Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in “Hacks”
HBO Max
Outstanding Comedy Series (Updated: April 2, 2026): The laughs from this year’s comedy contenders could return in a significant way.
HBO Max will steer the fifth and final season of “Hacks,” which has never entered an Emmy season as the de facto frontrunner, typically feeling like the underdog for a show that won outstanding comedy series for its third season. The platform will also juggle the return of the Lisa Kudrow vehicle “The Comeback.”
Broadcast shows could make an appearance in various ways. The latest season of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” continues to prove the mockumentary format is firing on all cylinders. At the same time, NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” another mockumentary from the creators of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is shaping up to be the little engine that could.
Streamers are expected to dominate the conversation this year.
Netflix will harness the momentum of the sophomore season of “Nobody Wants This,” along with the newest series from “Schitt’s Creek” star and creator Dan Levy, the dark comedy “Big Mistakes,” in which he stars opposite Laurie Metcalf.
With last year’s winner “The Studio” not returning this cycle, Apple TV will spotlight the freshman series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” from Emmy mainstay David E. Kelley, featuring an all-star ensemble including Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer. It also has the third season of “Shrinking,” which should yield multiple acting contenders.
Prime Video leans into the superhero genre with a potentially populist entry for TV Academy voters. “Spider-Noir,” the live-action series starring Nicolas Cage, is likely to generate significant chatter. The platform also offers the latest iteration of “Jury Duty,” subtitled “Company Retreat.”
There is still more to come as the race begins to take shape.
The Emmy Awards timeline begins with nomination-round voting from June 11-22, with nominations announced on July 8. The final voting runs from Aug. 17-26, leading into the Creative Arts Awards and Governors Gala on Sept. 5–6, culminating with the Emmy Awards ceremony on Sept. 14 on NBC.
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