In a year crowded with prestige TV, HBO once again proved why it’s the heavyweight champion of awards season.
The network, along with its streaming sibling HBO Max, just scored a record-breaking 142 Emmy nominations — its highest total ever, and enough to surpass Netflix with its 121 nominations to reclaim the top spot. What really matters in the long run, of course, is actual wins, but HBO’s big pile of nods nevertheless has plenty to say about the network behind it all.
HBO’s recognition this year is a product, first and foremost, of a smart mix of both established hits and buzzy new titles. The Penguin, for example, racked up 24 nominations (second only to Apple’s Severance), while The White Lotus followed with 23, The Last of Us landed 16, and Hacks and The Pitt brought in 14 and 13 respectively.
This kind of lineup certainly isn’t accidental — it’s the result of a carefully calibrated strategy that leans into bold storytelling, creator-driven projects, and a willingness to bet on talent. Anyone with an even passing familiarity with HBO no doubt understands that it’s a place where prestige is about more than aesthetics. It’s about trusting the creative talent, whether that means letting Mike White get weirder than ever with the newest season of The White Lotus or adapting a video game (The Last of Us) with emotional depth and scale.
“These Emmy nominations highlight the exceptional craftsmanship and storytelling that define HBO Max,” HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said in a statement. “From The Pitt and Noah Wyle’s standout recognition to Somebody Somewhere’s first nomination for its final season, it’s incredible to see such a wide range of programming and creative talent celebrated across our slate.”
It also helps that HBO’s brand still means something. Viewers associate it with quality. Awards voters do, too. And while its rivals keep giving viewers more of the same algorithm-friendly slop, HBO keeps its lineup tight and curated — no filler, just the kind of releases that build on critical and viewer momentum.
The result is continued cultural relevance, and a trophy case that keeps getting fuller. In an increasingly crowded streaming landscape, HBO’s big Emmy year is a reminder that quality, not quantity, still wins. A simple lesson, but one that too many of its rivals still clearly do not understand.
