Brutally Honest Emmy Ballot: “‘DTF St. Louis’ Should’ve Been Called ‘WTF St. Louis,’” ‘Widow’s Bay’ Is “Far and Away the Best” Comedy on TV
The Hollywood Reporter published its annual "Brutally Honest Ballot" feature, in which an anonymous male Emmy-winning member of the TV Academy's producers peer group candidly explains his voting choices ahead of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. The voter praised medical drama The Pitt as the best show on television, citing its consistently high standard of casting, writing and directing, while naming new comedy Widow's Bay as far superior to its rivals in that category. His comments offer a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the reasoning of a single Academy voter, though THR stresses this does not represent the views of its roughly 27,000 members.
The voter dismissed several high-profile nominees, calling Your Friends and Neighbors undeserving over the snubbed Industry, criticising Apple TV's Pluribus for lacking urgency, and arguing The Bear should compete as a drama rather than a comedy. He also said Task, nominated for best drama series, should instead be classed as a limited series, and voiced frustration that Death by Lightning was overlooked entirely. The Primetime Emmy Awards take place on 14 September, preceded by the Creative Arts Emmys on 5 and 6 September.
- Anonymous Emmy voter names The Pitt best drama, Widow's Bay best comedy
- Voter criticises The Bear, Pluribus, Your Friends and Neighbors, Task's category
- Primetime Emmys air 14 September; Creative Arts Emmys precede on 5-6 September
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The Primetime Emmy Awards recognise achievement in television, with awards decided by members of the Television Academy. Its roughly 27,000 members vote across categories including drama and comedy, and a show’s category can shape which programmes it competes against.
The Hollywood Reporter’s annual “Brutally Honest Ballot” asks an Emmy voter to explain their choices anonymously. The comments reflect one producer’s view, rather than the Academy as a whole, and touch on disagreements over which programmes deserve recognition and whether some have been entered in the right category.
The awards cover a wide range of television work, while the Creative Arts Emmys recognise areas such as editing, sound and production design. The main ceremony is scheduled for 14 September, after the Creative Arts ceremonies on 5 and 6 September.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The voter’s candid comments can help audiences understand how one experienced Academy member weighed the nominees, and may prompt useful debate about quality and category fit. His praise for The Pitt and Widow’s Bay, alongside criticism of other contenders, offers a specific perspective that a list of nominations alone cannot provide.
The case against
One anonymous voter’s preferences are inherently subjective and cannot establish which programmes deserve to win or represent the Academy’s broader judgement. Strong claims about overlooked shows and category placement may reflect individual taste, while the feature’s attention-grabbing format risks giving a single ballot more weight than it warrants.