Actor Riz Ahmed leads the Asian nominees at the 2026 Emmy Awards, announced last Wednesday (8). He received a nomination for his performance in Bait in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. Indian costume designer Arjun Bhasin and producer Raj Kapoor have also been nominated for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Ahmed stars in Bait as Shah Latif, a struggling British Pakistani actor from west London who auditions for the role of James Bond. As the possibility of becoming the first Bond of Pakistani Muslim heritage triggers public backlash, Bait tells the story of how Shah navigates family pressures, fame and an existential crisis. It is described as a satirical exploration of identity, celebrity and the British Asian immigrant experience.
In a social media post last weekend, Ahmed - who previously won an Emmy for best actor - said,
“This moment feels bittersweet. I recently lost my father, and he never got to see the show or how, at its heart, BAIT is a love letter to home and family. And like Shah, on some level everything I do is to try and make him proud.
“My father’s heart, sense of humour, and values about what really matters are the soul of this show. Only now am I seeing how much everything I have done, and everything I am, is infused with who he was and what he taught me. This honour belongs to him too. Love you Baba.”
Ahmed added: “I’m deeply grateful to all the members of the Television Academy for recognising BAIT with a nomination. And I am beyond grateful to the entire team - our incredible writers, directors, producers, execs, crew, editors, post-production team, supremely talented cast, and everyone who built this story with such love and heart. The nomination belongs to all of them.”
Ahmed won an Emmy in 2017 for The Night Of and received a nomination for Girls in Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
New York-based Bhasin, who works across Hollywood and Bollywood, received a nomination for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me episode Elephant in the Room.
A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he has designed costumes for productions including Ms Marvel, Life of Pi, A Suitable Boy, Gully Boy, Rang De Basanti and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
The production team behind the Oscars, led by executive producers Kapoor and Katy Mullan and director Hamish Hamilton, received nine Emmy nominations, including recognition in Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Directing and Production Design.
Kapoor has earned nine Emmy nominations and won awards for his work on the 96th Oscars and as executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which won Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). His credits also include the Oscars, Grammy Awards, ACM Awards, Latin Grammys, Emmy Awards, Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration and the Paris Olympics LA28 Handover Closing Ceremony.
Gritty medical drama The Pitt and inter-generational comedy Hacks topped the nominations.
The Pitt racked up 25 nominations including one for best drama, while the fifth and final season of Hacks earned 24 nominations including one for best comedy.
Other dramas nominated alongside The Pitt included Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, spy thriller Slow Horses and Pluribus, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi series.
The September 14 gala in Los Angeles will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay, star of Law and Order: SVU.
