Overview
- Dancing With the Stars received its first Outstanding Reality Competition Program nomination in a decade on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, placing it alongside Survivor, Top Chef, The Traitors and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
- The series picked up five total Emmy nods for 2026, including the top reality competition category and four craft nominations for makeup, hairstyling, technical direction/camerawork and lighting design.
- The nominations specifically cite Season 34, which ran Sept.–Dec. 2025, drew the show’s strongest ratings in years and featured the season’s celebrity cast and Mirrorball winner Robert Irwin.
- Showrunner Conrad Green and executive producers publicly welcomed the recognition, and professional dancers and former cast members posted celebratory reactions on social media.
- ABC is capitalizing on the momentum with The Next Pro spinoff due in July and confirmed casting for Season 35, moves that could supply new talent to the main show and sustain its renewed industry profile.