Emmys Cuts Number Of Televised Categories For 2026 Ceremony

Viewers who tune in to watch the Emmys in September on NBC will see significantly fewer awards handed out. The Television Academy has voted to move five categories from the Primetime Emmys telecast, which takes place on September 14, to the Creative Arts Emmys, which take place on September 5 and 6 The categories are: Writing for a Variety Series, Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Directing for a Limited Series or Movie, and Writing for a Limited Series or Movie. It’s a move that is likely to infuriate the guilds including the WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA. The nominees for Writing for a Variety Series are Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Watch on Deadline Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie is DTF St. Louis’ Linda Cardellini, All Her Fault’s Dakota Fanning, Monster’s Laurie Metcalf, DTF St. Louis’ Joy Sunday, Beef’s Youn Yuh-jung and Love Story’s Constance Zimmer. Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie is DTF St. Louis’ Jason Bateman, Richard Jenkins and David Harbour, Half Man’s Richard Gadd, Beef’s Charles Melton and Death By Lightning’s Nick Offerman. Writing for a Limited Series or Movie is All Her Fault’s Megan Gallagher, The Beast In Me’s Gabe Rotter and Daniel Pearle, Beef’s Lee Sung Jin, Death By Lightning’s Mike Makowsky and DTF St. Louis’ Steven Conrad. Directing for a Limited Series or Movie is Beef’s Jake Schreier and Lee Sung Jin, Black Rabbit’s Jason Bateman and DTF St. Louis’ Steven Conrad. “The Television Academy is committed to delivering a fresh new take on the Emmys broadcast, with a focus on entertainment that celebrates television shows, artists and moments audiences love while honoring excellent work from the past year. Given the extraordinary breadth of work recognized each year and the limited time available within a three-hour broadcast, a select number of categories will be moving to the Emmy ceremonies taking place the week prior to the telecast. This thoughtful evolution ensures this year’s NBC ceremony and future broadcasts remain deeply engaging and tailored to the television audience,” the Academy noted. The Television Academy has set the roster of 2026 Emmy categories that will be awarded over all three nights. 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards CategoriesSaturday, September 5, 2026*Listed in alphabetical order 1. OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM2. OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING3. OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM4. OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM5. OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL6. OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAMMING7. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM8. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM9. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES10. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL11. OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES12. OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL13. OUTSTANDING EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM14. EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING15. OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW16. OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM17. OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A GAME SHOW18. OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM19. OUTSTANDING HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL20. OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAMMING21. OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SERIES22. OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SPECIAL23. OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM24. OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)25. OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION26. OUTSTANDING NARRATOR27. OUTSTANDING PERFORMER IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES28. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM29. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM30. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM31. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING32. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING (SEGMENT)33. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL34. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES35. OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM COMEDY, DRAMA OR VARIETY SERIES36. OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES37. OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM38. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM39. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM40. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL41. OUTSTANDING STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM42. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SERIES43. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SPECIAL44. OUTSTANDING UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM45. OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)46. OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)47. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM48. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES49. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL Sunday, September 6, 2026 1. OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM2. OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES3. OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES4. OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE5. OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE6. OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING7. OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE8. OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (HALF-HOUR)9. OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (ONE HOUR)10. OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A SERIES11. OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE12. OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING13. OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)|14. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE15. OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES16. OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES17. OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES18. OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES19. OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES20. OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION21. OUTSTANDING MOTION DESIGN22. OUTSTANDING MOVIE23. OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)24. OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)25. OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION26. OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC27. OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS28. OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI HAIRSTYLING29. OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)30. OUTSTANDING PERIOD COSTUMES31. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES32. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES33. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES34. OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE35. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)36. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PERIOD OR FANTASY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)37. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)38. OUTSTANDING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP39. OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION40. OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)41. OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL42. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION43. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)44. OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE45. OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SEASON OR A MOVIE46. OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SINGLE EPISODE47. OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR COMEDY PROGRAMMING48. OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR DRAMA PROGRAMMING49. OUTSTANDING STUNT PERFORMANCE50. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE51. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE52. OUTSTANDING TITLE DESIGN 53. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE Monday, September 14, 2026 1. OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES2. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES3. OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES4. OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES5. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES6. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES7. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE8. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES9. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES10. OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE11. OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES12. OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM13. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES14. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES15. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES16. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES17. OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES18. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES19. OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES