Talking About Television – the 78th Annual Emmy Awards Sept. 14 on NBC

Talking About Television – the 78th Annual Emmy Awards Sept. 14 on NBC

By Lynn Venhaus
Will it be “The Pitt” or “Pluribus”? “DTF St. Louis” or “Beef”? “Hacks or Widow’s Bay”? The 78th Annual Emmy Awards are on Monday on NBC starting at 7 p.m.

Mariska Hargitay will be the host. Expert a tribute to Dolly Parton. Nineteen awards will be presented. The night could have surprises, so it’s never easy to predict.

Among the records that could be broken, Jean Smart (“Hacks”) or Alison Janney (“The Diplomat”) could tie the all-time record for the most Emmys won by a performer (8 wins), which is jointly held by Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Smart could also set a record by winning the Lead Actress In A Comedy Series for every season of her show – first perfect 5-for-5 ever.

Zendaya (“Euphoria”) could set a record as the youngest actress, and the first Black actress, to win three Emmys in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series category.

“The Pitt” has 25 nominations, and has already won 4 – including Ernest Harden Jr., who was wonderful as frequent patient Louie Cloverfield, as Guest Actor in a Drama.

“Paradise” star Shailene Woodley won for guest actress in a drama series. Her storyline was terrific. “Paradise” is up for 7, including St. Louis’ own Sterling K. Brown.

In the previous Emmy ceremonies last weekend, previously known as the Creative Awards Emmys, “Widow’s Bay,” Apple TV’s freshman show, won 8 – including Betty Gilpin in the origin story as Guest Actress in a Comedy. The show also picked up casting for a comedy series, music supervision, cinematography for a series (half hour), sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (half hour) and animation, sound editing for a comedy or drama series (half hour) and animation, music composition for a series (original dramatic score) and production design for a narrative program (half hour). Whew!

What about Kate O’Flynn supporting actress?
What a great cast. If Stephen Root wins – or his competition Harrison Ford for “Shrinking” – they will break Henry Winkler’s record for oldest winner in supporting actor in comedy – Ford is 84 and Root is 74, and Winkler was 72 in 2018 (for his wonderful portrayal of the acting teacher on “Barry.”)

“Widow’s Bay” could break the record for the most wins by a comedy series in a single year at the Emmys as well as the record for the most wins by a comedy series for its first season — the current record is held by “The Studio” (with 13 wins in 2025).

Hiro Murai (“Widow’s Bay”) could become the first Asian director to win in the Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series category.

Other big hauls for Apple included “Pluribus” with four wins.

In the limited series category, “DTF St. Louis” has won six already – for directing, writing and supporting performances by David Harbour and Linda Cardellini as the Smerniches.

Wonder if they will mention the most emotional moment of the evening last week when the late Rob Reiner won the comedy guest actor Emmy, posthumously, for his role on “The Bear”?

“The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny” won 7, including a win for the singer, outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming, outstanding production design for a variety special Bruce Rodgers), outstanding music direction and outstanding variety special (live).

It may be a big night for Stephen Colbert. His “Late Show” has already won 5 – for writing and for the finale.

As expected, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” for hair, makeup and costumes. Will Michelle Pfeiffer win as Elle Fanning’s mom? She was not nominated for “The Madison” (I thought she would.)

Host Hargitay’s moving documentary about her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, “My Mom Jayne,” won two – for outstanding documentary and direction.

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel won Best Game Show Host for , who won for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”). “

Sabrina Carpenter is now halfway to EGOT winning an Emmy in the outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) for “The Muppet Show.” Carpenter is created as an executive producer and performer for the series. Seth Rogen also took home his fifth Emmy award for his work as an executive producer.

Again, “The Traitors” dominated in the reality category. Alan Cumming won his fifth Emmy for outstanding host for a reality or reality competition program. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer won for outstanding narration for the docuseries “Lost Women of Alaska” (HBO Max). And Netflix’s “Love on a Spectrum” took home three Emmys.

Julie Andrews won her fourth Emmy, landing the award in the character voice-over performance category. This was her second win in the category. The first time around, Andrews made history as the oldest woman ever to win at age 89, and now she’s 90.

Comedy Central’s “South Park” won the animated program Emmy for the first time since 2013, thanks to its episode “Sermon On The ‘Mount.”

Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir” took home five Emmys just days after learning that the show had been canceled and wouldn’t return for a second season. Despite that unfortunate news, the series won for stunt performance, sound editing for a comedy or drama series (one hour), title design, special visual effects in a single episode and cinematography for a series (one hour).

More possible records:
Julianne Nicholson (“Paradise”) could become only the third actress to ever win acting Emmys in drama, comedy & limited series/TV movie categories, joining Merrit Wever and Cloris Leachman.

RuPaul could extend his record as the Black artist with the most Emmys won — he has won 14 Emmys and he is nominated for one more award in 2026 as a producer of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in the Outstanding Reality Competition Program category.

Sally Field (“Remarkably Bright Creatures”) could become the oldest winner in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Anthology Series Or TV Movie category. The record is currently held by Jessica Tandy, who was 79 years, 2 months old when she won in 1988 for “Foxfire”; Field will be 79 years, 10 months old at the time of the 2026 Emmys ceremony.

Here are the categories tonight:
1. Outstanding Comedy Series
2. Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
3. Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
4. Outstanding Drama Series
5. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
6. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
7. Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
8. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
9. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
10. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie
11. Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series
12. Outstanding Reality Competition Program
13. Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
14. Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
15. Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
16. Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
17. Outstanding Variety Series
18. Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
19. Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

And if you ponder to the Emmys drive audiences for viewership of nominated shows? Yes, yes, it does.

According to a Roku study, after last year’s Emmys, search for the 2025 winners in comedy, drama and limited series bumped up 330% in the week after the ceremony.

“The way people discover television has changed dramatically, but award recognition continues to have a meaningful influence on what viewers seek out,” said Roku head of analytics and insights Jon Merkin, who shares his results in a blog post out today. “That impact extends far beyond the ceremony itself. A nomination or win – dubbed the ‘Emmy Effect’ – can give a show an entirely new moment, helping viewers discover great television they may have otherwise missed when it premiered.”

This year, the 2026 Emmy noms triggered a 56% increase in search volume for limited/anthology titles (naturally, the biggest increase since those are all new programs), a 23% search bump for drama nominees and 19% jump for comedies.

Among specific titles, Netflix’s “The Beast In Me” and Peacock’s “All Her Fault” saw search increase by 76%. That was followed by HBO Max’s “Hacks” (up 65%), Netflix’s “Beef” (up 54%) and Netflix’s “The Diplomat” (up 53%).

Wins can help even more: Roku reports that after their 2025 wins, Netflix’s “Adolescence” saw searches increase 14x, while Apple TV’s “The Studio” grew 5.7x and HBO Max’s “The Pitt” increased 2.8x. Roku looked especially at how “The Studio” received what it essentially deems a “second premiere event” after the win, as search for the show in the week after its win was 81% higher than what it was the week of its original premiere.

Also, Roku notes that search changed by region after the Emmy success of a show like “Adolescence,” which saw search grow in Midwestern and Southeastern states after it won limited/anthology series last year.

As for this year’s nominated series, for a full year’s Roku search volume between September 2025 and August 2026, ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” led in comedy, followed by Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” and FX’s “The Bear.”

In drama, HBO Max’s “The Pitt” led in searches, followed by Hulu’s “Paradise” and Apple TV’s “Pluribus.” And in limited/anthology, Peacock’s “All Her Fault” led, followed by FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” and then HBO Max’s “DTF St. Louis.”

“Awards season remains an important discovery moment because it gives viewers a decisive signal of quality as they navigate an enormous amount of great television,” Merkin said. “The ceremony may be one night, but its influence plays out in proactive discovery long after the awards are handed out.”

Zendaya To Be Honored with CCA SeeHer Award

Zendaya To Be Honored with CCA SeeHer Award

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced that award-winning actress and activist, and current Critics Choice Award nominee, Zendaya will receive the fifth annual SeeHer Award at the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. The honor will be presented by her “Malcolm & Marie” co-star John David Washington during the live ceremony on Sunday, March 7, 2021 from 7-10pm ET/PT hosted by Taye Diggs.  

The SeeHer Award recognizes a woman who embodies the values set forth by the SeeHer movement, to push boundaries, defy stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape. SeeHer is the leading global movement for accurate portrayals of women and girls in media. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer is a collective of leading marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and media content that portrays women and girls as they truly are. Previous award recipients are Kristen Bell, Viola Davis, Claire Foy, and Gal Gadot. 

“We are so proud to be a part of the Critics Choice Awards, and celebrating our fifth SeeHer Award,” said Nadine Karp McHugh, President, SeeHer. “We are delighted to be presenting the award to Zendaya, who is such a strong representation of what it means to be a woman in 2021. One of the busiest rising stars in Hollywood – with a generation of Disney Channel fans, Marvel devotees and ‘Euphoria’ evangelists – she is a role model and leading voice of her generation. From being the youngest actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series to using her platform to advocate for Black women in Hollywood, she is showing the next generation that you are never too young to use your voice to make a difference. Inspiring girls everywhere to see themselves in their full potential, Zendaya represents everything SeeHer is.”  

Emmy Award-winning actor Zendaya is one of the most prominent and influential names in the entertainment industry today. Born and raised in Oakland, California to two teachers, Zendaya grew up performing, having spent a lot of her time at the local theater where her mother worked. She is currently starring in Netflix’s “Malcolm & Marie,” now available to watch globally, for which she also serves as a producer. Her role as Marie earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Actress this year.  

Zendaya launched her career as an actress on the Disney Channel starring in the hit series “Shake It Up” for three seasons and Disney’s “K.C. Undercover” for three seasons, which she also helped produce. 

Zendaya moved to the big screen in 2017, when she played the role of MJ in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” followed by its sequel “Spider-Man: Far From Home” that premiered July 2019. She recently starred in the HBO and A24 hit series “Euphoria” for which she won the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. 

She can next be seen in Warner Bros. highly anticipated movie “Dune” which will be released in October 2021. 

Other film projects have included “The Greatest Showman” in which she played trapeze artist Anne Wheeler opposite Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman. The film was released in 2017 and instantly became a cult classic. In 2018 Zendaya played the voice of Meechee, a young yeti in the animated musical film “Smallfoot.” 

Zendaya is currently a beauty ambassador for Lancôme, as well as an ambassador for Bulgari and for Valentino. 

Critics Choice Awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, they are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations. 

The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The CCA is represented by Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig. The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards show will be an in-person/virtual hybrid, with Diggs and some of the evening’s presenters filming from a stage in Los Angeles, and nominees appearing remotely from various locations around the world. 

Follow the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoiceAwards. 

Digital assets and artwork can be found HERE. 

About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)  

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.  

About SeeHer 

Despite strides made in recent years to accurately portray women and girls in media, unconscious bias persists throughout advertising and entertainment. The average age, race, body type, and other aspects of women depicted in media today still represents only a small fraction of the female population. Led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer is a collective of marketers, media organizations and industry influencers committed to creating advertising and supporting content that portrays women and girls as they really are. It launched in June 2016 in partnership with The Female Quotient (The FQ) in Washington DC at the United State of Women. To help marketers benchmark success, the group developed Gender Equality Measure® (GEM®), the first research methodology that quantifies gender bias in ads and programming. GEM® shows that content portraying females accurately dramatically increases both purchase intent and brand reputation. In 2017 GEM® won the prestigious ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Award. The methodology quickly became the industry standard, which led to a global rollout in 2018. In 2019, the movement expanded into new verticals: sports (SeeHer In Sports) and music (SeeHer Hear Her). Visit SeeHer.com and follow @SeeHerOfficial on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

About The CW  

THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, launched in 2006. The CW is a multiplatform network that broadcasts a six-night 12-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday and streams its ad-supported content, free, without login or authentication on CWTV.com and The CW app which is available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital network, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers beloved limited-run series, as well as past seasons of recent fan-favorite television shows. For more information about the network and its programming, visit www.cwtvpr.com.