“Real Kashmir Football Club” has earned an International Emmy nomination in the Drama Series category, making this India’s second entry at the 2026 awards alongside comedian Vir Das. The nominations were announced on September 23rd, with the SonyLIV series recognised for its portrayal of the journey of a football club from Jammu and Kashmir.
The series, which premiered on SonyLIV in December 2025, is based on the real-life story of Real Kashmir FC, the first professional football club from Jammu and Kashmir. It follows the journey of shared ambition and how it evolves into a larger story about community and the influence of football on people’s lives.
The show stars Manav Kaul and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, alongside Abhishant Rana, Muazzam Bhat, Anmol Dhillon Thakeria, and Afnan Fazli. It was directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and Mahesh Mathai, and produced by Jaya Entertainment and Oshun Entertainment. The writing team includes Simaab Hashmi, Dhruv Narang, Mahesh Mathai, Danish Renzu, and Umang Vyas.
The series will contend with “A Thousand Blows”, “Carême” and “Menem” in the Drama Series category. Manav Kaul welcomed the nomination, calling the series one of his favourite works and expressing his happiness for the team behind the project.
Meanwhile, Vir Das has achieved his third International Emmy nomination for his Netflix stand-up special “Vir Das: Fool Volume”, which was nominated in the comedy category. He was previously nominated in 2021 for “Vir Das: For India” and in 2023 for Vir Das: Landing, which got him the award. His latest nomination has helped Das make history as the only Indian to receive three International Emmy nominations. He was also the first Indian to host the International Emmy Awards in 2024.
Vir Das will be competing against “División Palermo” Season 2, “Man vs Baby”, and “Old Dog, New Tricks”. The awards ceremony in New York on November 23 will announce the 2026 International Emmy winners.
