Apple TV Dominates 2026 Emmy Noms with Brit & British-ish Fare
British-ish show nominations outnumbered nods landed by actual British shows, but Apple TV's dominance is the big story.
The Primetime Emmys, and their Creative Emmys counterpart, are a frustrating beast at best. One of the most conservative voting bodies in Hollywood, the awards are famous for all the wrong reasons – failing to recognize game-changing shows when they arrive, multiple repeat nominations for shows year after year when they’re long past their prime, and voting for the same actor/actress multiple years in a row.
However, they are the biggest awards night in Hollywood, simply in terms of size and scale. There are ~120 categories that encompass small screens of every kind, including adverts, YouTube shows, and even VR, a far more thorough list than any other TV awards body.
The Emmys also love British actors and actresses; much like regular viewers, Americans tend to assume a British accent equals intellectual, and a British-accented performer to be somehow superior to an American one. In 2025, the U.K. broke records, with more nominations going to artists and shows that originated on a tiny island across the pond than to those from the vast swathes of the 50 states.
For 2026, nominations have returned to a more normal level, with HBO Max’s American series The Pitt proving voters’ new favorite, with its second season receiving 25 nominations, at least 10 more than it actually deserved. HBO Max also walked away with the most nominations (122), but the once-dominant force in TV is on the wane as it prepares to be turned into State TV. Netflix and Apple TV are both hot on its heels; the former landed 111, and Apple scored 87.
But all three had one thing in common – a plethora of British and British-ish shows helping to push them into the top spots. Here now is a full rundown of the nominations for all our favorite British (and British-ish) shows, as well as our favorite actors.
The Top-Line Nominations:
Outstanding Drama Series
- The Diplomat (Netflix)
- The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
- A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms (HBO Max)
- Slow Horses (Apple TV)
- Paradise (Hulu)
- The Pitt (HBO Max)
- Pluribus (Apple TV)
- Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV)
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Widow’s Bay (Apple TV)
- Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- The Bear (FX/Hulu)
- Hacks (HBO Max)
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV)
- Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
- Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)
- Shrinking (Apple TV)
Outstanding Limited Series
- All Her Fault (Peacock)
- The Beast In Me (Netflix)
- Beef (Netflix)
- DTF St. Louis (HBO Max)
- Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (FX/Hulu)
Acting Nominations
Drama Series: Lead Actress
- Carrie Coon The Gilded Age
- Keri Russell The Diplomat
- Chase Infiniti The Testaments
- Rhea Seehorn Pluribus
- Zendaya Euphoria
Drama Series Lead Actor
- Gary Oldman Slow Horses
- Rufus Sewell The Diplomat
- Sterling K. Brown Paradise
- Mark Ruffalo Task
- Noah Wyle The Pitt
Comedy Series: Lead Actress
- Quinta Brunson Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri The Bear
- Elle Fanning Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Lisa Kudrow The Comeback
- Jean Smart Hacks
Comedy Series: Lead Actor
- Matthew Rhys Widow’s Bay
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Wonder Man
- Steve Carell Rooster
- Jason Segel Shrinking
- Martin Short Only Murders In The Building
Limited Series: Lead Actress
- Sarah Snook All Her Fault
- Carey Mulligan Beef
- Claire Danes The Beast In Me
- Sally Field Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Sarah Pidgeon Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Limited Series: Lead Actor
- Riz Ahmed Bait
- Charlie Hunnam Monster: The Ed Gein Story
- Matthew Rhys The Beast In Me
- Oscar Isaac Beef
- Jason Bateman Black Rabbit
Outstanding Supporting Roles (Drama/Comedy/Limited)
- Jack Lowden Slow Horses
- Richard Gadd Half Man
Outstanding Guest Roles (Drama/Comedy/Limited)
- Jonathan Pryce Slow Horses
- Brett Goldstein Shrinking
Outstanding Narrators/Voice Over/Host
- Julie Andrews Bridgerton
- David Attenborough A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough
- David Attenborough Ocean With David Attenborough
- Alan Cumming The Traitors
All Other Nominations By Network
Apple TV
Slow Horses
- Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
- Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program
Widow’s Bay
- Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
- Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
- Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
- Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Series (Half-Hour)
- Outstanding Picture Editing For A Single-Camera Comedy Series
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
- Outstanding Music Supervision
- Outstanding Sound Editing For A Half-Hour Series
- Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Half-Hour Series
Smoke
- Outstanding Title Design
HBO Max
The Gilded Age
- Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program
- Outstanding Period Costumes
- Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
- Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
- Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Series (Half-Hour)
- Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
- Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
- Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation
- Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode
- Outstanding Stunt Performance
Netflix
The Diplomat
- Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
Bridgerton
- Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming
- Outstanding Period Costumes
- Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
Death By Lightning
- Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Series
- Outstanding Picture Editing For A Limited Series
Lord Of The Flies
- Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series
- Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Series
Disney/Hulu/FX
Welcome To Wrexham
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program
- Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program
- Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
- Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Reality Program
Washington Black
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Ocean With David Attenborough
- Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary/Nonfiction Or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
- Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program
- Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program
Peacock
PONIES
- Outstanding Title Design
The Traitors
- Outstanding Reality Competition Program
- Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program
- Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Or Reality Series
- Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program
- Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program
Prime Video
Young Sherlock
- Outstanding Title Design
BBC America
Planet Earth: Kingdom
- Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary/Nonfiction Or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, September 14, 2026.
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The Creative Arts Emmys (where most of these will be awarded) will take place one week earlier, on Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, and will air on Saturday, September 13, 2026, on FXX.
