Early Emmys ceremony will bring together top nominees

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Top nominees “The Pitt,” “Hacks,” “Pluribus” and “Widow’s Bay” will have chances to stock up on Emmys Sunday at an early ceremony eight days before the main awards show and telecast.

The Television Academy hands out well over 100 primetime Emmys, and the vast majority of them are being presented this weekend in a pair of ceremonies at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. They were previously known as the Creative Arts Emmys but have now been rebranded as simply the first two nights of the 78th Emmy Awards.

The two nights will be edited together to air Sept. 12 on FXX and stream on Hulu the following day. The primetime Sept. 14 ceremony, also at the Peacock Theater and hosted by Mariska Hargitay, will air live on NBC and stream live on Peacock.

“The Pitt,” HBO Max’s day-in-the-life medical series, won best drama for its first season and is this year’s top overall nominee with 25. It could win as many as nine on Sunday. “Hacks,” also from HBO Max, got a record-tying 24 comedy nominations for its fifth and final season and could win as many as a dozen Sunday.

Most of the awards presented this weekend are for behind-the-scenes crew, but big names may also have big moments, especially in the guest acting categories.

Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner in December, could win a posthumous Emmy. He was nominated for guest actor in a comedy for “The Bear,” about 50 years after winning two Emmy Awards for his acting on “All in the Family.”

Five-time Emmy winner Michael J. Fox is also nominated in the same category for playing a patient on “Shrinking” who has Parkinson’s disease, which the actor was diagnosed with in the 1990s.

The evening’s star power will be increased by the academy moving five categories from the Sept. 14 telecast to Sunday. They include best supporting actor and actress in a limited series, categories whose nominees include Jason Bateman, Charles Melton, Dakota Fanning and Laurie Metcalf.

“The Pitt” dominated the drama acting nominations, and has two performers up for best guest actor in a drama along with three up best guest actress. They include Tal Anderson, an autistic actor who has been an advocate for neurodivergent performers and portrayals. She got her first Emmy nomination for playing Becca King, the younger sister of Taylor Dearden’s Dr. Mel King.

Dearden, one of four women from “The Pitt” nominated for best supporting actress this year, will be among the presenters Sunday as will Noah Wyle, the star of “The Pitt” who is nominated for four Emmys at the main ceremony.

Five of the seven nominees for best guest actress in a comedy come from “Hacks,” including Leslie Bibb and Metcalf, who could take home two Emmys.

A pair of rookie series from Apple TV could make major marks on the Emmys with a head start Sunday. The horror comedy “Widow’s Bay” could win as many as 10 this weekend. And “Pluribus,” the one-woman-against-the-hivemind drama from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, which stars best actress favorite Rhee Seahorn, could also win 10 at the early ceremony.

“Pluribus” acting nominees Karolina Wydra and Jeff Hiller are also among Sunday’s presenters.

Saturday’s first day of the Emmys saw awards presented to unscripted series, variety shows and specials shows and variety specials, while Sunday’s show focuses on dramas, comedies and limited series.