Jean Smart Eyes History-Making Win at 2026 Emmys

At the 2026 Emmys, five talented women are vying for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, but one name clearly stands out: Jean Smart. With four Emmy wins already under her belt for playing stand-up comedian Deborah Vance on HBO Max's 'Hacks,' Smart is hoping to make history and take home her fifth Emmy.

NBC's 'The Comeback' star Lisa Kudrow, ABC's 'Abbott Elementary' alumna Quinta Brunson, and Hulu's 'The Bear' actress Ayo Edebiri are also in the running. However, it's worth noting that all five nominees have been nominated before, making this a highly competitive category. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Competition Heats Up

Elle Fanning, who plays the title character in Apple TV+'s 'Margo's Got Money Troubles,' is the only newcomer to the group. However, she has already made a name for herself with her previous nomination for Hulu's 'The Great' in 2022.

Now it's your turn to play Emmy voter: Do you think Jean Smart deserves to make history and win her fifth Emmy? Or would you rather see someone else take home the trophy this time? Cast your vote in the poll below, then hit the comments to defend your pick.

If Jean Smart wins, she'll be the first woman to ever win an acting Emmy for each year of a scripted series that lasted at least three seasons. That's a remarkable achievement in itself, and one that sets her apart from even Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

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The 2026 Emmys are set to air on Monday, September 14, at 8/7c on NBC. Don't miss the ceremony and find out who will take home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Will Jean Smart make history with another win at this year's Emmys? Or will another nominee swoop in to take home the trophy instead?

Five fantastic women are in the running to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2026 Emmys (airing Monday, September 14, at 8/7c on NBC), and in a rare feat, all of them have been nominated in this category before. But one name clearly stands out from the pack: "Hacks" star Smart, who has won four Emmys so far for playing stand-up comic Deborah Vance on the HBO Max comedy and is hoping to make it five.

If she does win this year for the fifth and final season of "Hacks," she'd be the first woman to ever win an acting Emmy for each year of a scripted series that lasted at least three seasons. ( Not even Julia Louis-Dreyfus pulled that one off .) Don't go handing Jean Smart the Emmy just yet, though.

Her four competitors are all Emmy veterans, starting with Lisa Kudrow, who has nabbed her third Emmy nomination for playing sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in the third and final season of HBO's "The Comeback." (Oh, and she also landed six nominations and a win for a little show called "Friends.") Quinta Brunson is nominated for the sixth straight year (with a win in 2023) for playing schoolteacher Janine Teagues on ABC's "Abbott Elementary," and Ayo Edebiri scored her fourth nod overall (with a supporting actress win in 2023) for playing chef Sydney on Hulu's "The Bear." Elle Fanning is the only one in this category to be nominated for a role for the first time — she's nominated for playing the title character in Apple TV's "Margo's Got Money Troubles" — but she was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy in 2022 for Hulu's "The Great," so she's not exactly a rookie, either.