HBO Max has emerged as the leading platform in the race for the 78th Emmy® Awards, with Warner Bros. Discovery announcing 122 nominations across 21 original programs. The result confirms the continued strength of HBO and Max across drama, comedy, limited series, documentary, variety and key craft categories.
At the center of this year’s story are two very different titles: The Pitt, which has quickly become one of the season’s major drama contenders, and Hacks, which closes its run with a historic final-season awards performance.
The Pitt Becomes a Major Drama Contender
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, The Pitt received 26 Emmy® nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Created by R. Scott Gemmill and produced by John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television, the medical drama has become one of HBO Max’s most important current series, with the platform already renewing it for a third season ahead of its second-season debut.
The series also earned major recognition for Noah Wyle, who received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. Writing nominations went to Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman and R. Scott Gemmill, as well as Valerie Chu, showing strong support for the show both in front of and behind the camera.
The ensemble was also widely recognized, with nominations for Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy, Gerran Howell, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi. Guest acting nominations for Ernest Harden Jr., Jeff Kober, Brittany Allen, Tal Anderson and Tina Ivlev further underline the depth of the show’s cast.
Beyond performance, The Pitt was recognized in craft categories including production design, editing, makeup and sound mixing. For an industry audience, that matters: the show is not only being rewarded as a drama series, but also as a production built around pace, realism and a convincing hospital environment.
Hacks Ends With a Record-Breaking Emmy® Moment
Hacks gives HBO Max one of its strongest comedy stories of the year. Warner Bros. Discovery lists the series with 25 nominations, calling it the highest total ever for a comedy series in a single year. The Television Academy also confirms Hacks as the comedy leader of 2026 and recognizes its record-setting performance.
The final season context makes this recognition especially meaningful. After five seasons, Hacks leaves HBO Max as one of the platform’s defining original comedies, built around the sharp creative relationship between Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart, and Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder.
Jean Smart is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while Paul W. Downs, Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter received supporting acting nominations. The guest acting categories also delivered major recognition, with nominations for Christopher McDonald, Leslie Bibb, Cherry Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Kaitlin Olson and Lauren Weedman.
The series also earned nominations for writing, directing, casting, production design, cinematography, costumes, editing, hairstyling, music supervision and sound mixing. That broad recognition shows how Hacks evolved into more than a performance-led comedy. It became a complete industry success story, combining sharp writing, precise direction and a strong production identity.
A Strong Emmy® Statement for HBO Max
Together, The Pitt and Hacks give HBO Max a clear awards narrative. The Pitt represents the platform’s next major drama asset, while Hacks closes as one of its most acclaimed comedy achievements.
The broader HBO Max slate also includes recognition for DTF St. Louis, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Gilded Age, Euphoria, Task, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay.
In a crowded television landscape, HBO Max’s 122 nominations show that the platform remains a major force in premium storytelling. With one series building momentum and another ending at the height of its recognition, Warner Bros. Discovery enters this Emmy® season with one of the strongest industry stories of the year.
