Historically, horror doesn’t get proper hardware recognition. There are exceptions, of course (e.g., “The Silence of the Lambs” sweeping the “64th Academy Awards”), but general voting bodies don’t naturally gravitate towards horror TV and film unless there’s been an inescapable, runaway hit, such as “Sinners” and “Weapons.”
The 2026 Emmy Awards revealed their very long list of nominees on July 8, and there are a slew of big surprises.
Horror Scores 45 Emmy Nominations
Horror proved to be a monstrous force in this year’s Emmy nominations, across all categories, including many technical fields. Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” leads the pack with a whopping 19 nominations, among them Best Comedy Series. Netflix’s “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” swooped in for a surprising seven nods. Other horror stories that landed nominations include “Alien: Earth,” “Stranger Things” and “Wednesday.”
Below, you’ll find a list of all horror nominations for the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Best Comedy Series – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Comedy Actor – Matthew Rhys, “Widow’s Bay”
Best Comedy Supporting Actor – Stephen Root, “Widow’s Bay”
Best Comedy Supporting Actress – Dale Dickey & Kate O’Flynn, “Widow’s Bay”
Best Comedy Directing – “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!,” “Widow’s Bay”
Best Comedy Writing – “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!,” “Widow’s Bay”
Best Limited/Movie Actor – Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actress – Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Hamish Linklater, “Widow’s Bay”
Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Betty Gilpin, “Widow’s Bay”
Best Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) – “Wednesday”
Best Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) – “Stranger Things”
Best Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Casting for a Comedy Series – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Choreography for Scripted Programming – “Wednesday”
Best Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour) – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) – “Alien: Earth”
Best Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Period Costumes – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes – “Alien: Earth”
Best Contemporary Costumes for a Series – “Wednesday”
Best Picture Editing for a Single Camera Comedy Series – “Our History,” “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!” and “What to Expect on Your Trip,” “Widow’s Bay”
Best Contemporary Hairstyling – “Wednesday”
Best Title Design – “It: Welcome to Derry”
Best Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) – “Wednesday”
Best Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Prosthetic Makeup – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” & “Stranger Things”
Best Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Original Music and Lyrics – “The Dead Dance,” “Wednesday”
Best Music Supervision – “Stranger Things” & “Widow’s Bay”
Best Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – “Alien: Earth” & “Stranger Things”
Best Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) – “Predator: Killer of Killers”
Best Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – “Stranger Things”
Best Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Best Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) – “Widow’s Bay”
Best Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie – “Alien: Earth,” “It: Welcome to Derry” & “Stranger Things”
Best Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode – “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon”
Best Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming – “Stranger Things”
Horror Grows in Awards Popularity
Earlier this year, “Sinners” actor Michael B. Jordan earned his first-ever Oscar at the “98th Academy Awards” for Best Actor. The vampire film also took home Best Original Score, Cinematography and Original Screenplay. Amy Madigan scooped up Best Supporting Actress for her role as the terrifying Aunt Gladys in “Weapons,” while Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” nabbed Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume Design.
These big horror moments demonstrate growing attention from industry executives. Horror, a genre that’s typically easy to make on a lower budget, can be quick bucks at the box office. There’s a clear hunger from the general public for horrorfying stories, and voting bodies are finally taking proper notice.
The 2026 Emmy Awards air on NBC on September 14, 2026, and Mariska Hargitay will host.
