‘Heated Rivarly’ And ‘Industry’ Lead This Year’s TCA Awards Nominations
by Erik Amaya
With a record number of its members participating in the open nomination round, the Television Critics Association announced its final list of nominees for its 2026 awards on Friday. And although light on the sort of genre shows we highlight at Comicon, it is a good sampling of the types of television available across broadcast and streaming services. Leading the pack is the hockey drama sensation Heated Rivalry with five nominations across various categories. Tying with it is Apple’s movie lot comedy Industry.
A number of previously-nominated shows and people return to the 2026 ballot with The Pitt, its star, Noah Wyle, and Hacks lead Jean Smart all getting nods again, as did Abbot Elementary.
On the genre front, Alien: Earth is recognized in the New Program category alongside A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is also up for a chance at Outstanding Achievement in Drama. Additionally, Drops of God — based on the manga series, but brought down to grounded reality in its TV adaptation — sees recognition in the new International Series category. And, of course, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord has a chance to be crowned for Outstanding Achievement in Animation.
Voting beings Monday with the final winners announced later this summer. Take a look at the full list below — there maybe something new to watch among this year’s class.
Program of the Year
The Comeback — HBO Max
Hacks — HBO Max
Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max
Industry — HBO Max
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — CBS
The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)
Pluribus — Apple TV
Shrinking — Apple TV
Widow’s Bay — Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
Abbott Elementary — ABC (2022 Winner)
The Comeback — HBO Max
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — NBC
Hacks — HBO Max (2024 Winner)
The Lowdown — FX
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV
Shrinking — Apple TV
Widow’s Bay — Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Drama
The Gilded Age — HBO Max
Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max
Industry — HBO Max
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — HBO Max
Paradise — Hulu
The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)
Pluribus — Apple TV
Task — HBO Max
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials
All Her Fault — Peacock
The Beast in Me — Netflix
Beef — Netflix (2023 Winner)
Death by Lightning — Netflix
DTF St. Louis — HBO Max
Half Man — HBO Max
Lord of the Flies — Netflix
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — FX
Outstanding New Program
Alien: Earth — FX
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — NBC
Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — HBO Max
The Lowdown — FX
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV
Pluribus — Apple TV
Widow’s Bay — Apple TV
Individual Achievement in Drama
Marisa Abela, Industry — HBO Max
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise — Hulu
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis — HBO Max
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt — HBO Max
Ken Leung, Industry — HBO Max
Myha’la, Industry — HBO Max
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus — Apple TV
Connor Storrie, Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max
Hudson Williams, Heated Rivalry — Crave/HBO Max
Noah Wyle, The Pitt — HBO Max (2025 Winner)
Individual Achievement in Comedy
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks — HBO Max
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Apple TV
Harrison Ford, Shrinking — Apple TV
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback — HBO Max
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay — Apple TV
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay — Apple TV
Jean Smart, Hacks — HBO Max (2021, 2024 Winner)
Tim Robinson, The Chair Company — HBO Max
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
60 Minutes — CBS (2012 Winner)
The American Revolution — PBS
CBS This Morning — CBS
Disneyland Handcrafted — Disney+
Frontline — PBS (Eight-time Winner in Category)
Have I Got News For You — CNN
Marty, Life Is Short — Netflix
Mr. Scorsese — Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch
The Daily Show — Comedy Central
Jimmy Kimmel Live! — ABC
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — HBO Max (2018, 2019, 2021 Winner)
Late Night with Seth Meyers — NBC
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — CBS
The Muppet Show: Sabrina Carpenter — Disney+
Saturday Night Live — NBC
Outstanding Achievement in Reality
Couples Therapy — Showtime/Paramount+ (2021 Winner)
Finding Mr. Christmas — Hallmark
The Great British Baking Show — Netflix
Love on the Spectrum — Netflix
RuPaul’s Drag Race — MTV (2014 Winner)
Survivor — CBS
Top Chef — Bravo
The Traitors — Peacock (2024, 2025 Winner)
Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming
Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation — Disney+
Electric Bloom — Disney+/Disney Channel
Percy Jackson and the Olympians — Disney+/Hulu
Phineas and Ferb — Disney+/Disney Channel
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 — Netflix
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire — Disney+/Disney Channel
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place — Disney+/Disney Channel
WondLa — Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming
Carl the Collector — PBS KIDS
The First Snow of Fraggle Rock — Apple TV
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ — Disney+/Disney Jr.
Phoebe & Jay — PBS KIDS
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical — Apple TV
Sofia the First: Royal Magic — Disney+/Disney Jr.
Weather Hunters — PBS KIDS
The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball — Hulu
Outstanding Achievement in Animation – New Category
Bob’s Burgers — Fox
Haunted Hotel — Netflix
Invincible — Prime Video
King of the Hill — Hulu
Long Story Short — Netflix
The Simpsons — Fox
South Park — Comedy Central
Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord — Disney+
Women Wearing Shoulder Pads — Adult Swim
Outstanding International Series – New Category
The Boyfriend — Netflix
Crime Scene Zero — Netflix
Drops of God — Apple TV
The House of the Spirits — Prime Video
Last Samurai Standing — Netflix
Squid Game — Netflix
