Emmys 2026 Comedy Race Tight Between Hacks and Widows Bay

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026, will feature a closely contested race for Outstanding Comedy Series between the final season of HBO Max's Hacks and the debut season of Apple TV's Widows Bay. The ceremony, to be hosted by Mariska Hargitay at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock. The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margos Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, and Widows Bay. Hacks leads with 24 Emmy nominations, the most for a comedy series this year, while Widows Bay has earned 19 nominations and has already won eight awards at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. Predictions from awards analysts indicate a tight competition between Hacks and Widows Bay. Hacks, which is concluding its run, has been a consistent nominee and won the Outstanding Comedy Series award once before. Its final season has been praised for its humor and commentary on industry issues, including artificial intelligence.