Despite winning several Emmys in the past, Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal is not up for any major awards at this year's ceremony in September.
Instead, the returning show opted to pursue juried awards, 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).
Previously, 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.
His two initial ideas saw the show revamped to focus on fierce insectoid aliens or on a very cute extraterrestrial that undertakes a dangerous journey. Ultimately, none of those ideas felt right to Tartakovsky and he opted to continue Fang and Spear's story from where season 2 ended.
When Primal returned to Adult Swim in early 2026, Genndy Tartakovsky once again proved why he’s a master of the craft. Season 3 blew critics away with its gorgeous visuals, raw emotion, and that shocking decision to bring Spear back as a zombie-like force of nature.
However, the general consensus among fans was that season 3 was 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.