Sydney Sweeney, 'Stranger Things' among biggest shocks as 2026 Emmy snubs and surprises unveiled

The 2026 Emmy nominations featured plenty of expected contenders, but the Television Academy also delivered several major surprises, with Sydney Sweeney, Stranger Things and Jeremy Allen White among the biggest names to miss out on key nominations. Meanwhile, newcomers such as Widow's Bay and reality favourite Dancing With the Stars exceeded expectations.

One of the morning's biggest talking points was the absence of Sydney Sweeney, who failed to secure a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nomination for the final season of Euphoria. Despite receiving strong reviews for her performance as Cassie Howard, Sweeney was left off the ballot, while co-star Zendaya earned another Lead Actress nomination.

Netflix's blockbuster Stranger Things also suffered a disappointing morning. Although its fifth and final season had been widely expected to feature prominently, the sci-fi hit was shut out of all major categories, including Outstanding Drama Series, marking a dramatic change for a show that had previously been one of the Emmys' biggest success stories.

Another surprise came in the comedy acting race, where Jeremy Allen White missed out on a Lead Actor nomination for the final season of The Bear. White had won the category in previous years, making his omission one of the ceremony's biggest shocks. Co-star Ayo Edebiri, however, remained in contention with another acting nomination.

Among the morning's pleasant surprises was Widow's Bay, which emerged as one of the year's breakout successes with 19 nominations, far exceeding many industry predictions. Apple TV+ also enjoyed a standout year thanks to Pluribus, cementing the streamer's strongest Emmy showing to date.

Reality television also produced an unexpected result, with Dancing With the Stars returning to the Outstanding Reality Competition Programme category for the first time in a decade. The comeback pushed long-time Emmy favourite The Amazing Race out of the category for the first time while eligible.

Elsewhere, several high-profile performances were overlooked, including Kathy Bates for Matlock, Jon Hamm for Your Friends & Neighbors and Michelle Pfeiffer's drama The Madison, while newcomers such as Chase Infiniti and Connor Storrie earned breakthrough nominations that few had predicted.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Mariska Hargitay serving as host. While The Pitt and Hacks dominated the nominations, this year's snubs and surprises have already sparked widespread debate among fans and awards experts alike.