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Jamie Bell, "Half Man" (HBO Max)
2Matthew Rhys, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
3Oscar Issac, "Beef" (Netflix)
4Paul Anthony Kelly, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
5Charlie Hunnam, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)
6Jason Bateman, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix)
7Riz Ahmed, "Bait" (Prime Video)
8Michael Shannon, "Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
9Jude Law, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix)
10Cillian Murphy, "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Hannah Einbinder, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Jessica Williams, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
3Michelle Pfeiffer, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV)
4Janelle James, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
5Sheryl Lee Ralph, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
6Meg Stalter, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
7Ashley Padilla, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
8Kate O'Flynn, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
9Erika Alexander, "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" (NBC)
10Liza Colon-Zayas, "The Bear" (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Katherine LaNasa, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
2Karolina Wydra, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
3Taylor Dearden, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
4Isa Briones, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
5Allison Janney, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)
6Juliane Nicholson, "Paradise" (Hulu)
7Sepideh Moafi, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
8Fiona Dourif, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
9Marisa Abela, "Industry" (HBO Max)
10Emilia Jones, "Task" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Cailee Spaeny, "Beef" (Netflix)
2Yuh-Jung Youn, "Beef" (Netflix)
3Laurie Metcalf, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)
4Naomi Watts, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
5Linda Cardellini, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
6Grace Gummer, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
7Dakota Fanning, "All Her Fault" (Peacock)
8Constance Zimmer, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
9Brittany Snow, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
10Betty Gilpin, "Death By Lightning" (Netflix)

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)
5Bowen Yang, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
6Ebon Moss-Bachrach, "The Bear" (FX)
7Daniel Radcliffe, "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" (NBC)
8Colman Domingo, "The Four Seasons" (Netflix)
9Marcello Hernandez, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
10Stephen Root, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Tom Pelphrey, "Task" (HBO Max)
2Shawn Hatosy, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
3Patrick Ball, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
4Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show" (Apple TV)
5Jack Lowden, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
6Carlos-Manuel Vesga, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
7Gerran Howell, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
8Ken Leung, "Industry" (HBO Max)
9Jacob Elordi, "Euphoria" (HBO Max)
10Kit Harrington, "Industry" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Richard Gadd, Half Man (HBO Max)
2David Harbour, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
3Charles Melton, "Beef" (Netflix)
4Alessandro Nivola, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX)
5Jonathan Banks, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix)
6Jason Bateman, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
7Nick Offerman, "Death By Lightning" (Netflix)
8Troy Kotsur, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix)
9Jake Lacy, "All Her Fault" (Peacock)
10Richard Jenkins, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Shailene Woodley, “Paradise” (Hulu)
2Merrit Wever, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
3Miriam Shor, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
4Tal Anderson, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
5Brittany Allen, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
6Elisabeth Moss, "The Testaments" (Hulu)
7Danielle Deadwyler, "Euphoria" (HBO Max)
8Ayesha Harris, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
9Tina Ivlev, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
10Leslie Uggams, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series     

Tom O'Brien
1Cherry Jones, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
2Kaitlin Olson, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
3Amy Poehler, "Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
4Candice Bergen, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5Leslie Bibb, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
6Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear” (FX)
7Laurie Metcalf, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
8Cobie Smulders, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
9Betty Gilpin, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV)
10Ariana Grande, "Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Eric Dane, "Euphoria" (HBO)
2Jeff Kober, "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
3Jeff Hiller, "Pluribus" (Apple TV)
4Jonathan Pryce, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV)
5Bradley Whitford, "The Diplomat" (Netflix)
6Colman Domingo, "Euphoria" (HBO)
7Giancarlo Esposito, "The Boys" (Amazon Prime)
8Samba Schutte, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
9Ernest Harden Jr., "The Pitt" (HBO Max)
10Jeremy Irons, "The Morning Show” (Apple TV)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series     

Tom O'Brien
1Michael J. Fox, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
2Peter Dinklage, "The Lowdown" (FX)
3Rob Reiner, "The Bear" (FX)
4Jeff Daniels, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
5Connor Storrie, "Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
6Jon Bernthal, "The Bear" (FX)
7Brett Goldstein, "Shrinking" (Apple TV)
8Ryan Gosling, "Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
9Christopher McDonald, "Hacks" (HBO Max)
10Colman Domingo, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Tom O'Brien
1Lucia Aniello, “Hacks” (HBO Max) - "Hacks"
2Michael Patrick King, “The Comeback” (HBO Max) - "Valerie Faces Reality"
3Mary Lou Belli, “The Ms. Pat Show” (BET) - "Give It Arrest"
4Dearbhla Walsh, "Margo's Got Money Troubles (Apple TV) - "Flamingos"
5Sterlin Harjo, “The Lowdown” (FX) - "Pilot"
6Randall Keenan Winston, “Shrinking” (Apple TV) - "And That's Our Time"
7Janicza Bravo, "The Bear" (FX) - "Worms"
8Randall Einhorn, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC) - "Ballgame"
9Rhys Thomas, "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" (NBC) - "Pilot"
10Zach Braff, "Rooster" (HBO Max) - "Angry, Like An Angry Person"

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Tom O'Brien
1Vince Gilligan, "Pluribus" (Apple TV) - "We Is Us"
2John Wells, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "9:00 P.M."
3Saul Metzstein, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV) - "Scars"
4Gordon Smith, "Pluribus" (Apple TV) - "Grenade"
5Uta Briesewitz, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "5:00 P.M."
6Shawn Hatosy, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "3:00 P.M."
7Alex Graves, "The Diplomat" (Netflix) - "Schrodinger's Wife"
8Ken Olin, "Paradise" (Hulu) - "A Holy Charge"
9Sam Levinson, "Euphoria" (HBO Max) - "In God We Trust"
10Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, "Industry" (HBO Max) - "The Commander And The Grey Lady"

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series

Tom O'Brien
1Alexandra Brodski, "Half Man" (HBO Max) - "Episode 2"
2Jake Schreier, "Beef" (Netflix) - "It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey"
3Jason Bateman, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix) - "The Black Rabbits"
4Antonio Campos, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix) - "Sick Puppy"
5Steven Conrad, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
6Marc Munden, "Lord of the Flies" (Netflix)
7Max Winkler, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX) - "Pilot"
8Matt Ross, "Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
9Minkie Spiro, "All Her Fault" (Peacock) - "Episode 1"
10Gillian Robespierre, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bissette" (FX) - "The Wedding"

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series  

Tom O'Brien
1Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky, "Hacks" (HBO Max) - "Hacks"
2Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow, "The Comeback" (HBO Max) - "Valerie Does It All"
3Bill Lawrence & Brett Goldstein & Neil Goldman, "Shrinking" (Apple TV) - "And That's Our Time"
4Katie Dippold, "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV) - "Welcome to Widow's Bay!"
5Sterlin Harjo, "The Lowdown" (FX) - "Pilot"
6Eva Anderson & David E. Kelley, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" (Apple TV) - "Lock And Load"
7Tim Robinson & Zach Kanin, "The Chair Company" (HBO Max) - "Life Goes By Too F**king Fast, It Really Does."
8Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC) - "Team Building"
9Bill Lawrence & Matt Tarses, "Rooster" (HBO Max) - "Release the Brown Fat"
10Ayo Edebiri & Lionel Boyce, "The Bear" (FX) - "Worms"

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
 

Tom O'Brien
1Vince Gilligan, "Pluribus" (Apple TV) - "We Is Us"
2Valerie Chu, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "12:00 P.M."
3Will Smith, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV) - "Scars"
4Brad Ingelsby, "Task" (HBO Max) - "A Still Small Voice"
5Debora Cahn, "The Diplomat" (Netflix) - "Amagansett"
6Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill, "The Pitt" (HBO Max) - "1:00 P.M."
7Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, "Industry" (HBO Max) - "Dear Henry"
8Dan Fogelman & Eric Wen, "Paradise" (Hulu) - "Graceland"
9Hiram Martinez & Ti Mikkel and Ira Parker, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (HBO Max) - "In the Name of the Mother"
10Dan Fogelman & Eric Wen, "Paradise" (Hulu) - "Graceland"

Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Tom O'Brien
1Richard Gadd, "Half Man" (HBO Max)
2Lee Sung Jin, "Beef" (Netflix) - "All The Things We're Never Going To Have"
3Mike Makowsky, "Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
4Jack Thorne, "Lord of the Flies" (Netflix)
5Steven Conrad, "DTF St. Louis" (HBO Max)
6Connor Hines, "Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette" (FX) - "Pilot"
7Gabe Rotter and Daniel Pearle, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix) - "Sick Puppy"
8Zach Baylin & Kate Susman, "Black Rabbit" (Netflix) - "Isle of Joy"
9Ian Brennan, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Netflix)
10Annie Weisman, "Imperfect Women" (Apple TV) - "Eleanor"

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"Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
4
5
6
7
8
9
10