The Emmy Awards 2026 delivered several major wins and historic moments as the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards celebrated the best television performances and programs of the 2025–26 season.
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay emerged as the biggest winner of the night, taking home six awards during the main telecast and finishing the three-night Emmy event with 14 total Emmys. HBO Max’s The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series, while DTF St. Louis took Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
Among the acting winners, Matthew Rhys made Emmy history with two lead-acting wins in different categories, while Jean Smart and Allison Janney joined an elite group of performers with eight career acting Emmys.
Emmy Awards 2026: Who Won the Major Awards?
Here are the biggest winners from the 78th Emmy Awards:
| Category | Winner | Show |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Drama Series | The Pitt | The Pitt |
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Widow’s Bay | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | DTF St. Louis | DTF St. Louis |
| Lead Actor, Drama | Noah Wyle | The Pitt |
| Lead Actress, Drama | Rhea Seehorn | Pluribus |
| Lead Actor, Comedy | Matthew Rhys | Widow’s Bay |
| Lead Actress, Comedy | Jean Smart | Hacks |
| Supporting Actor, Drama | Tom Pelphrey | Task |
| Supporting Actress, Drama | Allison Janney | The Diplomat |
| Supporting Actor, Comedy | Stephen Root | Widow’s Bay |
| Supporting Actress, Comedy | Kate O’Flynn | Widow’s Bay |
| Lead Actor, Limited Series/Movie | Matthew Rhys | The Beast in Me |
| Lead Actress, Limited Series/Movie | Sally Field | Remarkably Bright Creatures |
| Reality Competition Program | The Traitors | The Traitors |
| Variety Series | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | The Late Show |
| Comedy Writing | Katie Dippold | Widow’s Bay |
| Drama Writing | Vince Gilligan | Pluribus |
| Comedy Directing | Hiro Murai | Widow’s Bay |
| Drama Directing | Saul Metzstein | Slow Horses |
Which Show Won the Most Emmys in 2026?
Widow’s Bay was the biggest overall winner of the 2026 Emmy Awards.
The Apple TV comedy-horror series collected 14 Emmys across the three-night awards event, including six during the main Primetime Emmy telecast. It won Outstanding Comedy Series along with acting, writing and directing awards.
The series’ 14 victories surpassed the previous single-year Emmy record for a comedy series, which had been set by The Studio with 13 awards in 2025.
Its main-telecast wins included Matthew Rhys for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Kate O’Flynn for Supporting Actress, Stephen Root for Supporting Actor, Katie Dippold for Comedy Writing and Hiro Murai for Comedy Directing.
Who Won Best Drama Series at the Emmys 2026?
The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series.
The HBO Max medical drama became the first series since Mad Men to win the top drama award for each of its first two seasons.
The show’s success was also reflected in the acting categories, with Noah Wyle winning Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.
Wyle’s victory was another historic achievement because he became the first actor since Bryan Cranston to win Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the first two seasons of a show.
Who Won Best Comedy Series at the Emmys 2026?
Widow’s Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series.
The Apple TV series dominated the comedy categories and became the night’s biggest overall program winner.
Matthew Rhys won Lead Actor, while Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root won supporting acting awards. Katie Dippold won for comedy writing, and Hiro Murai won for comedy directing.
Matthew Rhys Makes Emmy History
One of the most notable moments of the 2026 ceremony involved Matthew Rhys.
Rhys won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay and Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix’s The Beast in Me.
That made him the first person to win two Emmys for lead performances in two different categories during the same year.
With his earlier Emmy win for The Americans in 2018, Rhys also became the first performer to win lead acting Emmys across drama, comedy and limited-series/movie categories.
Jean Smart and Allison Janney Reach Eight Emmy Wins
Two veteran performers also reached a major milestone.
Jean Smart won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Hacks, giving her a fifth Emmy for the series and eight acting Emmys overall.
Allison Janney won Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat, also taking her career total to eight acting Emmys.
They joined Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the group of performers with the most Emmy acting wins.
Smart’s victory was particularly notable because she became the first performer to win an Emmy for every season of the same series.
Who Won Best Limited Series at the Emmys 2026?
DTF St. Louis won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
The HBO Max production took the top prize in the limited-series category during the main telecast.
The program finished the complete 2026 Emmy event with seven awards, making it one of the most successful shows across all three nights.
Who Won Best Reality Competition Show?
The Traitors won Outstanding Reality Competition Program.
The Peacock series secured its third consecutive Emmy in the category, continuing its recent dominance among reality competition programs.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wins Again
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Variety Series for the second consecutive year.
The victory was especially significant because the award came after the show’s final episode aired earlier in 2026.
Stephen Colbert and the show’s team received a major ovation during the ceremony.
Michael J. Fox Receives the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
Actor and philanthropist Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2026 Emmys.
The Television Academy recognized Fox for his long-running advocacy and fundraising efforts related to Parkinson’s disease research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
The special honor is separate from the competitive Emmy categories and is selected by the Academy’s board of governors.
Emmy Awards 2026: Other Historic Moments
The 78th Emmy Awards produced several additional milestones:
- Hiro Murai became the first Asian director to win Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
- Sally Field became the oldest winner in the Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.
- Stephen Root became the oldest winner in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category.
- Vince Gilligan won his first individual Emmy for writing for Pluribus.
- Rhea Seehorn earned her first Emmy for Pluribus.
- Tom Pelphrey earned his first Emmy for Task.
- Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root also became first-time Emmy winners.
How Many Emmys Did Widow’s Bay Win?
Across the three ceremonies making up the 2026 Emmy Awards, Widow’s Bay won 14 awards.
The overall multiple-award leaders were:
- Widow’s Bay — 14
- The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny — 7
- DTF St. Louis — 7
- The Traitors — 7
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — 6
- The Pitt — 6
- Pluribus — 6
- Spider-Noir — 5
- The Muppet Show — 4
The figures combine winners from Nights One and Two of the Creative Arts Emmys with the September 14 Primetime telecast.
When and Where Were the Emmy Awards 2026 Held?
The 78th Emmy Awards took place across three nights: September 5, September 6 and September 14, 2026.
The main Primetime ceremony was held on September 14 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. It was hosted by Mariska Hargitay and broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
The 2026 ceremony recognized television programming and individual achievements from the 2025–26 season.
Emmy Awards 2026: Final Takeaway
The 2026 Emmys were dominated by Widow’s Bay, which became the biggest overall winner with 14 awards and took home Outstanding Comedy Series.
The Pitt continued its strong Emmy run by winning Outstanding Drama Series, while DTF St. Louis claimed the limited-series prize.
The night also belonged to individual performers, particularly Matthew Rhys, Jean Smart, Allison Janney and Noah Wyle, who each added significant milestones to their Emmy records.
With its combination of major show victories and historic acting achievements, the Emmy Awards 2026 became one of the most notable ceremonies in recent years.
FAQ
Who won the Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2026?
The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series at the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Who won Best Comedy Series at the 2026 Emmys?
Widow’s Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series.
Who won Best Actor at the 2026 Emmy Awards?
Matthew Rhys won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, while Noah Wyle won Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt.
Who won Best Actress at the 2026 Emmys?
Jean Smart won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, while Rhea Seehorn won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus.
How many Emmys did Widow’s Bay win?
Widow’s Bay won 14 Emmys across the three-night 2026 awards event.
Who won the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2026?
Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his advocacy and contributions to Parkinson’s disease research.
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