Many celebrities eventually get around to owning a home in Florida and spending at least part of their year here, but there's a significantly smaller number that are actually from the Sunshine State.
Two Floridian women were nominated for their first Emmys this year. Neither of them took home the awards they were nominated for, but both were up against some heavy-hitters in their categories.
"Love Island USA" host Ariana Madix and "The Pitt" breakout star Tal Anderson both received their first Emmy nominations, and both unfortunately left empty-handed.
Here's what to know about Floridian Emmy-nominated TV stars Ariana Madix and Tal Anderson, what they were nominated for, their fellow nominees and when the Emmy Awards will hit streaming.
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2 native Floridians nominated for 2026 Emmys
If you don't know, the Emmys are split into two categories: primetime Emmys and Creative Arts Emmys. The two-night ceremonies for the Creative Arts Emmys were held on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, and neither of the native Floridians nominated won their categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.
"Love Island USA" host Ariana Madix lost the "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program" award to "The Traitors" host Alan Cumming. And Floridian "The Pitt" actress Tal Anderson lost the "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series" award to Shailene Woodley for her role in "Paradise."
"I didn’t take home an Emmy this time, but I will forever be 'Emmy-Nominated actor Tal Anderson,' and that is such a crazy thing," Anderson told the Fort Myers News-Press. "As an autistic actor nominated for portraying an autistic character, this recognition is very important to me, but it's also important to the entire disabled community."
When are the 2026 Emmys? How to watch
The primetime Emmy Awards will air on NBC and Peacock next Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET.
The ceremonies for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards have already passed as of Sept. 10, but both nights of the ceremony will be condensed into one show and broadcast this weekend, on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET on FXX. It will be available to stream on Sunday, Sept. 13, on Hulu.
Floridian 'Love Island USA' host Ariana Madix scored her first Emmy nomination
On July 8, "Love Island USA" host Ariana Madix secured her first Emmy nomination. She was nominated in the "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program" category. She lost the award to "The Traitors" host Alan Cumming.
Here are the other nominees in the "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program" Emmy category:
- Alan Cumming, "The Traitors," winner
- RuPaul Charles, "RuPaul's Drag Race"
- Kristen Kish, "Top Chef"
- Jef Probst, "Survivor"
What is Ariana Madix famous for?
TV personality Ariana Madix is a Melbourne, Florida, native and Flagler College alumna who's had the entire reality TV realm in a chokehold over the last few years. She first became the host of "Love Island USA" in 2024 and is now many fans' favorite part of the show.
Aside from her reality TV work for Bravo, Ariana Madix has gone on to write books, open restaurants and even compete on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2023. She also appeared on Broadway in the summer of 2024 as Roxie Hart in the "Chicago" musical.
Madix's first claim to fame was her appearance on Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules." The spinoff show follows the lives of people who work at the West Hollywood restaurant SUR, which is owned by Lisa Vanderpump, one of the legendary Bravo reality show stars from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Debuting in 2013, "Vanderpump Rules" has 12 seasons under its belt.
Who is Tal Anderson? Emmy-nominated 'The Pitt' actress from Florida
HBO Max's "The Pitt" took the internet by storm with the release of its second season in January. The uniquely formatted show is a (reportedly very realistic) fictional drama series that focuses on frontline healthcare workers in a busy and under-resourced emergency room.
Each season of the show takes place over one 15-hour shift in the ER, using a real-time format in which one hour-long episode is equivalent to one hour in the shift. The Season 2 premiere garnered more than five million viewers within three days of its release.
Although the show is set in Pittsburgh, Tal Anderson, who plays Becca King on the show, is from Florida.
Tal Anderson is an actress from Cape Coral, Florida, who considers herself an advocate for change in Hollywood. Autistic herself, she has played two notable TV characters with autism: an autistic college student on Netflix's "Atypical" and Becca King, the autistic sister of Dr. Mel King on "The Pitt."
“I like to play neurodivergent characters,” she told the Fort Myers News-Press earlier this year. "Because I can portray their perspective — usually from a place of shared, lived experiences. But also, I want those characters to have the opportunity to be played authentically by a neurodivergent actor."
Her role in the first season of "The Pitt" was a minor one, but her character was expanded for Season 2, giving Anderson more time on screen.
“Representation alone, it's important. But when it's authentic — and the character's point of view is more real and less stereotypical — it's more powerful... It's been a crazy journey, you know…” She told the News-Press. “I think 'The Pitt' is the biggest show I've ever been on.”
Tal Anderson's fellow Emmy nominees
Tal Anderson was nominated for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series" at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend. She lost the award to Shailene Woodley for her role in "Paradise."
These were the other nominees in the "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series" Emmy category:
- Shailene Woodley, "Paradise," winner
- Brittany Allen, "The Pitt"
- Tina Ivlev, "The Pitt"
- Miriam Shor, "Pluribus"
- Merritt Wever, "The Gilded Age"
Watch the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards with the Disney bundle
Lianna Norman is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2 Floridians nominated for 2026 Emmys. How, when to watch the ceremony
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