[Image Credit: Paul Drinkwater / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal / Getty Images] Nominations for the 2026 Emmys will be arriving soon, and the comedy series Shrinking on Apple TV+ is predicted to claim as many nominations as the acclaimed drama hit The Pitt. Created by Bill Lawrence, Shrinking stars follows therapist Jimmy Laird, played by Jason Segel, as he tells his patients what he actually thinks about them while dealing with the death of his wife. At last year’s Emmys, the show received a fair amount of recognition, getting nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and other acting categories, but it was unable to score a win.
But for the 2026 Emmys, the strength of the show’s third season is expected to make it a far more serious contender, and it could finally take home a golden statuette this time. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards airs on September 14 on NBC and Peacock. Shrinking and The Pitt are predicted to earn 12 Emmy nominations in 2026 Both Shrinking and The Pitt are expected to earn a dozen nominations at the 2026 Emmys, according to early predictions from Variety.
For clarity, the site combines the major categories at the Primetime Emmys with some of the other categories from the Creative Arts Emmys, like Outstanding Casting and Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress for both drama and comedy. Given that The Pitt took home the award for Best Drama Series last year, it comes in with far higher expectations than Shrinking does. Still, both shows are predicted to earn a lot of nominations, especially when it comes to the acting categories.
One reason Shrinking has been able to come to the forefront at the 2026 Emmys is due to absence of The Studio, which swept many of the awards in the comedy categories last year. Shrinking’s predicted nominations at 2026 Emmys Outstanding Comedy Series Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Jason Segel (as Jimmy Laird) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Harrison Ford (as Dr. Paul Rhoades) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Michael Urie (as Brian Lorenzo) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Jessica Williams (as Gaby Evans) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Jeff Daniels (as Randy Laird) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Brett Goldenstein (as Louis Winston) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Michael J.
Fox (as Gerry) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Candice Bergen (as Constance) Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series – Randall Kennan Winston for “And That’s Our Time” Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series – Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, Neil Goldman for “And That’s Our Time” Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series – Debby Romano and Brett Benner Overall, Shrinking is predicted to win a total of five Emmys: three for actors Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Michael J. Fox, and another two for Outstanding Writing (Comedy) and Outstanding Casting (Comedy). However, Hacks could have the edge over Shrinking for Outstanding Comedy Series.
The Pitt’s predicted nominations at 2026 Emmys Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Noah Wyle (as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Patrick Ball (as Dr. Frank Langdon) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Taylor Dearden (as Dr.
Melissa “Mel” King) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Katherine LaNasa (as Dana Evans) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Sepideh Moafi (as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Shawn Hatosy (as Dr. Jack Abbot) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series – Tal Anderson (as Becca King) Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – Amanda Marsalis for “10:00 A.M.” Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – John Wells for “9:00 PM” Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – R.
Scott Gemmill for “9:00 P.M.” Outstanding Casting for Comedy Series – Cathy Sandrich Gelfond and Erica Berger Meanwhile, The Pitt is predicted to repeat as the winner for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Casting (Drama). Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, and Katherine LaNasa are projected to make it two in a row in their acting categories too.