The show's absence from the drama series shortlist marks a significant departure
Each September, the Emmy Awards offer a kind of cultural reckoning — a moment when the television industry pauses to ask not merely what was watched, but what was felt to matter. This year, the medical drama The Pitt has answered that question most loudly, earning 25 nominations and positioning itself as the frontrunner ahead of a September 14 ceremony in Los Angeles. Yet the nominations are perhaps as notable for their silences: Stranger Things and Euphoria, two shows that shaped the cultural conversation for years, found themselves largely absent from the categories that confer lasting prestige, a reminder that popularity and recognition do not always travel the same road.
- The Pitt has seized the Emmy race with 25 nominations, a commanding lead that signals broad support across acting, drama, and technical voting blocs.
- Stranger Things received only seven technical nominations despite its cultural dominance, while Euphoria was shut out of the best drama category entirely — a striking double snub for two of television's most talked-about franchises.
- Jeremy Allen White, a back-to-back Emmy winner for The Bear, was not nominated this year despite his show still appearing on the comedy series shortlist, making his omission one of the season's most debated surprises.
- British talent is unusually well represented, with Gary Oldman, Carey Mulligan, Rufus Sewell, and Riz Ahmed all in contention, while Matthew Rhys earned the rare distinction of nominations in two separate lead acting categories.
- Hacks, with 24 nominations for its final season, sets up a tight two-horse race at the top, while the broader field reflects a streaming landscape where critical favour and mainstream visibility increasingly diverge.
The Pitt has emerged as the dominant force in this year's Emmy Awards race, securing 25 nominations across drama, acting, and technical categories. The HBO Max medical series will face its stiffest competition from Hacks, whose final season earned 24 nominations, setting up a closely watched contest before winners are announced in Los Angeles on September 14.
The nominations tell a more complicated story beneath the headline numbers. Stranger Things, despite its enormous cultural footprint, received only seven nominations — all in technical fields such as cinematography and sound design — and was absent from the drama series shortlist entirely. Euphoria similarly failed to land a best drama nomination, though Zendaya remains in contention for lead actress. The Bear continued its presence in the comedy race, but Jeremy Allen White, who won the lead comedy actor award in both 2024 and 2025, was not nominated this year — one of the more startling omissions in a slate full of surprises.
British performers feature prominently across the major categories. Matthew Rhys earned a rare dual nomination, appearing in both the comedy and limited series lead actor races. Gary Oldman competes for his work in the Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses, Carey Mulligan for Netflix's Beef, Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat, and Riz Ahmed for the limited series Bait.
The drama series category features eight nominees including The Pitt, Slow Horses, The Diplomat, and The Gilded Age, while the comedy field spans Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, and Widow's Bay, among others. What the full slate suggests is an awards body that has moved away from some of television's most popular recent franchises while rewarding shows that may carry less mainstream visibility — a signal that cultural dominance alone is no longer sufficient currency in Emmy season.
The medical drama The Pitt has emerged as the clear frontrunner in this year's Emmy Awards race, securing 25 nominations across all categories. The HBO Max series will compete directly with Hacks, the final season of which landed 24 nominations, setting up what promises to be a closely watched battle between the two shows when winners are announced in Los Angeles on September 14.
The nomination slate reveals a television landscape in flux. Several shows that dominated popular culture in recent years found themselves conspicuously absent from the most prestigious categories. Stranger Things, despite its cultural footprint, received only seven nominations—all in technical fields like cinematography and sound design. The show's absence from the drama series shortlist marks a significant departure for a program that has been a staple of Emmy consideration. Similarly, Euphoria, the HBO Max phenomenon that made Zendaya a household name, failed to secure a spot on the best drama ballot. Zendaya herself remains in contention for lead actress in a drama, but the show's broader ensemble cast was shut out of the main acting categories entirely.
The Bear, another recent cultural juggernaut that concluded its run this year, managed to land on the comedy series shortlist but delivered a notable snub of its own. Jeremy Allen White, the show's star who won consecutive Emmy Awards for lead comedy actor in 2024 and 2025, was not nominated this year despite the show's continued presence in the race. His omission stands as one of the more surprising decisions in a year full of them.
British talent figures prominently across the nominations. Matthew Rhys has achieved a rare distinction by earning nominations in two separate lead acting categories—once for Widow's Bay in comedy and again for The Beast In Me in the limited series race. His peers competing for major awards include Gary Oldman, nominated for his role in the Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses; Carey Mulligan, recognized for her work in the Netflix limited series Beef; and Rufus Sewell, nominated for The Diplomat. Riz Ahmed rounds out the British contingent with a nomination in the lead actor category for the limited series Bait.
The full slate of nominees reflects a diverse range of programming across streaming platforms and traditional networks. The Pitt's 25 nominations dwarf the competition, but Widow's Bay, another Apple TV+ production, secured 19 nominations, while Pluribus earned 18. Beef, the Netflix limited series that has generated significant critical acclaim, landed 16 nominations. The breadth of The Pitt's recognition—spanning drama series, acting categories, and technical awards—suggests the show has made an impression across multiple voting constituencies within the Academy.
The drama series category itself features eight nominees, including The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, The Pitt, Pluribus, Slow Horses, and Your Friends & Neighbors. The comedy field includes Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo's Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders In The Building, Shrinking, and Widow's Bay. The limited or anthology series category rounds out the major races with All Her Fault, The Beast In Me, Beef, DTF St Louis, and Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette.
What emerges from this year's nominations is a picture of an awards body that has moved decisively away from some of television's most popular recent shows while embracing others that may have less mainstream visibility. The snubbing of Stranger Things and Euphoria suggests that cultural dominance alone does not guarantee Emmy recognition, particularly when final seasons may not have resonated as strongly with voters as earlier installments. The Pitt's commanding lead, meanwhile, indicates that the show has struck a chord across the full spectrum of Emmy voters, from those who vote on acting to those who evaluate technical achievement.
Citas Notables
The Pitt has received 25 nominations in total, closely followed by the final season of Hacks with 24— Emmy Awards nomination announcement
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did Stranger Things get shut out of the drama race when it's still one of the most watched shows on television?
The show got seven nominations, but they're all technical—cinematography, sound, that kind of work. It suggests the voters didn't feel the final season had the same narrative or performance weight as earlier runs. Sometimes a show's best work is behind it.
And Jeremy Allen White winning two years in a row, then nothing this year—is that a sign The Bear itself is fading?
The Bear made the comedy shortlist, so the show itself is still in the conversation. But White's absence is striking. It could mean voters felt the ensemble carried the show more this year, or it could just be the randomness of how these things work. The Academy doesn't always reward consistency.
Matthew Rhys in two different categories seems almost unfair to everyone else.
It's genuinely rare. He's in the lead comedy race for Widow's Bay and the lead limited series race for The Beast In Me. That kind of dual recognition usually means an actor has done something that cuts across different voter groups—comedy voters and drama voters both saw something worth honoring.
What does The Pitt's 25 nominations actually tell us?
It tells us the show has breadth. It's not just one or two performances carrying it. The nominations span acting, directing, writing, technical work. That kind of spread suggests a show that's working on multiple levels at once, and that's what the Academy tends to reward most heavily.
Is there a pattern to who got left out?
The shows that got snubbed—Stranger Things, Euphoria—they're both shows that built their reputation on earlier seasons. Final seasons are always risky. You're competing against the memory of what came before, and sometimes that memory is better than the reality.