^{Credits: The Pitt (HBO Max), Widow's Bay (Apple TV), South Park (Comedy Central), Pluribus (Apple TV), Ted (Peacock)}

Here at Cartoon Contender, we talk about animation, awards, and everything in between. I already gave my picks on what deserves to be nominated for Outstanding Animated Program. Now it's time for everything in between, ie the other major categories for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. These aren't what I think will be nominated, but rather, what I'd vote for if I had an Emmy ballot. As such, I'll be playing by Emmy rules, only considering performances and episodes that have been submitted. We'll find out if actual Emmy voters make the right choices when their nominations are announced on July 8, 2026. 

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Chair Company
Hacks 🏆
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Poker Face
Shrinking
Ted
Widow’s Bay

Outstanding Drama Series 
Fallout 
IT: Welcome to Derry 
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 
The Pitt 🏆
Pluribus 
Stranger Things
Task
The Testaments 

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series 
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef 
Death by Lightning 
Half Man 🏆

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell: Rooster 
Matthew Rhys: Widow’s Bay
Tim Robinson: The Chair Company 
Jason Segel: Shrinking 🏆
Martin Short: Only Murders in the Building

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Claffey: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Walton Goggins: Fallout 
Mark Ruffalo: Task
Antony Starr: The Boys 
Noah Wyler: The Pitt 🏆

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie 
Jamie Bell: Half Man 🏆
Oscar Isaac: Beef 
Matthew Macfadyen: Death by Lightning 
Matthew Rhys: The Beast in Me
Michael Shannon: Death by Lightning 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristen Bell: Nobody Wants This
Elle Fanning: Margo’s Got Money Troubles 🏆
Jenna Ortega: Wednesday 
Carrie Preston: Elsbeth 
Jean Smart: Hacks

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series 
Ella Bright: Off Campus
Michelle Pfeiffer: The Madison 
Ella Purnell: Fallout
Rhea Seehorn: Pluribus 🏆
Zendaya: Euphoria

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes: The Beast In Me
Sally Field: Remarkably Bright Creatures 
Carey Mulligan: Beef
Sarah Snook: All Her Fault 🏆
Robin Wright: The Girlfriend

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Paul W. Downs: Hacks
Harrison Ford: Shrinking 🏆
Scott Grimes: Ted
Ben Kingsley: Wonder Man
Ebon Moss-Bachrach: The Bear 
Nick Offerman: Margo’s Got Money Troubles 
Michael Urie: Shrinking

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Dexter Sol Ansell: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 
Patrick Ball: The Pitt
Vincent D’Onofrio: Daredevil: Born Again
Shawn Hatosy: The Pitt
Tom Pelphrey: Task 🏆
Carlos-Manuel Vesga: Pluribus

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman: DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd: Half-Man 🏆
David Harbour: DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton: Beef
Nick Offerman: Death by Lightning
Lox Pratt: Lord of the Flies 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Charly Clive: Rooster 
Hannah Einbinder: Hacks
Kate O'Flynn: Widow’s Bay 🏆
Michelle Pfeiffer: Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter: Hacks 
Alanna Ubach: Ted 
Jessica Williams: Shrinking

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Isa Briones: The Pitt
Taylor Dearden: The Pitt
Lucy Halliday: The Testaments
Katherine LaNasa: The Pitt 🏆
Emilia Jones: Task 
Greta Lee: The Morning Show
Karolina Wydra: Pluribus 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Linda Cardellini: DTF St. Louis
Abby Elliott: All Her Fault
Dakota Fanning: All Her Fault
Grace Gummer: Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette 🏆
Brittany Snow: The Beast in Me
Cailee Spaeny: Beef

Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series
Dexter: Resurrection: "And Justice For All…"
IT: Welcome to Derry: "The Black Spot"
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: "In the Name of the Mother"
The Pitt: "5:00 PM"
Pluribus: "We Is Us" 🏆 
Stranger Things: "Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up"
Task: "Crossings"

Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series 
The Bear: "Bears" 
Hacks: "Hacks" 
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: "Flamingos"
Spider-Noir: "Step Into My Office"
Shrinking: "And That’s Our Time"
Ted: "Dungeons & Dealers" 🏆 
Widow's Bay: Welcome To Widow's Bay!

Outstanding Directing For a Limited Or Anthology Series or Movie
All Her Fault: "Episode 1"
The Beast in Me: "Sick Puppy"
Death by Lightning 🏆 
Half Man: "Episode 2"
Lord of the Flies

Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series 
The Chair Company: "Life Goes By Too F**king Fast, It Really Does."
Hacks: "Hacks"
King of the Hill: "Return of the King" 
Long Story Short: "Uncle Barry" 
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: "Lock and Loaded"
South Park: "Sermon on the ‘Mount" 🏆 
Ted: "The Sword in the Stoned"

Outstanding Writing For a Drama Series
The Gilded Age: "My Mind Is Made Up"
Invincible: "Don’t Leave Me Hanging Here"
The Pitt: "12:00 P.M."
The Pitt: "1:00 P.M." 🏆 
Pluribus: "Got Milk"
Pluribus: "We Is Us"
Task: "A Still Small Voice"

Outstanding Writing For a Limited Or Anthology Series or Movie
All Her Fault: "Episode 8"
The Beast in Me: "Sick Puppy"
Beef: "All the Things We're Never Going to Have"
Death by Lightning 
Half Man 🏆 

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell: The Four Seasons
Jeff Daniels: Shrinking 
Michael J. Fox: Shrinking
Brett Goldstein: Shriking
Christopher McDonald: Hacks
John C. McGinley: Scrubs 🏆

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Will Arnett: The Madison
Eric Dane: Euphoria
Colman Domingo: Euphoria
Ernest Harden Jr.: The Pitt
Jeff Kober: The Pitt
Samba Schutte: Pluribus 🏆

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Jamie Lee Curtis: The Bear
Cherry Jones: Hacks
Betty Gilpin: Widow’s Bay
Kaitlin Olson: Hacks 🏆
Colbie Smulders: Shrinking
Lauren Weedman: Hacks

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Brittany Allen: The Pitt 
Tal Anderson: The Pitt
Tina Ivlev: The Pitt
Elisabeth Moss: The Testaments
Miriam Shor: Pluribus
Sharlene Woodley: Paradise 🏆

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Pamela Adlon: King of the Hill
Erika Henningsen: Hazbin Hotel 
Abbi Jacobson: Long Story Short
Seth MacFarlane: Ted
Sandra Oh: Invincible 🏆
J.K. Simmons: Invincible

Outstanding Animated Program 
Genndy Tartatovsky’s Primal: "Feast of Flesh"
King of the Hill: "Kahn-scious Uncoupling" 
Long Story Short: "Shira Can’t Cook" 
Smiling Friends: "Le Voyage Incroyable De Monsieur Grenouille"
South Park: "Sermon on the ‘Mount" 🏆

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!