The 5 Biggest Snubs Of The 2026 Emmy Award Nominations
The nominees for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards have officially been announced. As always, this year’s crop is a blend of returning favorites (The Pitt, Hacks), buzzy newcomers (Widow’s Bay, Pluribus), and major surprises (Dancing with the Stars, The Testaments’ Chase Infiniti, Remarkably Bright Creatures’ Sally Field). Of course, there can’t be winners without losers, and just as important are the names and shows not called out. What’s particularly noteworthy about this year’s biggest Emmy snubs is that many are from popular, previously nominated series in their final seasons. Normally, when it’s their last chance to nominate or award a show, Emmy voters are particularly generous — remember Game of Thrones winning Outstanding Drama Series for its universally maligned final season? Sadly for many shows in the 2025-2026 season, this was not the case. Hosted by Law & Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay, the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Monday, September 14, 2026, on NBC and will be available for streaming on Peacock. While it’s always fun to predict the winners, the following names definitely will not be called.
Taylor Sheridan (The Madison, Landman)
Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn in The MadisonEmerson Miller / Paramount+
Taylor Sheridan is no stranger to being snubbed by the Television Academy. The creator behind many of today’s most popular, recent prestige series has never had any of his shows nominated in an above-the-line category, and those thinking that the strong performances in this season’s Landman and The Madison may have been enough to finally turn the tide were, alas, proven wrong.
Throughout his entire career, Sheridan’s sole Emmy nomination was in 2024’s News & Documentary Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary category, for his role as a producer of Willie Nelson & Family.
Hopes were highest for Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays matriarch Stacy Clyburn in the cast of The Madison. However, while she missed out on that one, she still managed to score her expected nomination for her performance in Margo’s Got Money Troubles. As for Sheridan, his shows weren’t shut out completely, as Tulsa King received a nomination for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming.
Stranger Things
Everett Collection
Though Stranger Things managed to score seven nominations for technical awards at this year’s Emmys, Netflix’s biggest show was completely absent from the above-the-line list read by Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller. While season 5 was not the most acclaimed, it was also Stranger Things’ final outing, making it a surprise that previous acting nominees Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour did not return to their categories — though Harbour was nominated for his performance in DTF St Louis.
However, the sharpest sting is that the show’s final season missed out on a coveted Outstanding Drama Series nomination. This is especially brutal because all of Stranger Things’ past four seasons achieved this honor. Though Stranger Things lives on through Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and other projects in development, this is the end of the Emmys road for the show that started it all.
Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria)
Everett Collection
Though its third and final season was pilloried by critics and audiences alike, there’s no denying that Euphoria’s cast delivered some excellent performances, and several actors were expected to receive Emmy nominations for their work. New cast member Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who won acclaim for his villain turn as Alamo Brown, was shut out, and the late Eric Dane was deprived of a posthumous nomination as the complicated Cal Jacobs.
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From Euphoria to the big screen — test your knowledge
EuphoriaCassie Howard
WhiteLotusOlivia Mossbacher
AnyoneBut YouBea
RealityWinner
⛫ImmaculateSister Cecilia
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01
Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role on HBO’s “Euphoria” earned her widespread recognition. What is the name of her character on the show?
AMaddy Perez
BRue Bennett
CCassie Howard
DLexi Howard
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Cassie Howard, the emotionally vulnerable and people-pleasing teen whose turbulent love life becomes a central storyline. Her Season 2 performance — especially the iconic bathroom meltdown scenes — earned her an Emmy nomination.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Cassie Howard. Rue Bennett is Zendaya’s character, Maddy Perez is played by Alexa Demie, and Lexi Howard (Cassie’s sister) is played by Maude Apatow. Sydney’s Cassie became one of Season 2’s most talked-about characters.
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02
In the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sydney plays a sharp, judgmental college student vacationing in Hawaii. What is her character’s name?
ARachel Patton
BOlivia Mossbacher
CPaula
DQuinn Mossbacher
✓ Correct! Sydney plays Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged and intellectually pretentious daughter of the Mossbacher family. Her deadpan delivery and snobbish attitude made Olivia a fan-favorite character in Mike White’s satirical hit.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Olivia Mossbacher. Rachel is Alexandra Daddario’s character, Paula is Brittany O’Grady’s role (Olivia’s best friend), and Quinn is Olivia’s younger brother. Sydney’s Olivia steals every scene with her cutting commentary.
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03
Before her major breakout, Sydney appeared in a critically acclaimed Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Which show was it?
AThe Handmaid’s Tale
BCastle Rock
CThe Act
DLittle Fires Everywhere
✓ Correct! Sydney played Eden Spencer in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a devout and obedient young bride in the oppressive Gilead regime. Despite being a recurring role, her performance was emotionally devastating and showed her dramatic range early on.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The Handmaid’s Tale. Sydney played Eden Spencer, a 15-year-old bride in Gilead during Season 2. It was one of her first major prestige TV roles and demonstrated the dramatic talent that would later explode with Euphoria.
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04
Sydney starred in the surprise rom-com hit “Anyone But You” (2023). Which actor plays her love interest, Ben, in the film?
AJacob Elordi
BAustin Butler
CHarris Dickinson
DGlen Powell
✓ Correct! Glen Powell plays Ben opposite Sydney’s Bea in this modern retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The film became a sleeper box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide and reviving the theatrical rom-com genre.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Glen Powell. While Jacob Elordi is Sydney’s Euphoria co-star, it’s Glen Powell who plays her enemies-to-lovers match in “Anyone But You.” The film’s massive success was credited to their electric chemistry.
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05
Sydney starred in and produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate.” Where is the film primarily set?
AA haunted boarding school in England
BA remote convent in the Italian countryside
CAn abandoned hospital in France
DA secluded monastery in Spain
✓ Correct! “Immaculate” is set in a remote Italian convent where Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a young American nun who discovers the institution harbors terrifying secrets. Sydney also served as a producer on the film, marking a significant step in her behind-the-camera career.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a devout young nun who travels to Italy only to find herself trapped in a nightmare. The film was shot on location in Italy and showcased Sydney’s range as both star and producer.
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06
Sydney made Emmy history in 2022 by earning two acting nominations in the same year for two different HBO shows. “Euphoria” was one — what was the other?
ASharp Objects
BSuccession
CThe White Lotus
DThe Handmaid’s Tale
✓ Correct! In 2022, Sydney earned a Supporting Actress nomination for “Euphoria” and a Limited Series Supporting Actress nomination for “The White Lotus” — both on HBO. Being double-nominated across two of the network’s biggest shows cemented her as one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood.
✗ Not quite! The answer is The White Lotus. Sydney’s dual nominations for Euphoria and The White Lotus in the same Emmy cycle was a remarkable achievement. Both shows were critical and commercial hits for HBO, and Sydney was central to each.
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07
In the 2023 HBO film “Reality,” Sydney plays a real-life person — an NSA whistleblower who leaked classified documents to the press. Who did she portray?
AReality Winner
BChelsea Manning
CTerry Albury
DNatalie Mayflower Sours Edwards
✓ Correct! Sydney portrays Reality Winner, the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2017 for leaking a classified report on Russian election interference. The film recreates her FBI interrogation using actual transcript recordings and was praised for Sydney’s riveting, restrained performance.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Reality Winner. The HBO film is based on the real FBI interrogation of Reality Winner, who leaked classified intelligence documents. Sydney’s intense, dialogue-driven performance was widely praised as some of her finest dramatic work.
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08
Beyond acting, Sydney is known for an unusual hobby she’s been passionate about since she was a teenager, even earning a competition-level certification. What is it?
AProfessional-level baking
BCompetitive horseback riding
CSurfing competitions
DMMA-trained fighter / restoring vintage cars
✓ Correct! Sydney is famously a trained MMA fighter and a gearhead who restores classic cars. She’s been passionate about mixed martial arts since high school and has also shared her love of working on vintage automobiles — hobbies that surprised fans who only knew her from her on-screen roles.
✗ Not quite! The answer is MMA training and restoring vintage cars. Sydney trained in MMA as a teenager and still practices. She’s also a self-taught mechanic who restores classic cars in her spare time — she’s shared her work on social media, showing there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
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However, the biggest snub was arguably Sydney Sweeney as Nate’s needy plaything turned OnlyFans superstar, Cassie Jacobs (née Howard). The actress had previously been nominated for the same role, which made her more likely to repeat this year, and while Sweeney’s R-rated Euphoria season 3 scenes may have been controversial, there’s no denying that she committed wholeheartedly to the unhinged, explicit material.
Jeremy Allen White & Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)
Though The Bear was once an acclaimed series that broke Emmy records, love for the show has continued to diminish season after season, with voters growing increasingly frustrated that it continues to nominate itself as a comedy when it is essentially a drama. Despite its polarizing reception, voters have continued to nominate the cast, but this year, some prominent names were left off the list.
The Bear still has one more year to win back Emmy glory, as this year’s nominations were for season 4, while its fifth season will be eligible for the 79th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2027.
Those would be Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, both back-to-back winners who were still nominated for their work in the divisive season 3 last year. Though season 4 continued to lean further away from the comedy, the actors were still expected to be added to the ballot — White, because he is the face of the show, and Moss-Bachrach because he plays one of the only characters who is still funny. However, while they were snubbed, perennial favorites Ayo Edibiri and Jamie-Lee Curtis received nominations, as did the late Rob Reiner.
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan
Perhaps the biggest Emmy nominations blow came to The Amazing Race. The long-running reality series has been one of the winningest series in Emmys history, enjoying a seven-year winning streak for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and earning a nomination in the category every year it’s been eligible — until now.
2026 Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Show
Last year’s status
Dancing with the Stars
Not nominated
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Nominated
Survivor
Nominated
Top Chef
Nominated
The Traitors
Won
Yes, The Amazing Race’s 23-year nomination streak comes to an end thanks to Dancing with the Stars, a returning nominee who’s clawed its way back after a hugely popular season. What’s particularly worrisome for The Amazing Race is that it got bumped out of a notoriously rigid category. Once voters pick nominees and a winner, they tend to stay that way. Time will tell if the show can recover, or if it’s been permanently eliminated from the Emmys race.
Location
The Peacock Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Dates
September 14, 2026
Diterbitkan : 2026-07-08 19:38:00
sumber : screenrant.com
