Nigerian talent is set to take centre stage at the Emmys after actresses Ayo Edebiri and Joy Sunday received nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, scheduled for September 14, 2026.
The announcement of this year’s nominees places two actresses of Nigerian descent among television’s finest performers, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing presence in Hollywood and international entertainment.
Their nominations come as the Television Academy honours outstanding productions released between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
For many Nigerians, the recognition marks another milestone in the country’s expanding influence on the global entertainment industry.
Ayo Edebiri and Joy Sunday Lead Nigerian Representation at the Emmys
Ayo Edebiri earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her acclaimed performance as Sydney Adamu in FX’s The Bear.
The nomination represents another major achievement for the Nigerian-American actress, whose father is from Edo State.
Edebiri is no stranger to Emmy success. She previously won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the same role. Her promotion to the lead actress category reflects her growing prominence within the television industry.
She also made history during a previous awards season by becoming the first woman to receive both acting and directing nominations in the comedy category in the same year after directing the The Bear episode titled Napkins.
Joining her is Joy Sunday, who received her first-ever Primetime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for portraying Detective Jodie Plumb in HBO’s DTF St. Louis.
Sunday, born in Staten Island, New York, to Nigerian parents, is widely recognised for playing Bianca Barclay in Netflix’s hit series Wednesday.
She has previously credited Nollywood for inspiring her acting journey, saying that watching Nigerian films while growing up played a significant role in shaping her passion for performing.
The pair are the only actresses with confirmed Nigerian heritage to receive acting nominations at this year’s awards, continuing a positive trend of Nigerian representation at the Emmys.
Nigeria’s presence at the prestigious awards has continued to grow in recent years. In 2025, filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson became the first Nigerian to win an Emmy after claiming the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary for Madu.
Major Emmys 2026 Nominees Across Top Categories
Beyond the Nigerian nominees, The Pitt emerged as the most nominated programme this year with 25 nominations, while Hacks followed closely with 24 nominations.
Outstanding Drama Series
- The Diplomat
- The Gilded Age
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Paradise
- The Pitt
- Pluribus
- Slow Horses
- Your Friends & Neighbours
Outstanding Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- The Bear
- Hacks
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Nobody Wants This
- Only Murders in the Building
- Shrinking
- Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- All Her Fault
- The Beast in Me
- Beef
- DTF St. Louis
- Love Story John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
- Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
- Mark Ruffalo – Task
- Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat
- Noah Wyle – The Pitt
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
- Chase Infiniti – The Testaments
- Keri Russell – The Diplomat
- Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus
- Zendaya – Euphoria
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Wonder Man
- Steve Carell – Rooster
- Matthew Rhys – Widow’s Bay
- Jason Segel – Shrinking
- Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
- Elle Fanning – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
- Jean Smart – Hacks
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Riz Ahmed – Bait
- Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit
- Charlie Hunnam – Monster The Ed Gein Story
- Oscar Isaac – Beef
- Matthew Rhys – The Beast in Me
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Claire Danes – The Beast in Me
- Sally Field – Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Carey Mulligan – Beef
- Sarah Pidgeon – Love Story John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
- Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Patrick Ball – The Pitt
- Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
- Shawn Hatosy – The Pitt
- Gerran Howell – The Pitt
- Jack Lowden – Slow Horses
- Tom Pelphrey – Task
- Carlos-Manuel Vesga – Pluribus
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Taylor Dearden – The Pitt
- Fiona Dourif – The Pitt
- Allison Janney – The Diplomat
- Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt
- Sepideh Moafi – The Pitt
- Julianne Nicholson – Paradise
- Karolina Wydra – Pluribus
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons
- Paul W. Downs – Hacks
- Harrison Ford – Shrinking
- Nick Offerman – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Stephen Root – Widow’s Bay
- Michael Urie – Shrinking
- Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Dale Dickey – Widow’s Bay
- Hannah Einbinder – Hacks
- Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
- Kate O’Flynn – Widow’s Bay
- Michelle Pfeiffer – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Megan Stalter – Hacks
- Jessica Williams – Shrinking
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Jason Bateman – DTF St. Louis
- Richard Gadd – Half Man
- David Harbour – DTF St. Louis
- Richard Jenkins – DTF St. Louis
- Charles Melton – Beef
- Nick Offerman – Death by Lightning
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Linda Cardellini – DTF St. Louis
- Dakota Fanning – All Her Fault
- Laurie Metcalf – Monster The Ed Gein Story
- Joy Sunday – DTF St. Louis
- Youn Yuh-jung – Beef
- Constance Zimmer – Love Story John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
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The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on September 14, 2026, where winners across television’s biggest categories will be announced.
With Ayo Edebiri and Joy Sunday carrying Nigerian hopes into the ceremony, many fans will be watching closely to see whether the country adds another historic chapter to its growing Emmy success story.
