Emmy Snubs and Surprises: ‘Stranger Things’ Shut Out of Major Races, Sydney Sweeney Misses and ‘Widow’s Bay’ Shocks With 19 Nods

It’s the morning of the 2026 Emmy nominations, and there were plenty of surprises early on. From unscripted triumphs to hard-campaigning celebs that didn’t make the cut, it’s already a heated race well ahead of the Sept. 14 ceremony. Read below for some of the biggest snubs and surprises of the morning. And remember: Some favorites, including the Canadian series “Heated Rivalry” and too new fare like “Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat” and “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” aren’t eligible.

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Surprise: “Widow’s Bay” makes noise, despite a late start and horror trappings.

The show’s late-April launch and relatively slow burn didn’t impact its ability to land 19 nods. Not bad for a show that wears its love of the horror genre on its sleeve.

Snub: Paul Anthony Kelly for his soulful lead in “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.”

The rising star apparently didn’t impact voters enough with his doppelgänger performance of the tragic American royal.

Surprise: “Stranger Things” final season left out of Best Drama and acting categories.

Though it received plenty of love in below-the-line fields, the grown-up kid actors who carried the show were left cold.

Snub: Beyond Zendaya and Colman Domingo, the starry “Euphoria” cast was left behind.

It seems that the third and long-delayed final season of “Euphoria” didn’t make much of an impact on voters, as the once-celebrated drug-addled soap scored nods for Zendaya and Domingo, but not many of the other big stars, like the previously nominated Sydney Sweeney.

Snub: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” completely left out of acting nominations.

The well-loved “Game of Thrones” prequel received nine nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, but none for the players.

Surprise: “Dancing with the Stars” outfoxed “The Amazing Race.”

For the first time in 10 years, “Stars” campaigned hard and landed a slot in Reality Competition Program. This came at the expense of perennial competitor “Race” in the surprisingly consistent category.

Snub: “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” couldn’t match the nods of its first season.

The buzzy hidden-camera reality show lost some of its luster from its first iterations, when it received three nominations — this time dipping to just one for writing.

Snub: Selena Gomez misses acting kudos for “Only Murders in the Building.”

Although she once again received a nod as executive producer on the series, she was overlooked for her starring role.

Snub: Taylor Sheridan once again left in the cold as Paramount+ only gets one nomination.

A stunt nod for “Tulsa King” is all the streamer received, surprising especially given Michelle Pfeiffer’s buzzy role in “The Madison” and a breakout second season of “Landman.”

Snub: The celebrated cast of “The Bear” was (mostly) ignored.

Outside of Ayo Edebiri and a couple of guest star nods, none of the main cast — including Jeremy Allen White — got kudos.

Snub: Ashley Padilla’s breakout year on “Saturday Night Live” was not given any love.

Considering she routinely held episodes of the show on her back this past season, this omission is flabbergasting for regular viewers.

Surprise: “Your Friends & Neighbors” lands a coveted Best Drama Series nod and … nothing else.

It’s a bit wild that it didn’t sneak in any acting or below-the-line nods!

Surprise: Ariana Madix nominated for “Love Island” host.

As the show grows more popular, the former “Vanderpump Rules” star gets even better.

Snub: Dropout couldn’t drop into nominations.

The spunky comedy streaming service couldn’t hit the mainstream enough to attract voters, despite some very funny programming.

Snub: Jamie Bell missed for “Half Man.”

The well-reviewed drama seemed to be a sure nod for Bell, but only his co-star and show creator Richard Gadd got a supporting acting nod.

Surprise: “Summer House” lands Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program nod.

Bravo should send Champagne to Amanda Batula and West Wilson, as the scandalous hookup surely secured voters.

See all of the Emmy nominations here.