The Walt Disney Company Earns 96 News & Documentary Emmy® Award Nominations in 2026
Collectively, The Walt Disney Company has earned another record-breaking year with 96 News & Documentary Emmy® Award nominations across content brands and studios ABC News and National Geographic. Nat Geo had 51 nominations, their most ever, with "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller" leading their nominations with 25 nods. This is the third consecutive year that "Trafficked" has received the most nominations for a single title, including Outstanding Recorded News Program. ABC News had their best nomination year since 1969 with 47 nominations, the most for any broadcast network. "ABC World News Tonight with David Muir" earned its fifth consecutive nomination for Outstanding Live News Program, having won the Emmy the last three years in a row, and earning the highest total nominations since 2008. ABC News Studios earned 19 nominations, the highest total nominations in a single year. ABC News Live earned its highest total nominations in a single year including five for "Prime with Linsey Davis" — the highest total for the broadcast since it debuted. "Good Morning America" earned an Outstanding Live News Program for the second year in a row. Below is a complete list of all The Walt Disney Company nominations.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic) - 25 nominations
- Outstanding Recorded News Program
- Outstanding Hard News Report: Long Form - "Million Dollar Highway Heists"
- Outstanding Investigative Coverage: Long Form - "Brides for Sale"
- Outstanding Science & Tech Coverage - "Scam City"
- Outstanding Climate, Environment or Weather Coverage - "Shark Hunters"
- Outstanding Health or Medical Coverage - "The Tranq Dope Underground"
- Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage - "Underground Street Racing"
- Outstanding Business, Consumer or Economic Coverage - "The Great American Rehab Scam"
- Outstanding Social Issue Coverage - "Black Market Love"
- Outstanding True Crime Coverage - "Cartel USA"
- Outstanding Writing: News - "Brides for Sale"
- Outstanding Writing: News - "Cartel USA"
- Outstanding Research: News - "Black Market Love"
- Outstanding Research: News - "Brides for Sale"
- Outstanding Research: News - "The Great American Rehab Scam"
- Outstanding Research: News - "The Tranq Dope Underground"
- Outstanding Direction: News - "Black Market Live"
- Outstanding Direction: News - "Brides for Sale"
- Outstanding Direction: News - "The Tranq Dope Underground"
- Outstanding Video Journalism: News - "The Tranq Dope Underground"
- Outstanding Editing: News - "Cartel USA"
- Outstanding Cold Open or Title Sequence: News - "The Great American Rehab Scam"
- Outstanding Cold Open or Title Sequence: News - "Shark Hunters"
- Outstanding Cold Open or Title Sequence: News - "The Tranq Dope Underground"
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement: News
Underdogs (National Geographic) - 4 nominations
- Outstanding Writing: Documentary
- Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary
- Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary
- Outstanding Sound: Documentary
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic) - 3 nominations
- Best Documentary
- Outstanding Research: Documentary
- Outstanding Historical Documentary
Love+War (National Geographic Documentary Films) - 3 nominations
- Best Documentary
- Outstanding Editing: Documentary
- Outstanding Sound: Documentary
Sally (National Geographic Documentary Films) - 3 nominations
- Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary
- Outstanding Direction: Documentary
- Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design: Documentary
Secrets of the Penguins (National Geographic) - 3 nominations
- Outstanding Nature Documentary
- Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary - "Hearts of the Emperors"
- Outstanding Sound: Documentary - "Survival of the Smartest"
The Last Rhinos: A New Hope (ABC News Studios, National Geographic) - 2 nominations
- Outstanding Nature Documentary
- Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary
Lost in the Jungle (National Geographic Documentary Films) - 2 nominations
- Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary
- Outstanding Sound: Documentary
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember (National Geographic) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (National Geographic) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
LOVE + WAR Trailer - Love + War (National Geographic Documentary Films) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America (National Geographic) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Research: Documentary
Race Against Time Trailer - Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary
Titanic: The Digital Resurrection (National Geographic) - 1 nomination
- Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary
ABC NEWS
* Joint nominations have been included in the total count for certain titles.
ABC News Studios (ABC News) - 19 Nominations*
- Outstanding Recorded News Special: "Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years After the Storm with Robin Roberts"
- *Outstanding Recorded News Special: The Children of Gaza
- Outstanding Interview - Long Form: "Eric Dane Speaks: The Diane Sawyer Interview"
- Outstanding Arts, Culture Or Entertainment Coverage: "Born to Be Viral: The Real Lives of Kidfluencers"
- Outstanding Social Issue Coverage: "Murder Has Two Faces" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding True Crime Coverage: "Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding True Crime Coverage: "Scamanda"
- Outstanding True Crime Coverage: "Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding Direction - News: "Will Reeve: Finding My Father"
- Outstanding Direction - News: "Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding Cold Open Or Title Sequence - News: "Born to Be Viral: The Real Lives of Kidfluencers"
- Outstanding Cold Open Or Title Sequence - News: "Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement - News: "Scamanda"
- Outstanding Promotional Announcement - News: "Will Reeve: Finding My Father"
- Outstanding Crime And Justice Documentary: "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- *Outstanding Health Or Medical Coverage: "IMPACT x Nightline Switched Before Birth" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- *Outstanding Arts, Culture Or Entertainment Coverage: "IMPACT x Nightline - Selena: Beyond the Headlines" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary - The Last Rhinos: A New Hope Sixty-Six Media Inc. [ABC News Studios | Lincoln Square Productions | National Geographic]
ABC News Live (ABC News) - 13 Nominations*
- Outstanding Recorded News Special: "The Struggle For Food Assistance"
- *Outstanding Recorded News Special: "The Children of Gaza"
- Outstanding Light Feature Story - Long Form: "America's Care Crisis"
- *Outstanding Light Feature Story - Long Form: "Operation Babylift: The 50-Year Journey"
- *Outstanding Interview - Long Form: "War or Peace: The Zelenskyy Interview"
- Outstanding Interview - Long Form: The Epstein Survivors Speak
- Outstanding Climate, Environment Or Weather Coverage: "Last Lands"
- *Outstanding Research - News: "Operation Babylift: The 50-Year Journey"
- Outstanding Light Feature Story - Short Form: "ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis - The Long Train Ride Home: Remembering Emmett Till 70 Years Later"
- Outstanding Light Feature Story - Short Form: "ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis - Revisiting The Voting Rights Act"
- Outstanding Hard News Report - Short Form: "ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis - Two Nights With the Cartel"
- Outstanding Writing - News: "ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis - The Long Train Ride Home: Remembering Emmett Till 70 Years Later"
- Outstanding Writing - News: "ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis - Revisiting The Voting Rights Act"
20/20 (ABC News) - 3 Nominations*
- *Outstanding Live News Special: "American Catastrophe: LA Burning"
- *Outstanding Light Feature Story - Long Form: "Operation Babylift: The 50-Year Journey"
- *Outstanding Research - News: "Operation Babylift: The 50-Year Journey"
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (ABC News) - 6 Nominations*
- Outstanding Live News Program
- Outstanding Extended Breaking News Coverage: "Fire Emergency in Southern California"
- Outstanding Hard News Report - Short Form: "California Burning: David Muir Reporting"
- Outstanding Hard News Report - Short Form: "The Scope of the Devastation: David Muir Reporting"
- Technical Excellence: "Live from the Southern California Fires"
- *Outstanding Live News Special: "American Catastrophe: LA Burning"
Nightline (ABC News) - 6 Nominations*
- Outstanding Recorded News Program
- Outstanding Light Feature Story - Short Form: "Remembering Captain Pitts"
- Outstanding Hard News Report - Short Form: "Pregnant and Brain Dead"
- Outstanding Interview - Short Form: "So I Raped You"
- *Outstanding Health Or Medical Coverage: "IMPACT x Nightline Switched Before Birth" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
- *Outstanding Arts, Culture Or Entertainment Coverage: "IMPACT x Nightline - Selena: Beyond the Headlines" (Hulu, ABC News Studios)
ABC News (ABC News) - 3 Nominations
- Outstanding Continuing News Coverage - Long Form: "Immigration Crackdown"
- Outstanding Live Breaking News: "U.S. Army's Grand Military Parade"
- Outstanding Live News Special: "The Conclave"
Good Morning America (ABC News) - 2 Nominations
- Outstanding Live News Program
- Outstanding Interview - Short Form: "Pennsylvania Governor Speaks Out After Arson Attack: Exclusive"
This Week with George Stephanopoulos (ABC News) - 1 Nomination*
- *Outstanding Interview - Long Form: "War or Peace: The Zelenskyy Interview"
Jay O'Brien (ABC News) - 1 Nomination
- Outstanding Emerging News Journalist
The News & Documentary Emmy Awards honor programming content from more than 2,300 submissions that originally premiered in the calendar year 2025, judged by a pool of over 1,000 peer professionals from across the television and streaming/digital media industry. Entries must have been originally broadcast nationally or made available via streaming platform between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025.