Rotten Tomatoes has published its predictions for the 78th annual Emmy nominations, and the early read is clear: The Pitt and Pluribus are being treated as major forces in the Emmy Nominations 2026 race. The Pitt is being cast as last year’s winner and the drama frontrunner, while Pluribus, a critically acclaimed but less seen show starring Rhea Seehorn, is being pushed into the same conversation.
That matters now because the 2026 Emmy season is already in phase one, but phase two has yet to take shape. For readers tracking the field, this is the moment when forecasts still carry real weight, before the actual nomination list turns those guesses into yes-or-no answers. Keri Russell’s The Diplomat is expected to stay in the drama mix, and Task, The Gilded Age and Industry are being labeled bubble contenders that could still break through.
Hacks is also back in the center of the race after finishing its run with another season described as incredible, and Jean Smart is again being placed near the top of the comedy field. Rotten Tomatoes’ prediction list also gives room to Widow’s Bay, a must-see Apple TV series gaining popularity by word of mouth, and to Rooster and Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which are both making a case in several comedy categories.
The bigger friction point is that this remains a prediction piece, not a final nominee list. The drama field still looks more settled than finished, but the comedy and limited series races are where new contenders may still force their way in. That is especially true around Beef Season 2, which is being framed as a possible clean sweep in the limited series race.
That limited-series push reaches across the cast list as well. Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton, Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Lee Sung Jin are all expected to land nominations for Beef Season 2, while Youn Yuh-jung could also grab an Emmy for her work in Beef. In comedy acting, the forecast keeps Jean Smart, Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback, Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Ayo Edebiri for The Bear, Elle Fanning for Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building in the mix.
One of the most closely watched names in the spread is Harrison Ford, who is seeking his first competitive award and is being singled out for some of the best acting of his career as Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking. Michael J. Fox, already a 5-time Emmy winner and 20-time nominee, is also poised to compete for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy for Shrinking. The real test for all of them will come when the actual 2026 Emmy nominations are released and this crowded forecast has to answer the only question that matters: who made it through.
