Love Story Secures One Emmy Win After Six Nominations in 2026
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette secured just one accolade at the 2026 Emmys.
The FX series clinched the award for Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, awarded to Courtney Bright, Nicole Daniels, and Jennifer Brooks during the 78th annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards held on September 6.
Nevertheless, Love Story did not fare well in the other five categories it was competing in. Among these were two presented at the main Emmys ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14: Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Sarah Pidgeon); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Constance Zimmer); Outstanding Period Costumes (Rudy Mance, Natalie Turturro Mettouchi, Brittany Griffin, Moria Sine Clinton, and Liz Samuels); and Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup, Non-Prosthetic (Milagros Medina-Cerdeira, Blair Aycock, D’angelo Thompson, and Jill Karol).
This nine-episode series featured Paul Anthony Kelly and Pidgeon, 30, portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, respectively. (Zimmer, 55, took on the role of Bessette’s mother, Ann Messina Freeman.)
Love Story, which aired between February and March, depicted the real-life couple’s passionate romance and tragic deaths in a 1999 plane crash.
Pidgeon received her inaugural Emmy nomination for her role as the fashion icon, yet the Television Academy did not recognize Kelly, 37, for his portrayal of the businessman son of late President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. (Love Story was Kelly’s debut in professional acting.)
“Naturally, I was hoping that everyone — especially Paul — would be acknowledged,” Pidgeon shared with Variety in July regarding her co-star’s omission. “What I’ve learned is that making films, TV, and theater — it truly requires a collaborative effort. It’s not just one person; it’s a collective performance that makes everything work. Working with Paul Anthony Kelly was a dream every single day — from the time he stepped into the audition room, throughout the six-month filming period, witnessing his transformation into John. His comfort and evolution on set were something I truly admire. Hats off to Paul.”
She further expressed, “I would love the opportunity to collaborate with him and the entire cast again, and I’m excited to see the recognition that everyone will receive in the future.”
