Primetime Emmys Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
(CNN) — Here’s a look at the Primetime Emmy Awards, which recognize television programs and performers.
September 14, 2026 – The 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place, with Mariska Hargitay hosting.
September 14, 2025 – The 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place with Nate Bargatze hosting.
Facts
Emmys are presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Louis McManus, a television engineer, created the Emmy statuette, using his wife’s image as a model.
Emmy Awards are named after “Immy,” an abbreviation for the image orthicon tube, an early camera. It was later changed to “Emmy.”
The first Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club and were for Los Angeles programming only. Six awards were given. Tickets to the event were $5.
The first award ever given was for outstanding personality and went to ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale, for the children’s show, “Judy Splinters.”
Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are tied for the most Emmys ever by a performer (8). Ed Asner has won the most Emmys ever by a male performer (7), as of 2026.
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” which premiered on Hulu in 2017, was the first online streaming service series to win an Emmy for outstanding drama.
In 2018, the Amazon Prime Video series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won an Emmy for outstanding comedy. It was the first time a streaming network show won the comedy award.
In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy announced a realignment of the Primetime and Daytime Emmy Awards, organizing the competitions by content genre rather than airtime.
2026 Nominees (in selected categories)
Outstanding Comedy Series:
- “Abbott Elementary”
- “The Bear”
- “Hacks”
- “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
- “Nobody Wants This”
- “Only Murders in the Building”
- “Shrinking”
- “Widow’s Bay”
Outstanding Lead Actor – Comedy Series:
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – “Wonder Man”
- Steve Carell – “Rooster”
- Matthew Rhys – “Widow’s Bay”
- Jason Segel – “Shrinking”
- Martin Short – “Only Murders in the Building”
Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series:
- Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary”
- Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear”
- Elle Fanning – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
- Lisa Kudrow – “The Comeback”
- Jean Smart – “Hacks”
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy Series:
- Colman Domingo – “The Four Seasons”
- Paul W. Downs – “Hacks”
- Harrison Ford – “Shrinking”
- Nick Offerman – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
- Stephen Root – “Widow’s Bay”
- Michael Urie – “Shrinking”
- Tyler James Williams – “Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series:
- Dale Dickey – “Widow’s Bay”
- Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks”
- Janelle James – “Abbott Elementary”
- Kate O’Flynn – “Widow’s Bay”
- Michelle Pfeiffer – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
- Megan Stalter – “Hacks”
- Jessica Williams – “Shrinking”
Outstanding Drama Series:
- “The Diplomat”
- “The Gilded Age”
- “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
- “Paradise”
- “The Pitt”
- “Pluribus”
- “Slow Horses”
- “Your Friends & Neighbors”
Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series:
- Sterling K. Brown – “Paradise”
- Gary Oldman – “Slow Horses”
- Mark Ruffalo – “Task”
- Rufus Sewell – “The Diplomat”
- Noah Wyle – “The Pitt”
Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series:
- Carrie Coon – “The Gilded Age”
- Chase Infiniti – “The Testaments”
- Keri Russell – “The Diplomat”
- Rhea Seehorn – “Pluribus”
- Zendaya – “Euphoria”
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Drama Series:
- Patrick Ball – “The Pitt”
- Billy Crudup – “The Morning Show”
- Shawn Hatosy – “The Pitt”
- Gerran Howell – “The Pitt”
- Jack Lowden – “Slow Horses”
- Tom Pelphrey – “Task”
- Carlos-Manuel Vesga – “Pluribus”
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series:
- Taylor Dearden – “The Pitt”
- Fiona Dourif – “The Pitt”
- Allison Janney – “The Diplomat”
- Katherine LaNasa – “The Pitt”
- Sepideh Moafi – “The Pitt”
- Julianne Nicholson – “Paradise”
- Karolina Wydra – “Pluribus”
Complete list of 2026 nominees.
2025 Winners (in selected categories)
Outstanding Comedy Series:
“The Studio”
Outstanding Lead Actor – Comedy Series:
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series:
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy Series:
Jeff Hiller, “Somebody Somewhere”
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series:
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
Outstanding Drama Series:
“The Pitt”
Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series:
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series:
Britt Lower, “Severance”
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Drama Series:
Tramell Tillman, “Severance”
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series:
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”
Complete list of 2025 winners.
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