Emmy Nominations 2026: Biggest Snubs and Surprises
Let Justice Be Done
Who got shafted and who got exactly the recognition they deserved from the Television Academy this year — from The Bear to Industry to SNL and more
Why ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ Deserves Its Drama Emmy Nom
When Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller announced Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors” was a nominee for outstanding drama series, my Variety colleagues’ jaws hit the floor (with some on the internet agreeing). However, I, a champion of the Jonathan Tropper series starring Jon Hamm since its debut, felt a level of gloating vindication that I haven’t felt in quite some time. As I sat preening like a peacock — having just selected “Your Friends & Neighbors” for my best TV of the year so far list — I decided it was best to address why the series is so exemplary.
Now, admittedly, I would categorize “Your Friends & Neighbors” as a dark comedy, so seeing it nominated alongside bonafide dramas like “The Pitt,” “The Gilded Age” and “Paradise” does make it feel a bit out of place. However, I would argue that the story itself and the characters, along with the actors who bring them to life, truly highlight the delusion of American exceptionalism while depicting the horrors of late-stage capitalism. As a result, the series has never been more timely.
“Your Friends & Neighbors” follows an entitled former hedge fund manager, Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm), whose world is upended when he’s fired from his prestigious firm at the beginning of Season 1. Blacklisted from the finance industry, Coop resorts to stealing luxury items from his affluent neighbors to keep himself and his family afloat.
Moreover, though Coop and those orbiting him are among the most toxic and unlikeable people depicted on television today, the series also manages to give them dimension without turning them into caricatures. Even in its second season, with the introduction of Coop’s new billionaire neighbor, Owen Ashe (a perfectly cast James Marsden), there is no attempt to empathize with Westmont Village’s newest and wealthiest resident. Despite his Cary Grant-like looks, there is a menacing edge to him that Coop and the audience can spot from the beginning. He is vicious, sinister and conniving, and his actions immediately showcase how he was able — through criminality and the exploitation of others — to amass such a fortune. After all, there are no innocent billionaires.
Particularly in its second season, “Your Friends & Neighbors” juxtaposes the wealth and affluence these people have with the misery so many of them experience, despite having every advantage. Still lifting watches and Hermès bags from the safes and closets of his community members, Coop becomes increasingly disillusioned with those around him, especially when his beloved father dies. Moreover, his ex-wife Mel (Amanda Peet), amid a terrible breakup and the never-ending symptoms of perimenopause, finds herself alienated from her teenage daughter, Tori (Isabel Gravitt), who can barely stomach being in her mother’s presence. The series has a knack for honing in on how the most devastating aspects of humanity will reach us all, no matter how much money we have in our bank accounts.
Season 2 also does an excellent job of addressing how little regard the 1% has for ordinary, everyday people. Coop has perfected his burglarizing scheme thanks to trusted house cleaner Elaina (Aimee Carrero), who provides him with the intel he needs to enter homes undetected. Yet he has no qualms about inconveniencing her and leaving her cash-strapped in the most dire situations. She is, after all, a means to an end for him instead of a person with her own hopes and money problems. So, while my colleagues and some aggravated people on social media may have hoped for nods for “Euphoria” or “Stranger Things,” it’s always been clear to me that Trooper and Hamm have something distinct on their hands. Yes, it often appears as satire, but the show also says the quiet part out loud about the state of our unsustainable, consumerist society.
The “Your Friends & Neighbors” drama nomination — its only one — is just one of Apple TV’s 87 noms at this year’s Emmys. In showcasing the erroneous illusion of the American Dream as it continues to fester and crumble for everyone across socioeconomic backgrounds, the series has never been more deserving of its place. More than that, it proves that I’ve been right all along.
Justin Bieber Will Perform at the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show
World Cup 2026
The singer joins Madonna, Shakira, and BTS as co-headliners at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19
Justin Bieber has been added to the star-studded lineup of performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final game, for its first-ever halftime show. It takes place at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.
Netflix’s Mexican Drama ‘I’m Not Afraid’ Is a Gut-Wrenching Mystery and Exhilarating Coming-of-Age Tale: TV Review
Netflix’s latest Spanish-language mini-series, “I’m Not Afraid,” is a harrowing tale about the cruelties of poverty and the loss of childhood innocence. The first television adaptation of Niccolò Ammaniti’s 2003 novel “I’m Not Scared” is told from the perspective of a 10-year-old Miguel (Aldo Emiliano Navarro). The series depicts the anguish of an interrupted boyhood and the awakening of a child’s conscience as their safest spaces erode.
Dwayne Johnson Laughed ‘So F—ing Hard’ When He Saw the Memes About His ‘Moana’ Wig: ‘It Was Very, Very Funny’
Dwayne Johnson went through 12 different Maui wigs before landing on the perfect one for the live-action “Moana,” and laughed “so fucking hard” when he saw the internet’s reaction to his flowing mane.
Karim Kassem Broaches Migrant Issues in Lebanon With ‘Pipes’: ‘A Lot of People Are Being Affected by War but We Don’t See the Whole Picture’
Lebanese director Karim Kassem remains one of the most prolific directors in the MENA region despite the sociopolitical instability of his home country of Lebanon. “Pipes,” having its world premiere as part of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s prestigious Crystal Globe Competition, is the director’s fifth film in five years, following highly praised works like the IDFA-winning “Octopus.”
‘Black Money for White Nights’ Review: A Cycle of Corruption Endangers a Marriage in a Bitter, Gripping Bulgarian Tragicomedy
How much dirty cash can pass through your hands before your soul is stained? Gosha (Ivan Savov) and Marina (Tanya Shahova), the struggling sixtysomething couple at the center of “Black Money for White Nights,” believe they’ve found the right balance: Professional bribery is the way of the world, as they see it, and they engage in just enough of it to keep their heads modestly above water. But when they karmically find themselves the victims of a financial scam, they haven’t a leg to stand on, either ethically or economically, and the axis of their lives is set askew; turns out you can’t play the corruption game only when it suits you. Bulgarian filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov aren’t unsympathetic to their flailing characters in this sharp, escalatingly sad black comedy, but they aren’t sparing either.
Ali G Returns: Sacha Baron Cohen Wraps Filming Secret Movie Reviving Beloved Character
Booyakasha!
Sacha Baron Cohen has wrapped production on a new Ali G film, which will bring his sketch comedy breakout back to the big screen. The character was previously featured in 2002’s “Ali G Indahouse.”
Mariska Hargitay Will Host the 2026 Emmy Awards
Emmys 2026
The Law & Order: SVU star will be the first woman to emcee the show since Jane Lynch in 2011
Mariska Hargitay has been tapped to host the 2026 Emmy Awards, making her the first woman in 15 years to earn the gig.
Netflix Confirms Ana María Londoño as Head of Content, Colombia (EXCLUSIVE)
Netflix has appointed Ana María Londoño as head of content, Colombia, tapping one of the country’s most seasoned TV writers and content executives whose 30-year career takes in her breakout telenovela “Juegos Prohibidos” through to RCN’s 2024 “Rojo Carmesí.”