Emmys 2026 Supporting Actress In A Comedy Dream Nominees: Our 8 Favorites

Will the Emmys’ current Supporting Actress in a Comedy winner — “Hacks” standout Hannah Einbinder — get a chance to defend her title at this year’s ceremony?

All signs point to “yes” at the moment, with awards pundits predicting across the board that Einbinder will score one last nod for the HBO Max comedy’s fifth and final season. In turn, Einbinder was a no-brainer for our Dream Emmy lineup in this category… but who else made the cut for our fantasy ballot?

Scroll down to check out all of our Dream Nominees for Supporting Actress in a Comedy (remember, these aren’t predictions; they’re wish lists) and then tell us if our picks warrant a “Heck, yes!,” “Um, no,” or “How could you leave off so-and-so?!”

For the record, 2026 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 11-22, and unveiled on July 8. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Monday, Sept. 14, on NBC.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: It takes a strong co-lead to stand beside a TV vet as rousing as Jean Smart, but in the final season of “Hacks,” Einbinder did just that. The actress infused her Gen Z quipster with joie de vivre and pure love for her writing partner, Deborah Vance. From her well-timed clapbacks to her outlandish expressions and love of challenging her boss, we can’t imagine any other actress could’ve played Ava Daniels with that much heart. We were completely sold on the hot and cold relationship between the two characters all series long, but in Season 5, Einbinder’s warm eyes and spirit served as the beating heart to a rather emotional, yet entirely satisfying, finish. — Nick Caruso

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Attention, students: James still reigns supreme on ABC’s schoolhouse comedy, holding court and swiftly dismissing any challengers as hopelessly self-involved principal Ava Coleman. We’re sure Ava would be a nightmare to work under — Janine, we feel your pain — but viewed from a safe distance, she’s a laugh riot, slinging ice-cold insults and shrugging off responsibilities left and right. (She’d probably tell you she’s just good at delegating.) Plus, in Season 5, James gave us a peek at Ava’s surprisingly tender heart as her swoon-worthy romance with IT guy O’Shon continued to develop. In a world where precious few TV comedies really make us laugh anymore, let’s take a moment to give thanks for James and her reliably hilarious one-liners. — Dave Nemetz

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Apple TV’s eerie horror comedy has introduced us to a town full of colorful oddballs, and the oddest one of all might be Patricia, the high-strung assistant played splendidly by O’Flynn. In small doses, O’Flynn has been a comedic highlight, with Patricia responding to Mayor Tom’s requests with a snippy, world-weary tone. But the more we got to know Patricia, the more fascinating she became, and O’Flynn elevated her game when a lonely Patricia tried throwing a party and ended up hosting a blood-thirsty Satanic rave. (She was also fantastic as Patricia was forced into the role of the stereotypical horror movie victim, running from a crazed killer and outsmarting him at every turn.) O’Flynn’s sad yet still funny turn here is a major part of what makes “Widow’s Bay” well worth a visit. — D.N.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: In her second season, Padilla went from breakout newcomer to the beating heart of NBC’s late-night sketch series. She cemented her status as Season 51’s MVP with “Mom Confession,” an instant-classic sketch opposite host Alexander Skarsgård in which a suburban mother stunned her family with a revelation about her politics. Her masterful deadpan delivery transformed a simple line reading into one of the year’s funniest TV moments. Among her other crowning achievements were a spot-on Catherine O’Hara impression in a blood-soaked “Home Alone” parody opposite Ariana Grande and her turn as annoying colleague Kathy alongside Jack Black and Kenan Thompson (“We talkin’ TV?”). Taken as a whole, Padilla emerged as the cast member viewers could count on most. — Ryan Schwartz

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: In our opinion, Peacock’s Cold War dramedy hasn’t gotten nearly the attention that it should, which perhaps makes Richardson our most pie-in-the-sky pick for this category. But Emmy voters really ought to take a closer look at her work in “PONIES,” which found the actress transforming amateur CIA operative Twila Hasbeck from a comic-relief character into a fascinating, flawed, three-dimensional woman. That’s not to take away from Richardson’s immense comedic talent; her wide-eyed facial expressions and pitch-perfect delivery gave “PONIES” many of its most entertaining moments. But it was just as thrilling to watch Twila confront her dark past and become a more self-assured, more open-hearted version of herself along the way. — Rebecca Luther

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Stalter was tasked with holding her own amid a pack of superstar talent. As Kayla, Jimmy’s former assistant-turned-manager, the funnywoman churned out uproarious laughs and unhinged physical comedy like a machine. It was as if Stalter could never be contained, and her back-and-forths with Paul W. Downs were by far some of our favorites of the entire season. Stalter was never afraid to be bold and fearless, going to extremes to make her character and the show stronger bit by bit. And in Season 5, she continued upping her game, forcing us to giddily anticipate whatever insanity she’d dole out next. — N.C.

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Few actors can modulate their energy quite like Ubach, who can disappear into a dramatic role one moment (see: “Euphoria”) and become the funniest person in the room the next. As the perpetually sheltered Susan Bennett in “Ted,” Ubach found comedy in the character’s naïveté without ever turning her into a punchline, imbuing even her most oblivious moments with warmth and sincerity. That was never more evident than in the penultimate episode, which asked: What would “Orange Is the New Black” look like in mid-’90s New England with an unworldly housewife at its center? Ubach was also one of TV’s great manglers of the English language, whether she was mispronouncing a common word or enthusiastically thanking “Cosmopoli-TAN” before heading off to the boudoir to make love with her husband in front of a complete stranger. — R.S.