Emmys 2026 In Memoriam Sparks Backlash After Leaving Out Chuck Norris, Nicholas Brendon, and Other TV Icons

Award shows have long struggled with one particular segment that never fails to generate conversation the moment the credits roll. The In Memoriam tribute is meant to honor the industry’s fallen, but with only so many minutes of airtime to work with, someone almost always gets left out, and this year’s Emmys proved no exception.

The 2026 ceremony delivered plenty of emotional moments throughout its tribute segment, with lengthy homages paid to major names who passed away over the past year. Dolly Parton, Hayden Panettiere, Catherine O’Hara, and Rob Reiner were all given proper recognition during the broadcast, drawing praise for the care put into their individual tributes.

That praise quickly turned to frustration once viewers realized who had been left off the list entirely. Chuck Norris and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actor Nicholas Brendon were both excluded from the Emmys’ In Memoriam segment, alongside several other recognizable television figures, sparking immediate backlash across social media.

The exclusion of Brendon stung particularly hard given the context surrounding it. Earlier in the broadcast, former ‘Buffy’ co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz appeared together to present an award, and while doing so, they alluded to the losses their cast had experienced, noting that it had been “a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew,” a reference to the deaths of both Brendon in 2026 and Michelle Trachtenberg in 2025.

That moment made Brendon’s absence from the formal tribute feel even more jarring to longtime fans, many of whom flooded social media with frustration. Brendon starred in all 144 episodes of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ across its seven-season run as fan-favorite character Xander Harris, and he passed away in March at age 54 following years of struggles with addiction and health issues.

Reba McEntire pays an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton by singing “Appalachian Memories” at the #Emmys.https://t.co/j5J7X3mv8z pic.twitter.com/8Oste7uvv1

— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026

Chuck Norris’s omission generated its own wave of disbelief, given his decades-long television career, including nine seasons starring on ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’ Norris, who also appeared in shows like ‘The Goldbergs’ and ‘Hawaii Five-0,’ passed away in March as well, making his absence from the tribute especially notable to longtime fans of the action star.

Norris and Brendon weren’t alone in being excluded. Also missing from the segment were ‘Starship Troopers’ actor Patrick Muldoon, ‘The Gong Show’ panelist Jaye P. Morgan, ‘The Ring’ actress Daveigh Chase, and ’30 Rock’ performer Grizz Chapman.

Chase’s exclusion drew particularly sharp criticism, with her manager and friend Johnny Ryan blasting the Television Academy in comments to TMZ over her being left out of the segment entirely. Chase, known for her voice work as Lilo in the ‘Lilo & Stitch’ franchise and for her role as Samara Morgan in ‘The Ring,’ also had a number of television credits on shows like ‘Big Love’ and ‘Charmed.’

"Ella era mi mamá (…) Era la mamá de todos nosotros. Por cierto, llama a tu madre".

– Macaulay Culkin recordando a su querida Catherine O'Hara. #Emmys pic.twitter.com/682g1mfZGw

— Carla ❁ (@shannonlada) September 15, 2026

The In Memoriam segment is designed specifically to honor performers, creators, and other television figures who died during the eligibility period, which makes each omission particularly noticeable to fans and industry colleagues alike. With only so much time available during the broadcast, the Television Academy inevitably has to make difficult choices about who gets included, but that reality rarely softens the sting for fans of those left out.

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