Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal didn't contend for the main Emmy categories this year, but the Adult Swim hit isn't walking away empty-handed.
The third season of the show went after juried awards this year, and it landed two big wins - Scott Wills secured the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (Art Direction) golden trophy, and David Krentz won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (Storyboard By).
It's a huge win for a third season that almost looked vastly different.
Originally, series creator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack) planned to move on from Spear and Fang's story and change the show to an anthology format but had a change of heart during development.
During early brainstorming, he pitched two wildly different ideas, with the first centered on fierce insectoid aliens, and another following a cute extraterrestrial on a brutal survival journey.
Ultimately, neither concept felt right to him, so he abandoned the anthology idea and decided to continue Spear and Fang's story right from where Season 2 left off, with Spear now rising from the dead as a zombie.
When Primal returned to Adult Swim in early 2026, Genndy Tartakovsky once again proved why he’s a master of the craft as the third season blew critics away with its gorgeous visuals, raw emotion, and that shocking decision to bring Spear back as an undead force of nature.
However, the general consensus among fans was that season 3 was just not quite as good as the first two seasons.
As of right now, Adult Swim has neither officially renewed nor canceled Primal for a fourth season.
Tartakovsky has previously stated that he would love to continue the series and has teased ideas for a potential fourth season with strong hits that if it was greenlit, the show would finally pivot to an anthology format.
The 2026 nominees for Outstanding Animated Program at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are:
- Bob’s Burgers – "Grand Pre Pre Pre Opening" (FOX)
- Rick and Morty – "There's Something About Morty" (Adult Swim)
- The Simpsons – "Homer? A Cracker Bro?" (FOX)
- Smiling Friends – "Le Voyage Incroyable De Monsieur Grenouille" (Adult Swim)
- South Park – "Sermon On The 'Mount" (Comedy Central)
- Star Wars: Visions – "Black" (Disney+)
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT. The main ceremony takes place live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, and will broadcast on NBC while streaming on Peacock.