31st annual cadet tv awards 2026

drama

best drama series
Alien: Earth (FX)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Foundation (Apple TV)
The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
Paradise (Hulu)
The Pitt (HBO Max)
Pluribus (Apple TV)
Slow Horses (Apple TV)

best lead actor, drama series
Billy Magnussen – The Audacity
Antony Starr – The Boys
Harold Perrineau – From
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
Lee Pace – Foundation
Noah Wyle – The Pitt
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game

best lead actress, drama series
Sydney Alexander – Alien: Earth
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Emma Thompson – Down Cemetery Road
Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
Michelle Pfeiffer – The Madison
Rhea Seahorn – Pluribus
Nicole Kidman – Scarpetta
Holly Hunter – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

best supporting actor, drama series
Timothy Olyphant – Alien: Earth
Anthony Ramos – The Beauty
Rory Kinnear – The Diplomat
Fehinti Balogun – Down Cemetery Road
Terrence Mann – Foundation
Dexter Sol Ansell – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Patrick Ball – The Pitt
Jamie Campbell Bower – Stranger Things

best supporting actress, drama series
Allison Janney – The Diplomat
Ruth Wilson – Down Cemetery Road
Laura Birn – Foundation
Catalina Sandino Moreno – From
Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi – The Pitt
Karolina Wydra – Pluribus
Jamie Lee Curtis – Scarpetta

best guest actor, drama series
Bill Pullman – The Boroughs
Bradley Whitford – The Diplomat
Troy Kotsur – Foundation
Jeff Kober – The Pitt
Jeff Hiller – Pluribus
Jonathan Pryce – Slow Horses
Paul Giamatti – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Paul Wesley – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

best guest actress, drama series
Isabella Rossellini – The Beauty
Mary McDonnell – The Boroughs
Tina Ivlev – The Pitt
Miriam Shor – Pluribus
Cherry Jones – Foundation
Shailene Woodley – Paradise
Tatiana Maslany – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Carol Kane – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

best writing, drama series
Noah Hawley – Alien: Earth “In Space, No One…”
Joanthan Glatzer – The Audacity “Best Of All Possible Worlds”
Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews – The Boroughs “Welcome to the Boroughs”
Morwenna Banks – Down Cemetery Road “Almost True”
Dan Fogelman & Eric Wen – Paradise “Graceland”
Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill – The Pitt “1:00 P.M.”
Vince Gilligan – Pluribus “We Is Us”
Swill Smith – low Horses “Scars”

best directing, drama series
Noah Hawley – Alien: Earth “In Space, No One…”
Alex Graves – The Diplomat “Schrodinger’s Wife”
Jack Bender – From “What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been”
Andy Muschietti – IT: Welcome to Derry “The Black Spot”
Owen Harris – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms “In the Name of the Mother”
John Wells – The Pitt “9:00 P.M.”
Vince Gilligan – Pluribus “We Is Us”
Saul Metzstein – Slow Horses “Scars”

comedy

best comedy series
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Big Mistakes (Netflix)
The Comeback (HBO Max)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Spider-Noir (Amazon Prime Video)
Wednesday (Netflix)
Widow’s Bay (Apple TV)
Wonder Man (Hulu)

best lead actor, comedy series
Alexander Skarsgård – Murderbot
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
Martin Short – Only Murders In The Building
John Cena – Peacemaker
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Nicolas Cage – Spider-Noir
Matthew Rhys – Widow’s Bay
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Wonder Man

best lead actress, comedy series 
Keke Palmer – The ‘Burbs
Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
Carrie Preston – Elsbeth
Jean Smart – Hacks
Elle Fanning – Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This
Emilia Clarke – Ponies
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday

best supporting actor, comedy series
Will Forte – The Four Seasons
Nick Offerman – Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Timothy Simons – Nobody Wants This
Harrison Ford – Shrinking
Garrett Hedlund – Tulsa King
Jeff Hiller – Widow’s Bay
Stephen Root – Widow’s Bay
Ben Kingsley – Wonder Man

best supporting actress, comedy series
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Laurie Metcalf – Big Mistakes
Kerri Kenney-Silver – The Four Seasons
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks
Michelle Pfeiffer – Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Noma Dumezweni – Murderbot
Dale Dickey – Widow’s Bay
Kate O’Flynn – Widow’s Bay

best guest actor, comedy series
James Burrows – The Comeback
Andrew Scott – The Comeback
Bradley Whitford – The Comeback
Stephen Colbert – Elsbeth
Steve Carell – The Four Seasons
Fred Armisen – Wednesday
Hamish Linklater – Widow’s Bay
Byron Bowers – Wonder Man

best guest actress, comedy series
J. Smith-Cameron – Elsbeth
Leslie Bibb – Hacks
Cherry Jones – Hacks
Laurie Metcalf – Hacks
Kaitlin Olson – Hacks
Lauren Weedman – Hacks
Christina Ricci – Wednesday
Betty Gilpin – Widow’s Bay

best writing, comedy series
Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback “Valerie Does it All”
Jonathan Tolins – Elsbeth “Yes, And…”
Tina Fey – The Four Seasons “Little Thanksgiving”
Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky – Hacks “Hacks (Finale)”
Alfred Gough & Miles Millar – Wednesday “Here We Woe Again”
Mackenzie Dohr – Widow’s Bay “Beach Reads”
Katie Dippold – Widow’s Bay “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”
Andrew Guest – Wonder Man “Matinee”

best directing, comedy series
Randall Einhorn – Abbott Elementary “Ballgame”
Janicza Bravo – The Bear “Worms”
Michael Patrick King – The Comeback “Valerie Faces Reality”
Lucia Aniello – Hacks “Hacks (Finale)”
Harry Bradbeer – Spider Noir “Step Into My Office”
Tim Burton – Wednesday “This Means Woe”
Hiro Murai – Widow’s Bay “Welcome to Widow’s Bay”
James Ponsoldt – Wonder Man “Doorman”

longform

best tv movie or limited series
All Her Fault (Peacock)
Bait (Amazon Prime Video)
The Beast in Me (Netflix)
Beef (Netflix)
Black Rabbit (Netflix)
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (Hulu)
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix)
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen (Netflix)

best tv movie
Heads of State (Amazon Prime Video)
In the Blink of an Eye (Hulu)
Pretty Lethal (Amazon Prime Video)
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix)
Swiped (Hulu)
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War (Amazon Prime Video)

best lead actor, tv movie or limited series
Riz Ahmed – Bait
Matthew Rhys – The Beast in Me
Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit
Matthew Macfadyen – Death By Lightning
Michael Shannon – Death By Lightning
Jamie Bell – Half Man
Paul Anthony Kelly – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story

best lead actress, tv movie or limited series
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Claire Danes – The Beast in Me
Olivia Cooke – The Girlfriend
Robin Wright – The Girlfriend
Sarah Pidgeon – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Sally Field – Remarkably Bright Creatures
Camila Morrone – Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen
Lily James – Swiped

best supporting actor, tv movie or limited series
Michael Peña – All Her Fault
Guz Khan – Bait
Charles Melton – Beef
Troy Kotsur – Black Rabbit
David Harbour – DTF St. Louis
Alessandro Nivola – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Joey Pollari – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Jeff Wilbusch – Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen

best supporting actress, tv movie or limited series
Dakota Fanning – All Her Fault
Brittany Snow – The Beast in Me
Cailee Spaeny – Beef
Grace Gummer – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Jessica Harper – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Constance Zimmer – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Lesley Manville – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Laurie Metcalf – Monster: The Ed Gein Story

best writing, tv movie or limited series
Megan Gallagher – All Her Fault “Episode 8”
Azam Mahmood – Bait “House or Home”
Gabe Rotter & Daniel Pearle – The Beast in Me “Sick Puppy”
Zach Baylin & Kate Susman – Black Rabbit “Isle of Joy”
Mike Makowsky – Death by Lightning
Kim Rosenstock – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “Battery Park”
Ian Brennan – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Haley Z. Boston – Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen “Never Get on One Knee”

best directing, tv movie or limited series
Minkie Spiro – All Her Fault “Episode 1”
Jake Schreier – Beef “It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey”
Steven Conrad – DTF St. Louis
Marc Munden – Lord of the Flies
Max Winkler – John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “Pilot”
Ian Brennan – Monster: The Ed Gein Story “Green”
Weronika Tofilska – Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen “I Do”
Rachel Lee Goldenberg – Swiped

general

best reality or variety program
Hot Ones (YouTube)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Traitors (Peacock)
Welcome to Wrexham (FX)

best performer in a reality or variety series
Jimmy Kimmel – Jimmy Kimmy Live
RuPaul Charles – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Mikey Day – Saturday Night Live
Marcello Hernández – Saturday Night Live
Ashley Padilla – Saturday Night Live
Alan Cumming – The Traitors

best voiceover performance
Alex Borstein – Family Guy
Eric Jacobson – The Muppet Show
Alfred Molina – Remarkably Bright Creatures
Trey Parker – South Park
Sam Witwer – Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Odessa A’zion – Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

best ensemble
Bait
Black Rabbit
Foundation
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
The Pitt
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen
Widow’s Bay

best animated program
Family Guy
Invincible
Predator: Killer Of Killers
South Park
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

best casting
Alien: Earth
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Black Rabbit
Hacks
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
The Pitt

best music composition – drama series
Jeff Russo – Alien: Earth
John Paesano – The Boroughs
Christopher Lennertz & Matt Bowen – The Boys
Laura Karpman – Down Cemetery Road
Harry & Rupert Gregson Williams – The Gilded Age
Dan Romer – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Siddhartha Khosla – Paradise
Dave Porter – Pluribus

best music composition – comedy series
Peaches & Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum – Big Mistakes
Amanda Jones – Murderbot
Siddhartha Khosla – Only Murders in the Building
Jung Jae-il – Ponies
Andrew Watt – Rooster
Toim Howe – Shrinking
Kris Bowers & Michael Dean Parsons – Spider-Noir
David Fleming – Widow’s Bay

best music composition – movie, limited series or special
Jeff Beal – All Her Fault
Sean Callery & Sara Barone – The Beast in Me
Danny Bensi & Saunder Juriaans – Black Rabbit
Ruth Barrett – The Girlfriend
Bryce Dessner – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Mac Quayle – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Paul Leonard-Morgan – Pretty Lethal
Colin Stetson – Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen

best song/track – instrumental
“Bad Witch” – Peaches & Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum – Big Mistakes
“Wheels in Motion” – Laura Karpman – Down Cemetery Road
“The Race” – Benjamin Wallfisch – IT: Welcome to Derry
“John’s Proposal” – Bryce Dessner – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
“Corpse” – Mac Quayle – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
“Gary”- Siddhartha Khosla – Paradise
“Something Red” – Colin Stetson – Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen
“The Stone Room” – David Fleming – Widow’s Bay

best song/track – music & lyrics
“Raise Him Up” – Christopher Lennertz & Daveed Diggs – The Boys
“Mis Figuritas” – Carlos Rafael Rivera & David Stal – Hacks
“Sanctuary Moon Main Title Theme” – Amanda Jones & Christopher Weitz – Murderbot
“Wish That You Were Me” – David Archuleta, Michael Blum & Sophie Rose Abrams – Only Murders in the Building
“Across the Sea and Sky” – Bear McCreary & Brendan McCreary – Outlander
“Need Someone” – Gavin Brivik & Andrew Bird – The Pitt
“I’m Not As Think As You Drunk I Am” – Brett “Leland” McLaughlin, John Polly, Michael Seligman & Tom Campbell – RuPaul’s Drag Race
“The Dead Dance” – Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt & Henry Walter Russell – Wednesday

best main title theme music
Jeff Beal – All Her Fault
Sean Callery – The Beast in Me
Mac Quayle – The Beauty
Breton Vivian – The Madison
Max Aruj – Man on Fire
Amanda Jones – Murderbot
Michael Stipe & Andrew Watt – Rooster
Warren Oak Felder, Sebastian Kole & Jayme Silverstein – Spider-Noir
Jeff Russo – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

best music supervision
Maggie Phillips – Alien: Earth
Jen Malone – Beef
Nora Felder – The Boroughs
Matt Biffa – Hacks
Amanda Krieg Thomas & Anna Romanoff – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Jen Malone – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Thomas Golubić – Pluribus
Toko Nagata – Widow’s Bay

best main title design
The Beast in Me
The Beauty
The Boroughs
Death by Lightning
Down Cemetery Road
Imperfect Women
IT: Welcome to Derry
Spider-Noir

best cinematography
Colin Watkinson – Alien: Earth “In Space, No One…”
Richard Rutkowski – The Audacity “Granfalloon”
James Laxton – Beef “It Will Stay This Way and You Will Obey”
James Whitaker – DTF St. Louis “Cornhole”
Gustav Danielsson – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms “In the Name of the Mother”
Michael Bauman – Monster: The Ed Gein Story “Buxom Bird”
Ashley Connor – Remarkably Bright Creatures
Tari Segal – Margo’s Got Money Troubles “Flamingos”

best costume design
Suttirat Anne Larlarb – Alien: Earth “Neverland”
John Glaser – Bridgerton “Dance in the Country”
Daniel Lawson – Elsbeth “Otherwise Engaged”
Kasia Walicka Maimone – The Gilded Age “Marriage is a Gamble”
Rudy Mance – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “The Wedding”
Anastasia Magoutas – Ponies “Livin’ Thing”
Avery Plewes – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “300th Night”
Lucinda Wright – The Witcher “Baptism of Fire”

best production design
Andy Nicholson & Jason Knox-Johnston – Alien: Earth “Neverland”
Alex DiGerlando – Black Rabbit “The Cyclone”
Ruth Ammon – The Boroughs “Welcome to the Boroughs”
Rob Tokarz – Hacks “Who’s Making Dinner?”
Kevin Bird – Paradise “Graceland”
Sara K. White – Ponies “Night Moves”
Matthew Davies – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “Kids These Days”
Mark Scruton – Wednesday “If These Woes Could Talk”

best editing
Joanna Naugle – The Bear “Bears”
Laura Zempel – Beef “All The Things We’re Never Going To Have”
Lauren Connelly – Beef “The Increasing Flimsiness Of Any Certainties About The Future”
Vikash Patel – Black Rabbit “Isle of Joy”
Joseph Krings, Anna Hauger, Michael Ruscio, Joe Leonard. Bridget Case & Derek Desmond – Death By Lightning
Gary Levy – The Diplomat “Schrodinger’s Wife”
Esther Sokolow – IT: Welcome to Derry “The Pilot”
Adam Penn & Franzis Müller – Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “Battery Park”

best makeup and hairstyling
Alien: Earth “Emergence”
The Beauty “Beautiful Pilot”
IT: Welcome to Derry “The Black Spot”
Lord of the Flies “Piggy”
Monster: The Ed Gein Story “The Godfather”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “Kids These Days”
Stranger Things “Chapter Four: Sorcerer”
The Witcher “What I Love I Do Not Carry”

best sound
The Bear “Scallop”
The Beast in Me “Sick Puppy”
Black Rabbit “Isle of Joy”
Lord of the Flies “Piggy”
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen “Never Get On One Knee”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “Rubincon”
Stranger Things “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up”
Widow’s Bay “What to Expect on Your Trip”

best visual effects
Alien: Earth
Foundation
IT: Welcome to Derry
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Murderbot
Spider-Noir
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Wonder Man

best stunts
Beef
IT: Welcome to Derry
Spider-Noir
Stranger Things
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War
Tulsa King
Wonder Man

best scene
Bait “Family Frenzy”
Black Rabbit “The Rooftop”
IT: Welcome to Derry “The Cinema”
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “Anne Confronts Caroline”
Monster: The Ed Gein Story “Silence of the Lambs”
Pluribus “The Broadcast”
Slow Horses “The Final Scene”
Widow’s Bay “House Party Dance”

nominations tally