The critically acclaimed HBO Max comedy about a fading Las Vegas legend and the millennial writer who brought her career back to life garnered 24 Emmy nominations for its fifth and final season.
It’s surpassed the record set by Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek,” which collected 15 nominations for its send-off season in 2020 — the most ever for a comedy series’ final season, breaking the mark “30 Rock” set with 13 in 2013. “Schitt’s Creek” went on to sweep the comedy field that year, becoming the first series to take every major category — best comedy series, writing, directing and all four main acting races — in a single ceremony.
It also marks a personal best for “Hacks,” which had collected between 14 and 17 nominations in each of its earlier outings.
A previous winner for outstanding comedy series — in 2024, for its third season — “Hacks” this time faces off against “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Widow’s Bay,” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Only Murders In The Building,” and “Shrinking.” Last year’s big winner, “The Studio” from Apple TV, which took a comedy-record 13 Emmys, was ineligible this cycle after its second season missed the eligibility window.
“Hacks” has been the early frontrunner since the start of awards season, ahead of its anticipated final run. Leading its haul is lead comedy actress Jean Smart, a four-time winner as the foul-mouthed Deborah Vance and, with this nod, a 15-time Emmy nominee across a career that spans “Mare of Easttown,” “Watchmen,” “Fargo,” “24” and more.
Smart has been the engine of “Hacks” and a central reason the series will be remembered as one of television’s most beloved comedies. Spanning five seasons over six years — including a production pause forced by the Hollywood strikes — the show never lost its grip on industry voters, and Smart has won the lead comedy actress trophy for every eligible season to date. At 74, she has taken home seven Emmys in all, including back-to-back guest comedy actress wins for “Frasier” and a supporting comedy actress win for “Samantha Who?”
A fifth victory for her work as Deborah Vance would carry Smart into the Emmy history books. In the Emmys’ nearly eight decades, only one performer has won for every season of a series that ran three years or more: Bill Cosby, who claimed the lead drama actor prize for all three seasons of “I Spy” from 1966-1968. Blythe Danner matched the feat on a shorter run, winning for both seasons of “Huff” before its 2006 cancellation. The closest anyone has come since is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won six times for “Veep” and was denied a clean sweep only in the show’s final year. Lead drama actress nominee Zendaya could also join Smart if she were to win for the third and final season of HBO Max’s “Euphoria,” after taking home the trophy for the first two seasons.
Creators and showrunners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky were recognized for TKCATEGORY, along with artisan categories.
The fifth and final season — 10 episodes that returned Deborah and Ava to Las Vegas after a false report of her death — concluded May 28.
Final-round voting takes place Aug. 17-26 ahead of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala on Sept. 5-6. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 14 on NBC.