Sunday’s Golden Globes absolutely shook up the 2026 Oscars race, with Teyana Taylor, Stellan Skarsgard, and “Hamnet” picking up key wins. But they were also quite indicative of the 2026 Emmys race, though not in the way that you might think. Ten out of the eleven television Golden Globes (excluding the Podcast and Stand-up categories) went to seasons of television that competed at the 2025 Emmys, nine of which also won Emmys in their respective categories. The only winner from a season of television competing in the 2026 Emmys was Rhea Seehorn’s Best Actress in a Drama Series win for “Pluribus” over “Severance” Emmy winner Britt Lower. The overwhelming dominance of shows from the first half of the year is nonetheless telling about the strength of shows that aired in the back half of the year, as it feels like a foregone conclusion that once again, the 2026 Emmy winners for Best Drama Series, Best Comedy Series, and Best Limited Series will all air in 2026. While these wins were fairly predictable for the most part, there are still several key implications for the Emmys.
“The Pitt” Continues To Be A Hit
While “The Pitt’s” second season is currently airing, it is winning winter awards for its breakout freshman season. It has already won the Emmy and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Drama Series, but perhaps the hardest award for it to win would be this one. “The Pitt” is undeniably a success, but at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, it could have been disadvantaged by its distinctly American appeal. The show is still unavailable to stream in many countries outside the US, including the UK! If a show like “Severance” or “Pluribus” were to usurp its thunder at any winter awards, it would be here. Yet “The Pitt” secured wins for Noah Wyle and for Drama Series at the Globes, regardless, a strong omen for the Emmy chances of its second season. Unlike its freshman season, “The Pitt” season 2 has received a strong critical reception right out of the gate; its 92 on Metacritic is a notable increase from the 77 it landed the year before. Barring a shocking upset for “Pluribus” at one of the guilds or a new breakout show that garners as rapturous a response as “The Pitt’s” first season, I think the show is safe to repeat its Drama Series win at the Emmys.
Zendaya’s Biggest Challenger Is Rhea SeehornÂ
Zendaya has won two Emmys for her powerhouse performance in “Euphoria,” a show that seems to break the internet every time it airs. Though the actual quality of this season is uncertain, considering the long gap between seasons and the change in the show’s primary setting—this used to be a show about high schoolers—the one certainty of “Euphoria” is that Zendaya will be spellbinding in what is currently her best role to date. But as poised as she may seem to win her third Emmy for the show’s new season, Rhea Seehorn is a very viable threat. She completely anchors the top-tier contender that is “Pluribus,” making the complete devastation and loneliness of Carol Sturka oh so palpable. With her Critics’ Choice win and now a Golden Globe under her belt, a win at the Actor Awards is well within reach. If she can take all three, Zendaya will face her biggest competition yet: a winter sweeper. That said, Zendaya won her first Emmy despite only getting a nomination at the Critics’ Choice Awards, and her second Emmy despite losing at the Actor Awards, so the passion for her performance may be strongest among the Television Academy. It is shaping up to be a two-horse race at the Emmys, though that could change with a Keri Russell upset at the Actor Awards, considering how well “The Diplomat” is faring at the winter guilds.
The Comedy Field Craves A Breakout
The current frontrunner for Best Comedy Series is “Hacks,” which shocked the world by winning season 3 of “The Bear” at the Emmys over “The Bear” season 2 in 2024, and was the clear runner-up to “The Studio” last year with its 3 acting wins. The word going around is that this will be the show’s last season, a solid narrative for a show that has consistently been a top Emmy contender. But while its performance has been solid at the winter awards so far, consistently winning prizes for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder’s losses at the Globes and CCA, and her snub at the Actor Awards, gives me less confidence than I would like in the show’s overall strength. Barring a “Fleabag”-esque breakout, Jean Smart should win a fifth consecutive Emmy for “Hacks.” However, I remain a bit concerned about the show’s other prospects above the line, especially since several series emerging in 2026 could feasibly steal its thunder. Bill Lawrence is coming back with a vengeance with the one-two punch of “Shrinking” season 3—also rumored to be the show’s ending—and his new HBO comedy “Rooster” starring Steve Carell. “Shrinking’s” above-the-line prospects will likely stop at series and acting, but if “Rooster” receives acclaim and becomes a hit for HBO, it could easily usurp “Hacks” season 5, much like “The Studio” usurped “Hacks” season 4. “The Comeback” could also follow in the footsteps of the Apple TV comedy, as the cult classic has returned after a decade-long break and will continue ruthlessly parodying reality television and the entertainment industry as a whole. The Television Academy should be more receptive to its specific brand of skewering, as evidenced by the many satires it has recognized in Comedy Series since. Nothing indicates that “Hacks” is weak, necessarily, but so far, nothing indicates that it is a strong frontrunner.
Sarah Snook’s Emmy Chances For “All Her Fault” Just Got Shakier
The one mild upset at the Golden Globes was Michelle Williams in “Dying for Sex” beating CCA winner Sarah Snook in “All Her Fault” for Best Miniseries Actress. It makes sense given how strong Williams’s performance is and how much more recognizable she would be to a voting body composed primarily of film journalists. Still, it is a bit of a blow to Snook’s chances of winning the Emmy this September. Erin Doherty could split votes with her “Adolescence” co-star Christine Tremarco at the Actor Awards, but she has so much passion for her episode 3 appearance in that show that I suspect she beats Snook regardless. “All Her Fault” is in a shaky position to get nominated for Series at the Emmys with its PGA miss to shows like “The Beast In Me” and “Black Rabbit,” and we still have major titles like “Beef” season 2, Richard Gadd’s new HBO miniseries “Half Man,” and Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story” to watch out for. She could still win the Emmy with only a CCA win to her name, as Cristin Milioti did last year, but it does not help that her show seems weaker than it is right now.
Once Again, The Miniseries Winner Will Likely Be A Late Release
“Beef” and “Baby Reindeer” were two late-releasing Netflix series that dominated at the Emmys and swept the top prize in every awards body they were nominated for (though funnily enough, neither show was nominated for a DGA award). That dominance hurt the chances of miniseries that released in the back half of the year, like “The Penguin,” which never got the wins it needed to cement itself as a true frontrunner before another late-releasing Netflix miniseries swooped in to beat it in every single above-the-line category. With its Golden Globe and CCA wins for Best Miniseries, Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, and Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” is now likely to follow in the footsteps of its fellow Netflix juggernauts and dominate at the guilds. “The Beast In Me,” “All Her Fault,” and “Black Rabbit” all have above-the-line nomination potential at the 2026 Emmys, but with “Adolescence’s” likelihood of winning every winter precursor except DGA and WGA, it will be very difficult for any to prove their case for above-the-line Emmy wins. Once again, I think we are well-positioned for the 2026 Emmy winners in the Miniseries category to largely come from shows in the second half of the cycle.
What shows do you think will be in the mix for next year’s Emmy Awards season? Please let us know in the comments section below or over on Next Best Picture’s X account.
