Seven acting nominees at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are the sole nominations for their respective shows, a rare feat that makes winning historically difficult. The group includes Riz Ahmed ("Bait"), Richard Gadd ("Half Man"), Steve Carell ("Rooster"), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Wonder Man"), Colman Domingo ("The Four Seasons"), Billy Crudup ("The Morning Show") and Chase Infiniti ("The Testaments"), the largest such class since 2015. Their prospects matter because history shows solo nominees rarely triumph, though it has happened before, and this year's contenders will need to overcome nominees from series that dominate the wider field, such as "The Pitt" and "Hacks".

Since the Emmys began, 71 performers have won while being their show's only nominee, but just 12 of those wins have occurred since 2000, with Mark Ruffalo's 2020 limited-series win for "I Know This Much Is True" the most recent. Lead comedy and drama actress categories, along with supporting roles, have produced the most solo winners, while male lead categories have proven toughest, as winners typically come from heavily nominated prestige shows. Notably, 86% of past solo winners beat a rival from a show nominated for the top series prize, and 42% beat someone from the eventual series winner. This year, Carell and Abdul-Mateen II face the steepest odds, both needing to overcome Matthew Rhys ("Widow's Bay") and Martin Short ("Only Murders in the Building").