Led by a rising star from a Detroit suburb, performers with Michigan roots made a strong showing when the Emmy nominations were announced Wednesday, July 8.
Sarah Pidgeon, who grew up near the Motor City in Birmingham and graduated from Groves High School, landed her first Emmy nod ever for her empathetic, emotionally authentic performance as Carolyn Bessette in FX/Hulu’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.”
Pidgeon will be competing in the lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie category against Claire Danes from Netflix’s “The Beast in Me,” Sally Field from Netflix’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” Carey Mulligan from Netflix’s “Beef” and Sarah Snook from Peacock’s “All Her Fault.”
Longtime metro Detroit favorite Kristen Bell, who hails from Huntington Woods, didn’t repeat her 2025 best actress in a comedy nomination for Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This.” But as one of the executive producers of the series — which stars Bell as an agnostic podcaster who falls in love with a rabbi (Adam Brody) — she is in the running again for best comedy, just like last year.
In the guest actress in a drama race, Miriam Shor, who grew up in Italy and metro Detroit, was included for her nuanced performance as Rhea Seehorn’s character’s partner in AppleTV’s mysterious “Pluribus.” Shor is an alum of Ferndale High School and the University of Michigan, where she earned one bachelor’s degree in acting and another in English. Her father, Francis Shor, is a professor emeritus of history at Detroit’s Wayne State University.
Another metro Detroiter in the Emmys mix is Steven Yeun, who grew up in Taylor and Troy after emigrating with his family from South Korea. Yeun already has two winged statuettes for his acting and executive producing role in Netflix’s acclaimed drama “Beef.” This year, he received a nod for best character voice-over acting for his work as Mark Grayson/Invincible in Amazon Prime Video’s “Invincible.”
And Tim Robinson, who has taken home three Emmy statuettes so far for Netflix’s “I Think You Should Leave,” was nominated for a different series. This time, he and his writing and producing partner Zach Kanin are competing in the outstanding writing for a comedy series category for their new HBO Max show, “The Chair Company.”
Rounding out the list of local contenders is Ken Burn, whose latest project, “The American Revolution” on PBS, is up for outstanding documentary or nonfiction series. Burns grew up in Ann Arbor, graduated from Pioneer High School and developed his love for film at the campus town’s theaters and movie festivals.
Representing the west side of Michigan, Kristen Kish was nominated in the host of a reality or reality competition show category for helming Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted when she was 4 months old, Kish grew up in Kentwood on the outskirts of Grand Rapids.
Kalamazoo’s Jordan Klepper of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” also is among those singled out for some Emmy love. Klepper is the host and executive producer of a nominee for outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special, “The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: Give The Man A Prize.” It took a comedic look at Donald Trump’s quest for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Last year, Klepper won a writing Emmy for “The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation.”
The 2026 Emmy Awards will air Sept. 14, on NBC. “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay, who will start her 28th season with the NBC crime drama this fall, will be the host.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 8 stars with Michigan roots land Emmy nominations in major categories
Reporting by Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
