The Most Shocking 2026 Emmy Nomination Snubs, Ranked

The nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are officially out, and the announcement delivered plenty of reasons for celebration across the television industry. Acclaimed series such as “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” emerged as major contenders, while networks and streamers including HBO and Apple TV posted impressive totals. For many awards watchers, the nominations suggest that “The Pitt” in particular could be headed for a huge night when the Emmys are handed out in September. Still, no Emmy nominations morning is complete without a few omissions that leave fans and critics frustrated.

This year’s list brought several notable disappointments, including a lack of recognition for a number of deserving contenders of color. But beyond that broader concern, some individual exclusions hit especially hard for both devoted TV fans and more casual viewers. The biggest snubs from the 2026 Emmy nominations say more than simply which shows missed the cut. In some cases, they point to changing tastes among Emmy voters in the top categories. In others, they highlight just how difficult it can be for strong programs to break through in crowded, highly specific races with only a handful of available slots.

Even on a day filled with triumphs for many performers, writers, directors, and producers, the most glaring omissions still deserve a closer look. Here are the snubs from the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations that left fans and industry observers especially stunned.

Not every awards-season snub is surprising because a project was universally adored. The final season of “Stranger Things” is a perfect example. Its last run of episodes was divisive, to put it mildly. Many viewers seemed more focused on the season’s hard-to-ignore missteps and its clunky expository dialogue than on being swept up in the story. Later developments, including a “Stranger Things” documentary, only intensified the controversy surrounding the finale. Taken purely on its own terms, it would not have been shocking for Emmy voters to decide this season was not among the year’s best.

What makes the omission surprising is the show’s history with the Television Academy. Each of the first four seasons of “Stranger Things” earned a nomination for outstanding drama series. The third and fourth seasons did not even receive additional Primetime Emmy nominations in major areas such as acting or writing, yet both still managed to land in the drama series race. That longstanding enthusiasm for the Netflix hit, however, did not carry over to its final chapter.

Between “The Boys,” “Euphoria,” and especially “Stranger Things,” this year’s outstanding drama series field appeared uninterested in divisive final seasons from shows that generated heavy online debate. Netflix and the “Stranger Things” team can certainly take comfort in the franchise’s enormous cultural footprint and merchandising success. Even so, after years of Emmy attention, seeing the series shut out of the top drama category was still a jolt, regardless of how uneven its final season may have been.

A little more than a decade ago, the television miniseries seemed to be fading from prominence. Then the Peak TV era accelerated, and streaming platforms began looking for splashy, star-driven projects that could make an immediate impact. Suddenly, the format was everywhere again. In the past couple of years, limited series have cooled somewhat as streamers have shifted renewed attention toward longer-running shows with multiple seasons, such as “The Pitt.” Even so, the category remains competitive enough that strong contenders can still be squeezed out. This year, “Death by Lightning” was one of the most painful casualties.

The four-part drama offered a compelling account of James A. Garfield’s (Michael Shannon) unlikely rise to the U.S. presidency alongside the disturbing ambitions of Charles J. Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen), the man who would assassinate him. Mike Makowsky’s sharp writing gave unexpected tension to scenes such as the voting at the Republican National Convention, turning political procedure into engrossing drama. The performances were equally strong, with Shannon delivering one of his most humane and affecting screen portrayals as Garfield. Despite all that, “Death by Lightning” failed to secure a deserved nomination for outstanding limited or anthology series.

Perhaps the program’s November 2025 airdate ensured it was out of people’s minds by the time summer 2026 Emmy voting rolled around. Whatever led to its exclusion, “Death by Lightning” getting snubbed is another insult to James A. Garfield.

Typically, a movie heading to a streaming platform indicates that it must be of inferior quality, but the snappy time travel comedy “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” was fun enough to make one lament that it was dumped on Hulu. This high-concept feature involving gangsters, two Vince Vaughns, and James Marsden’s comic timing was a solid outing from writer-director BenDavid Grabinski. Given how lackluster many TV movies are, one could imagine “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” easily scoring an outstanding television movie Emmy nomination.

Unfortunately, the film — complete with witty dialogue referencing questionable things we ignored in “Gilmore Girls” – was not on the wavelength of Emmy voters. Even more bafflingly, it got knocked out of this category by two worse-reviewed Amazon streaming films. One was the John Cena/Idris Elba actioner “Heads of State,” while the other was “Jack Ryan: Ghost War.” It’s so bizarre fathoming how these two even got in, regardless of whether they beat out “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” for a nomination or not.

Perhaps this outcome reinforces that “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” was always an odd fit for a TV movie. Perhaps the extension of pre-existing TV shows like “Shadow War” struck Emmy voters as natural TV movies. Meanwhile, this movie may have seemed so much like a theatrical release that it didn’t even cross the minds of Emmy voters for this category. 

Some of the best cartoons of all time have effortlessly scored Emmy nominations in the outstanding animated program category, including “The Simpsons,” “BoJack Horseman,” and “Scavengers Reign,” as well as some less-than-stellar productions like “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.” This year’s eclectic nominees for outstanding animated program were certainly a fascinating collection, with everything from surprise nominee “Smiling Friends” to “Star Wars: Visions” representing various genres and animation styles. The category has come a long way from the days of acclaimed “Simpsons” episodes sharing space with “Garfield” TV specials and programs based on the California Raisins.

Unfortunately, one major, acclaimed 2025 animated program got left out in the cold. Despite series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s prior show, “BoJack Horseman,” getting nominated twice in this category, “Long Story Short” was snubbed for an outstanding animated program nod. This is despite the show garnering praise for its wit and audacious storytelling, including touching a subject no other cartoon (except “South Park”) dared to. Unfortunately, all the 2026 Emmy nominees for outstanding animated program were shows with multiple seasons under their respective belts. 

A newcomer like “Long Story Short,” despite getting some of Netflix’s best reviews for 2025 (for animated or live-action programming), couldn’t hope to compete with these heavyweights. Hopefully subsequent “Long Story Short” seasons will land some Emmy nods and maybe even the win that eluded “BoJack Horseman” in this category.

“Wonder Man” was not only Marvel’s least traditional show, but featured a beautiful bromance anchored by great performances from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley. Reprising his Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Trevor Slattery, first established in “Iron Man 3,” Kingsley wasn’t just funny (though his killer line deliveries cannot be under-praised) but also provided engaging moments of warmth and tremendously compelling chemistry with Abdul-Mateen II. The latter actually scored a welcome and richly deserved Emmy nomination for his “Wonder Man” performance in the outstanding lead actor in a comedy series category.

Unfortunately, Kingsley got no such Emmy nomination in the outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series category. What’s bizarre about this development is that (in addition to other awards feats like winning an Oscar) Kingsley’s already been nominated for four prior Emmy awards. This ceremony is clearly both aware of him and open to acknowledging his work. As late as 2016, Kingsley’s TV work was being recognized at ceremonies like the Screen Actors Guild Awards (for the miniseries “Tut”). 

His outstanding “Wonder Man” performance not getting similar recognition at the Emmys is dumbfounding. Perhaps the competition  in the outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series category was just too stiff this year. Whatever the reason, Kingsley’s incredible presence in “Wonder Man” was more than worthy of some Emmy consideration.