With voting underway and Emmy nominations set to arrive on July 8, Emmy season is officially here. While the awards have become increasingly predictable in recent years – with shows such as The White Lotus dominating the Supporting Drama categories and The Studio taking over Guest Comedy – there are always a handful of performances and series we hope voters embrace, even if timing or intention suggests otherwise.
Here are some of the Emmy nominations we want to see:
Widow’s Bay
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay had everything working against it heading into Emmy season. The series premiered too close to the end of the eligibility window, with its final three episodes ineligible for this year’s ceremony. Despite that, the show has made a splash in a way television rarely does anymore.
The horror-comedy draws inspiration from Katie Dippold’s original spec script used in her interview for Parks and Recreation, Stephen King’s New England tales, Twin Peaks, Jaws, and countless other influences that never once overshadow the show’s originality. The result is a series that delivers huge laughs while forcing its characters to confront impossible moral choices. Anyone who spends time in TV circles online has likely encountered the gif of Matthew Rhys’ Tom Loftis falling off a seat, but beneath the humour lies a story about a community shaped by centuries of sacrifice and cannibalism.
Dippold and director Hiro Murai deserve recognition for establishing the series’ tone in the pilot, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay.” Rhys and Kate O’Flynn should also find themselves in contention, while Episode 4 writer Mackenzie Dohr and director Sam Donovan delivered one of the season’s strongest turns. Betty Gilpin and Hamish Linklater would make worthy guest acting nominees for “Our History” as well.
Karolina Wydra – Pluribus
While Pluribus rightly positions Rhea Seehorn at its centre, Karolina Wydra arguably has the more difficult task. As the hive-mind representative assigned to Carol Sturka, Wydra carries the burden of portraying all of humanity as Zosia, including Carol’s recently deceased wife, whose memory continues to haunt the narrative and shape their unusual relationship.
The role requires Wydra to appear both alien and deeply familiar, convincing enough that Carol falls for her while maintaining an unsettling otherness. That said, it’s not just Carol who falls for Zosia. The character enraptured audiences alike, charmed and missing her as Carol does. There is nothing else on television like the performance, so much so that she should be the Supporting Actress in a Drama Series frontrunner.
Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs – Hacks
With Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder all but guaranteed nominations in Lead Actress and Supporting Actress, it would be easy to overlook Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs. Season 5 gave Kayla and Jimmy their richest material yet, following the pair as they lost Schaeffer and LuSaque before negotiating – or brilliantly manipulating – their way to the top at Latitude.
The season allowed both actors to showcase their comedic instincts while embracing heavier material, particularly Jimmy’s stint in the mailroom and the pair’s heart-to-heart after their electric car dies in Episode 8. Jimmy admitting that running the business together was fun while it lasted lands as one of the season’s most gut-wrenching moments, especially after Kayla reveals that she entered the industry to spend time with him. Stalter and Downs have always been Hacks‘ secret weapons, but Season 5 finally gave them award-worthy material.
Lauren Weedman – Hacks
Season 5 featured no shortage of memorable guest appearances, but few proved as consistently funny as Lauren Weedman’s Mayor Jo. She stole the scene in every episode she appeared in, with Weedman turning even the smallest line reading into a highlight.
Her offering a threesome to Ava and the magician sex worker in Episode 3, before asking if Peppermint Patty was “the gay one,” ranks among the season’s funniest moments. Episode 8 brought another gem, with Mayor Jo warning reporters that Deborah could burn alive in the Vegas heat if the power failed to return. Guest categories often favour bigger performances, but few actors made more out of less.
Elisabeth Moss and Corey Stoll – Imperfect Women
Apple TV boasts such an impressive slate that Imperfect Women arrived with surprisingly little fanfare. Despite that, Elisabeth Moss and Corey Stoll delivered some of the year’s finest work as Mary and her husband, Howard. Moss devastates as a woman trapped beneath the thumb of an abusive husband, while Stoll gradually reveals the monster hiding behind Howard’s affable front.
As Howard’s lies unravel, Stoll peels away layer after layer until only a desperate and delusional man remains. Moss, meanwhile, conveys Mary’s growing horror with heartbreaking restraint after learning that Howard murdered Nancy. His attempts to drug their daughter, paint Mary as unstable, and justify his actions culminate in a finale that ranks among the finest works of either actor’s career.
Ashley Padilla – Saturday Night Live
Since Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Cecily Strong departed, Saturday Night Live has struggled to produce breakout stars, though featured player Ashley Padilla soon changed that. Season 51 increasingly built itself around her strengths, with sketches such as Passing Notes, the quotable “We Talkin’ TV?” catchphrase, and Weekend Update appearances, including Two People Hooked Up at the Desk, quickly becoming fan favourites.
Padilla displayed an ease and confidence usually reserved for veteran cast members. Her ability to shift between celebrity impressions and original characters without missing a beat made her indispensable. SNL thrives when it discovers new voices, and Padilla feels like its most exciting addition in years.
Wendi McLendon-Covey – St. Denis Medical
Network television no longer dominates the Emmys the way it once did, but St. Denis Medical returned for its second season with renewed confidence. While the ensemble consistently delivers, Wendi McLendon-Covey remains the show’s greatest asset.
Her portrayal of Joyce Henderson balances chaotic optimism with well-meaning incompetence, creating one of television’s funniest characters. Joyce dedicates herself to the hospital, even when her intentions inevitably lead to disaster. McLendon-Covey understands exactly how far to push the character without turning her into a caricature or a replica of NBC’s other workplace mockumentary characters, such as Michael Scott and Leslie Knope. Even in scenes packed with strong comic performers, she manages to command attention without overwhelming the material.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
Like St. Denis Medical, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins faces an uphill battle as a network comedy. Limited campaigning and a crowded field have left the series on the outside looking in, but that should not stop voters from recognising one of the year’s most enjoyable comedies. Robert Carlock and Sam Means pair Tracy Morgan’s larger-than-life persona with sharp writing and a heartfelt story about redemption.
Daniel Radcliffe once again proves his versatility, delivering an eccentric supporting turn that complements Morgan. The pair’s odd-couple chemistry is the heart of the series, though Erika Alexander’s comedic timing is invaluable. The series itself deserves consideration alongside its supporting cast and could easily emerge as one of the season’s most pleasant surprises.
Nick Offerman – Death by Lightning
Nick Offerman enjoyed a memorable year between Death by Lightning and Margo’s Got Money Troubles. While his comedic work as Jinx deserves praise in its own right, his turn as Chester A. Arthur in Death by Lightning belongs firmly in the Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series conversation.
Historical accuracy aside, Offerman transforms Arthur into one of the year’s most compelling figures, violent in his role as Garfield’s vice-president but affectingly vulnerable as the series explores a system that preys on those susceptible to blackmail and the promise of rewards in favour of principles. His unlikely redemption never loses sight of the humour that has long made him such a distinctive performer. In a category likely dominated by showier work, his performance deserves to be in the conversation.
The 2026 Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on July 8 in all categories.
