The 2026 Primetime Emmys are doing something no one has seen before. The Television Academy folded together its scripted variety series and talk series categories into one best variety series award, then made it an“area award.”Translation: the nominees aren’t competing against each other anymore. Each show is judged on its own, and any nominee earning at least 90%“yes”votes from Academy voters takes home an Emmy. That means The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live could all be winners Monday night.
The human story here is Jimmy Kimmel. His show has been nominated fifteen straight years and has never won the series Emmy. Four of this year’s five nominees have already held that trophy at least once, which leaves Kimmel as the last one standing without it. If every show clears the 90% bar, that streak ends with a crowd full of trophies instead of a single winner.
The rule change is a big shift for late-night and sketch comedy fans, since the Emmys haven’t really had a race quite like it before. Some folks will love seeing five shows honored. Others will say a race without losers isn’t much of a race. Either way, the ceremony airs Monday, Sept. 14, and it’s worth setting the DVR.
Which show are you pulling for Monday night — and do you like the idea of a race where nobody goes home empty-handed?
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
