The 2026 television awards season is starting to develop a clear group of favorites, and The Pitt, Hacks, Widow’s Bay and Pluribus are sitting right at the center of it. The Emmy nominations already gave audiences a few major surprises, while the latest Television Critics Association Awards added another layer to the race.
What makes this year’s awards conversation particularly interesting is that some of the shows dominating the conversation are very different from one another. A hospital drama, a veteran comedy, a strange Apple TV horror-comedy and a hockey romance have all managed to find their way into the same awards spotlight.
The Pitt Arrives At The Emmys With Serious Momentum
If there was one show that immediately separated itself from the Emmy field, it was The Pitt. The HBO Max medical drama led all programs with 25 nominations, nearly doubling its total from the previous year.
The show picked up a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, while its acting ensemble collected 13 nominations. Noah Wyle is also competing for Lead Actor, continuing what has become one of the strongest awards runs for the series.
Then came another important victory. At the TCA Awards, The Pitt won Outstanding Achievement in Drama for the second consecutive year. That gives the series something more valuable than another trophy: continued recognition from television critics heading into the final stretch of the Emmy race.
Hacks Just Made Emmy History
The final season of Hacks has turned into something much bigger than a farewell tour.
The HBO Max comedy earned 24 Emmy nominations, making it the most nominated comedy season in Emmy history. It passed the 23-nomination marks previously set by The Bear and The Studio.
That achievement feels especially fitting for a show that has spent five seasons balancing old-school entertainment-industry ego with a much younger, messier creative generation. Jean Smart remains at the center of the awards conversation as Deborah Vance, and another Emmy win would add to an already remarkable career.
The bigger question now is whether Hacks can turn an extraordinary nomination haul into an equally extraordinary final Emmy night.
Widow’s Bay Went From Surprise Nominee To Awards Powerhouse
Then there’s Widow’s Bay, which might be the most fascinating awards story of the group.
The Apple TV horror-comedy earned 19 Emmy nominations, an impressive result for a show that gained momentum relatively late in the Emmy voting cycle. Its unusual combination of comedy and horror clearly didn’t stop voters from taking it seriously.
The TCA Awards made the show’s momentum even harder to ignore.
Widow’s Bay became the night’s biggest winner with three TCA Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, Outstanding New Program and Individual Achievement in Comedy for Kate O’Flynn.
That creates a particularly interesting situation heading toward the Emmys. The series is no longer just the unexpected newcomer sitting among bigger established names. Critics have now given it multiple major victories, while Emmy voters have already rewarded it with one of the largest nomination hauls of the year.
Pluribus Is Quietly Becoming Another Major Player
Pluribus has taken a slightly different route.
The Apple TV drama earned 18 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and a Lead Actress nomination for Rhea Seehorn.
Seehorn then won Individual Achievement in Drama at the TCA Awards. The victory also made history: she became the first performer to win that TCA acting category for two different shows, following her earlier victory for Better Call Saul.
That gives Pluribus another important piece of awards-season credibility. It may not have the enormous nomination total of The Pitt, but its recognition in major acting and series categories shows that voters aren’t treating it as a fringe contender.
And Then Heated Rivalry Changed The Conversation
The most unexpected name at the TCA Awards may be Heated Rivalry.
The HBO Max/Crave hockey drama won Program of the Year, beating a field that included The Pitt, Hacks, Pluribus, Widow’s Bay and several other major contenders.
That win matters for another reason: Heated Rivalry wasn’t eligible for this year’s Emmys because of the eligibility window. So while the show cannot convert its TCA success into an Emmy campaign this year, the critics’ recognition still gives it considerable momentum as one of television’s most talked-about newer dramas.
Its TCA victory also adds an interesting wrinkle to the current television landscape. A show that couldn’t compete at the Emmys still managed to beat several Emmy frontrunners for one of the TCA’s biggest prizes.
Stephen Colbert Also Leaves His Mark
The TCA Awards weren’t only about newer shows.
Stephen Colbert received the Career Achievement Award, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch. The recognition arrives after the end of Colbert’s long-running CBS late-night series, giving the awards a retrospective quality as well.
Meanwhile, the TCA also recognized Death by Lightning, The Traitors, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Long Story Short and Squid Game across their respective categories. In Living Color received the Heritage Award.
The Emmy Race Now Feels Much More Complicated
The interesting thing about the current awards season is that there isn’t one show dominating every conversation.
The Pitt has the biggest Emmy nomination total and now has another TCA drama win. Hacks has made Emmy history with its final season. Widow’s Bay has transformed from a late-breaking surprise into a three-time TCA winner. Pluribus has Rhea Seehorn’s historic critics’ victory behind it. And Heated Rivalry has already claimed the TCA’s Program of the Year despite being locked out of this year’s Emmys.
The 78th Emmy Awards are scheduled for September 14, with final-round voting taking place August 17–26. That leaves plenty of room for the current frontrunners to change the conversation one more time before the trophies are handed out.
Sujal Singh and Nikev Maze are the founders and editors of Cinemazze, where they lead the platform’s editorial vision and content strategy. With a deep interest in the entertainment industry, they focus on delivering timely coverage of movies, television series, streaming releases, celebrity news, trailers, and major industry developments. Their editorial approach combines accurate reporting with audience-focused storytelling, helping readers stay informed about the latest trends shaping modern entertainment. Through Cinemazze, they aim to build a trusted destination for entertainment enthusiasts by publishing well-researched articles, insightful analysis, and up-to-date news sourced from official announcements, verified interviews, studio releases, and other credible public sources. Their commitment to quality, transparency, and reader value remains at the core of Cinemazze’s mission as it continues to grow within the digital entertainment media landscape.
