Following the announcement of the first-ever 2025 Screen Awards last week, the official nominations for Best Lead Performance by an Actor - TV have been revealed. As determined by some of the brightest minds and sharpest critics from ScreenRant, Collider, CBR, and MovieWeb, who collectively make up the Screen Awards Jury, these five nominations represent the very best lead performances by an actor out of all 2025 TV and streaming releases, most of whom have either been nominated for or won industry accolades earlier this year.
As a lead TV writer and critic for ScreenRant, who also publishes SR's weekly streaming guides, I'm thrilled to be covering the Best Lead Performance by an Actor - TV category. While there are a few clear favorites in the lineup at a glance – who are still buzzing from their Emmy-winning success in September – this contest is truly up for grabs between five outstanding and well-deserved nominees. The full list of 2025 Screen Awards nominations will continue to be featured throughout the month on the 2025 Screen Awards Hub. The winners will be announced on December 24.
Here are the nominees for Best Lead Performance by an Actor - TV:
Adam Scott (Severance)
Adam Scott is the 4-time Emmy-nominated lead actor and executive producer of Apple's hit dystopian sci-fi series Severance. Known for both his comedic and dramatic talents, Scott rose to prominence in now-classic sitcoms like Parks and Recreation and Party Down before becoming the face of Apple TV's most-watched series of all time.
As protagonist Mark Scout, Scott introduced viewers to the eerily bland corporate world of Lumon Industries in 2022's debut season. In its long-awaited season 2, which premiered nearly a year ago in January 2025, Scott continued to be the main catalyst for uncovering a darkly fascinating conspiracy, one that masterfully blended elements of sci-fi, thriller, and mystery in an unforgettable performance.
Ethan Hawke (The Lowdown)
4-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke has been gracing both the big and small screens for decades, and 2025 proves that he's still at the top of his game. Fresh off his Golden Globe nomination for Richard Linklater's Blue Moon, Hawke captivated audiences in FX's new series The Lowdown as the effortlessly cool yet relentlessly troublesome Lee Rayborn, a crafty bookstore owner who moonlights as a bumbling detective in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Hawke teamed up with Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo for The Lowdown as its star and executive producer. The new – and somewhat overlooked – series is a critical darling, earning a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% and the AFI Award for Best TV Program of the Year. Hawke is a delight to follow as the insightful yet reckless Lee, serving as a tiny hopeful beacon that truth can bring justice to corruption.
Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
Noah Wyle was nominated five times for the Supporting Actor - Drama Emmy Award as John Carter on ER during the 1990s before finally winning not one, but two Emmys for The Pitt earlier this year. To say that's a long time coming would be an understatement for the actor, who plays Dr. Michael Robinavitch, a lead doctor at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center in HBO Max's hit medical drama.
The Pitt cleaned up at the 2025 Emmys, winning Outstanding Drama Series (over Severance, which led all series with 27 nominations) and Lead Actor - Drama for Wyle, who also served as executive producer. The Pitt is already considered one of the best TV series of all time after its breakout debut season, ranking #41 on IMDb's Top 250 list. As the deeply human and resilient Dr. Robby, Wyle brilliantly encapsulates the heroics and horrors of a modern attending ER doctor.
Seth Rogen (The Studio)
Seth Rogen has been a household name for nearly two decades since his instant classic movie Superbad was released in 2007. The comedic superstar finally earned his flowers at the Emmys this year with Apple TV's The Studio, winner of Outstanding Comedy Series and Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Rogen, who stars in and also co-created the satirical showbiz series.
It's no secret that Hollywood tends to adore films and series about itself during awards season (see La La Land, for example), but The Studio does more to poke fun at the industry than romanticize it. Rogen's Matt Remick is a genuine film lover who gets the dream job of running a big studio, only to discover that loving movies is much easier to do than actually getting them made.
Tim Robinson (The Chair Company)
Like Nathan Fielder and Eric Andre, Tim Robinson has nearly invented his own signature brand of comedy that has propelled him from a brief stint as an SNL cast member to one of the biggest comedic talents working today. Known for his absurd and cringe-inducing style, Robinson may have just perfected his craft with the hit HBO series The Chair Company – a comedic conspiracy thriller with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Robinson's idiosyncratic approach to The Chair Company as its star, co-creator, and executive producer has made it one of the most innovative and oddly suspenseful shows of the year. Between off-beat one-liners and unpredictable character choices, Robinson's William Ronald Trosper, a suburban family man determined to expose an apparently corrupt chair manufacturer, is one 2025 TV character that audiences couldn't stop watching this year.