Emmy Nominations: TV Academy To Reveal Late-Night & Reality Categories Early, Again
News Source
β’Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:26:31 +0000
π° What Happened
The Television Academy will once again reveal Emmy nominations for late-night and reality categories early. The nominees for Outstanding Variety Series and Outstanding Reality Competition Program will be announced on NBC's Today show between 4:45am and 5:20am PT. The rest of the nominations will be revealed three hours later by actors Liza Colon-Zayas and Jeff Hiller.
Favourites for the merged Variety Series category include The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live. Reality category contenders include Top Chef, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and RuPaul's Drag Race.
π The Backstory
The Emmys are the biggest awards in television, similar to the Oscars for movies. The TV Academy has been experimenting with how it announces nominations to generate more buzz. Last year, CBS revealed the late-night and reality categories early on its morning show.
Late-night and reality shows are where broadcast TV still dominates. Streaming services have taken over most other categories. By announcing these categories early, the TV Academy gives broadcast networks a moment in the spotlight. The 2026 Emmys will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay on September 14th on NBC.
π― Why It Matters
The way the Emmys announce nominations shows how the TV industry is changing. Broadcast TV is losing ground to streaming, but late-night and reality are still its stronghold. The categories and timing reflect bigger shifts in what and how we watch.
The Television Academy will once again reveal Emmy nominations for late-night and reality categories early. The nominees for Outstanding Variety Series and Outstanding Reality Competition Program will be announced on NBC's Today show between 4:45am and 5:20am PT. The rest of the nominations will be revealed three hours later by actors Liza Colon-Zayas and Jeff Hiller.
Favourites for the merged Variety Series category include The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live. Reality category contenders include Top Chef, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and RuPaul's Drag Race.
The Emmys are the biggest awards in television, similar to the Oscars for movies. The TV Academy has been experimenting with how it announces nominations to generate more buzz. Last year, CBS revealed the late-night and reality categories early on its morning show.
Late-night and reality shows are where broadcast TV still dominates. Streaming services have taken over most other categories. By announcing these categories early, the TV Academy gives broadcast networks a moment in the spotlight. The 2026 Emmys will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay on September 14th on NBC.
The way the Emmys announce nominations shows how the TV industry is changing. Broadcast TV is losing ground to streaming, but late-night and reality are still its stronghold. The categories and timing reflect bigger shifts in what and how we watch.