Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Jason Bateman and David Harbour in “DTF St. Louis”
HBO Max
Primetime Emmys Predictions Commentary All Categories (Updated: April 2, 2026): Believe it or not, the Emmy race is fully underway.
Strategists are strategizing, campaigners are campaigning, and contenders are seeking Emmy recognition for their achievements.
HBO has a lot to play with dramas such as “The Pitt” and “Euphoria,” comedies like “Hacks” and “The Comeback” and miniseries like “Half Man” and “DTF St. Louis.”
We’ll see which networks will dominate, because Netflix has continuously proven its savvy in steering under-the-radar shows to frontrunner prominence. And while Apple TV+ will be formidable with shows such as David E. Kelley’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” it’s Prime Video that is mounting a significant comeback this cycle with the one-two punch of comedies “Spider-Noir” with Nicolas Cage and the new season of “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” and genre dramas like the final season of “The Boys” and the latest season of “Fallout.”
The coming week’s TV Academy schedule is packed with Emmy voter-focused events. On the docket: HBO’s “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (April 2), Netflix’s “Love on the Spectrum” (April 3), HBO’s “IT: Welcome to Derry” (April 6), Apple TV+’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (April 7, New York), HBO’s “Euphoria” (April 7) and Freeform’s “Project Runway” (April 8, New York).
The first official ranking charts for outstanding comedy series and outstanding limited or anthology series have launched, one week after the drama series charts bowed. As always, these are updated every Thursday throughout the season, so bookmark the page and check back for critical updates.
The Emmy Awards timeline begins with nomination-round voting from June 11-22, with nominations announced on July 8. The final voting runs from Aug. 17-26, leading into the Creative Arts Awards and Governors Gala on Sept. 5–6, culminating with the Emmy Awards ceremony on Sept. 14 on NBC.
Projected nomination leaders (series): ““Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” and “Pluribus” (7); “Beef,” “Hacks,” “The Pitt” (6); “Abbott Elementary” (5)
Projected nomination leaders (networks): HBO Max (32); Apple TV and Netflix (26); Hulu (11)
*** = PREDICTED WINNER
(All predicted nominees listed below are in alphabetical order)
Drama Series

Image Credit: Netflix “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“Paradise” (Hulu)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
“Pluribus” (Apple TV)
“Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“Task” (HBO Max)
“The Testaments” (Hulu)Comedy Series

Image Credit: HBO Max “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Comeback” (HBO Max)
“Hacks” (HBO Max) ***
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (Apple TV)
“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Shrinking” (Apple TV)
“Spider-Noir” (Prime Video)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Limited or Anthology Series

Image Credit: HBO Max “Beef” (Netflix)
“Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
“DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
“Half Man” (HBO Max)
“Lord of the Flies” (Netflix) ***
“Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Outstanding Movie

Image Credit: Hulu “Deep Cover” (Prime Video)
“Echo Valley” (Apple TV)
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” (Netflix) ***
“People We Meet on Vacation” (Netflix)
“Pizza Movie” (Hulu)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actor (Drama)

Image Credit: HBO Max Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu)
Jon Hamm, “Your Friends and Neighbors” (Apple TV)
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (HBO Max)
Morgan Spector, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actor (Comedy)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Nicolas Cage, “Spider-Noir” (Prime Video)
Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” (FX)
Tracy Morgan, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC)
Jason Segel, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) ***Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actor (Limited/Movie)

Image Credit: Netflix Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Richard Gadd, “Half Man” (HBO Max)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Oscar Isaac, “Beef” (Netflix) ***
Paul Anthony Kelly, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actress (Drama)

Image Credit: HBO Max Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (CBS)
Chase Infiniti, “The Testaments” (Hulu)
Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Madison” (Paramount+)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV) ***
Zendaya, “Euphoria” (HBO Max)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actress (Comedy)

Image Credit: Apple TV Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Elle Fanning, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (Apple TV)
Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback” (HBO Max) ***
Carrie Preston, “Elsbeth” (CBS)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Lead Actress (Limited/Movie)

Image Credit: Apple TV Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Carey Mulligan, “Beef” (Netflix) ***
Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Tessa Thompson, “His and Hers” (Netflix)
Kerry Washington, “Imperfect Women” (Apple TV)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actor (Drama)

Image Credit: Apple TV Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, “Euphoria” (HBO Max)
Jamie Campbell Bower, “Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV) ***
Colman Domingo, “Euphoria” (HBO Max)
Jacob Elordi, “Euphoria” (HBO Max)
Tom Pelphrey, “Task” (HBO Max)
Kurt Russell, “The Madison” (Paramount+)
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actor (Comedy)

Image Credit: Apple TV Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking” (Apple TV) ***
Brett Goldstein, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
Lamorne Morris, “Spider-Noir” (Prime Video)
Nick Offerman, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (Apple TV)
Daniel Radcliffe, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC)
Michael Urie, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actor (Limited/Movie)

Image Credit: Netflix Jason Bateman, “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Jamie Bell, “Half Man” (HBO Max) ***
David Harbour, “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
David McKenna, “Lord of the Flies” (Netflix)
Charles Melton, “Beef” (Netflix)
Lox Pratt, “Lord of the Flies” (Netflix)
Alessandro Nivola, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actress (Drama)

Image Credit: HBO Max Taylor Dearden, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Ann Dowd, “The Testaments” (Hulu)
Lucy Halliday, “The Testaments” (Hulu)
Allison Janney, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
Sepideh Moafi, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Julianne Nicholson, “Paradise” (Hulu)
Karolina Wydra, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actress (Comedy)

Image Credit: ABC Erika Alexander, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC)
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO Max) ***
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Li Jun Li, “Spider-Noir” (Prime Video)
Ashley Padilla, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Meg Stalter, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Jessica Williams, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Supporting Actress (Limited/Movie)

Image Credit: FX Linda Cardellini, “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Grace Gummer, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX) ***
Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Cailee Spaeny, “Beef” (Netflix)
Naomi Watts, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)
Yuh-Jung Youn, “Beef” (Netflix)
Constance Zimmer, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissette” (FX)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Variety Series

Image Credit: ABC “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC) ***
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO Max)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Game Show

Image Credit: Dropout “Celebrity Family Feud” (Syndicated)
“Game Changer” (Dropout)
“Jeopardy” (Syndicated) ***
“The Price is Right” (Syndicated)
“Wheel of Fortune” (Syndicated)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Competition Program

Image Credit: CBS “The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
“Survivor” (CBS) ***
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Traitors” (Peacock)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Guest Actor (Drama)

Image Credit: Paramount+ David Dastmalchian, “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+)
Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***
Jeff Hiller, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Jeremy Irons, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Samba Schutte, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Guest Actress (Drama)

Image Credit: Hulu Richa Moorjani, “Alien: Earth” (FX)
Miriam Shor, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Leslie Uggams, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
Merrit Wever, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
Shailene Woodley, “Paradise” (Hulu) ***Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Guest Actor (Comedy)

Image Credit: NBC Bad Bunny, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Jeff Daniels, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
Michael J. Fox, “Shrinking” (Apple TV) ***
Ryan Gosling, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Christopher McDonald, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
David Zayas, “The Bear” (FX)Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
Guest Actress (Comedy)

Image Credit: FX Candice Bergen, “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear” (FX)
Danielle Deadwyler, “The Bear” (FX)
Ariana Grande, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Keyla Monterroso Mejia, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) ***Emmy category page with rankings>>>Coming Soon
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