HBO Max’s The Pitt and FX’s Love Story lead all winners with three wins each. Hacks receives two wins including another win for Jean Smart.
The Television Academy weighs in tonight with the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, but the staff and readers of The Contending have their say too. Granted, the Emmy results are likely to be very similar to the 2026 Cooler Awards winners, especially in the comedy and drama races. HBO Max’s The Pitt and Hacks both repeat previous Cooler Awards wins in the Drama and Comedy Series races. The Pitt led all drama contenders with three wins, including Noah Wyle and Patrick Ball. Jean Smart makes it a clean sweep with her win for Comedy Actress while Matthew Rhys won Comedy Actor for Widow’s Bay.
On the limited series front, votes came in heavy for FX’s Love Story with three wins including Limited Series, Limited Series Actress for Sarah Pidgeon, and Limited Series Supporting Actress for Constance Zimmer.
Here are the nominees and winners for the 2026 Cooler Awards:
DRAMA SERIES
The Gilded Age
Industry
The Pitt *** WINNER ***
Pluribus
Task
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat *** WINNER ***
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Peter Claffey, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Walton Goggins, Fallout
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Noah Wyle, The Pitt *** WINNER ***
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Marissa Abela, Industry
Emilia Jones, Task
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus *** WINNER ***
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Ball, The Pitt *** WINNER ***
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary
The Comeback
Hacks *** WINNER ***
The Lowdown
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Elle Fanning, Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Rachel Sennott, I Love L.A.
Jean Smart, Hacks *** WINNER ***
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ethan Hawke, The Lowdown
Dan Levy, Big Mistakes
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay *** WINNER ***
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margot’s Got Money Troubles *** WINNER ***
Megan Stalter, Hacks
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking *** WINNER ***
Nick Offerman, Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
LIMITED SERIES
All Her Fault
The Beast In Me
DTF St. Louis
Half Man
Love Story *** WINNER ***
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES
Claire Danes, The Beast In Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story *** WINNER ***
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jamie Bell, Half Man *** WINNER ***
Michael Chernus, Devil In Disguise
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys, The Beast In Me
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Grace Gummer, Love Story
Lesley Manville, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Naomi Watts, Love Story
Constance Zimmer, Love Story *** WINNER ***
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbor, DTF St. Louis *** WINNER ***
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death By Lightning
Alessandro Nivola, Love Story
