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Disney Sets New Benchmark with 96 Emmy Nominations

In a historic showing, The Walt Disney Company has achieved another record-breaking year, securing 96 News & Documentary Emmy Award nominations. This massive haul spans its powerhouse content brands and studios, with ABC News and National Geographic leading the charge in journalistic and documentary excellence.

National Geographic Expeditions

National Geographic delivered a powerhouse performance with 51 nominations, marking its most successful year to date. Leading the pack is Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, which secured 25 nods alone. This achievement marks the third year in a row that Trafficked has been the most-nominated single title, with its recognitions including a bid for Outstanding Recorded News Program.

ABC News also reached a historic milestone, earning 47 nominations—its strongest showing since 1969 and the highest total for any broadcast network this year. ABC World News Tonight with David Muir landed its fifth consecutive nomination for Outstanding Live News Program, following three straight years of wins. Additionally, ABC News Studios and ABC News Live both hit record highs, with the latter seeing five nominations for Prime with Linsey Davis. Rounding out the success, Good Morning America secured a nomination for Outstanding Live News Program for the second consecutive year.

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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

Record Breaking 96 News and Documentary Emmy Nominations for Disney

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 recognize excellence from a competitive field of more than 2,300 submissions that debuted during the 2025 calendar year. These entries, which must have been broadcast nationally or released on a streaming platform between January 1 and December 31, 2025, were evaluated by a distinguished panel of over 1,000 peer professionals from across the television, streaming, and digital media industries.

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