Actresses of Nigerian heritage, Ayo Edebiri and Joy Sunday, have been nominated for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, further highlighting the growing influence of Nigerian talent on the global television stage.
The Television Academy announced the nominees on Wednesday, with Edebiri receiving a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Sydney Adamu in The Bear.
The nomination marks another milestone for the Nigerian-American actress, whose father is from Edo State. Edebiri previously won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the same role and has established herself as one of television’s fastest-rising stars. She also made history by becoming the first woman to earn acting and directing nominations in the comedy category in the same year after directing the The Bear episode, Napkins.
Joining her among this year’s nominees is fellow Nigerian-American actress Joy Sunday, who earned her first Primetime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. She was recognised for her portrayal of Detective Jodie Plumb in HBO’s DTF St. Louis.
Born in Staten Island, New York, to Nigerian parents, Sunday is best known for playing Bianca Barclay in Netflix’s Wednesday. She has previously credited Nollywood films she watched while growing up for inspiring her acting career.
Edebiri and Sunday are the only performers with confirmed Nigerian roots to receive acting nominations at the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, reflecting the increasing presence of Nigerian talent on the Emmy stage.
Their nominations follow another landmark achievement for Nigeria after filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson became the first Nigerian to win an Emmy in 2025. He received the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary for Madu.
Leading this year’s Primetime Emmy nominations is The Pitt with 25 nods, while Hacks follows closely with 24 nominations.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled for September 14, 2026, and will honour outstanding television productions released between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.