Matthew Rhys and Jason Bateman have topped a group of performers who each earned multiple acting nominations in the 2026 Emmy nominations, and in doing so both achieved a rare career milestone. The pair became the first male performers to have secured career nominations across all three lead acting categories — Drama, Comedy, and Limited, Anthology or Movie — a feat that underscores their range and marks a notable point in Emmy history.

Rhys was recognised as Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Apple TV's horror comedy Widow's Bay, which only just met the eligibility window with seven of its ten episodes released before the cutoff, and as Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Netflix's thriller The Beast in Me. Bateman picked up four nominations in total, including Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix's Black Rabbit, Supporting Actor for HBO's DTF St. Louis, plus directing and producing nods. The two join three actresses — Susan Saint James, Laura Linney and Edie Falco — who had previously achieved the three-category feat, while fellow double acting nominees Nick Offerman, Laurie Metcalf and Colman Domingo were also cited for both dramatic and comedic work.