The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place Monday night at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay. By the end of the night, two shows had written themselves into television history. “Widow’s Bay” set a new record for most Emmy wins by a comedy series, taking home 14 trophies across both the Creative Arts and Primetime ceremonies.
“The Pitt” held its ground in drama, winning Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year. Matthew Rhys became the first actor in Emmy history to win two lead actor awards in the same night, taking home trophies for both “Widow’s Bay” and “The Beast in Me.”
Emmy Night’s Historic Wins And Career Milestones
Jean Smart wins Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for #Hacks at the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/GGjkyjo2ro
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 15, 2026
Jean Smart added to what is already one of the most decorated runs in Emmy history. Her fifth consecutive win for “Hacks” brought her career total to eight, tying the all-time performer record shared by Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Allison Janney joined that group on the same night with her own eighth career win for “The Diplomat.”
Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his decades of contributions to Parkinson’s research and advocacy. The ceremony also paid tribute to Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, and the late Rob Reiner, who posthumously won an Emmy the previous week for his guest role in “The Bear.”
78th Emmy Awards: The Big Winners of the Night
“Widow’s Bay” was the most-awarded show at the #Emmys this year, winning 14 trophies total and helping Apple TV dominate the night with 28 overall wins.https://t.co/AN44AyGwS0 pic.twitter.com/4bD4hsWZ0l
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
“Widow’s Bay” dominated the comedy categories from the first award of the evening to the last. Kate O’Flynn opened the night with best supporting actress in a comedy; Stephen Root took supporting actor; Matthew Rhys won lead actor; and Jean Smart claimed lead actress for “Hacks.” Hiro Murai won directing for a comedy series, and Katie Dippold won writing, completing a near-total sweep of the category for the Apple TV Plus series.
In drama, “The Pitt” had it’s second consecutive best drama win. Still, Rhea Seehorn’s victory for “Pluribus” in the lead actress category was one of the night’s most celebrated moments. Tom Pelphrey won supporting actor in a drama for “Task,” while Allison Janney took supporting actress for “The Diplomat.” Vince Gilligan won writing for a drama series for Pluribus, and Saul Metzstein won directing for “Slow Horses.” Sally Field won lead actress in a limited series for “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” and “DTF St. Louis” took the outstanding limited series trophy.
Here is the full list of winners at the 78th Emmy Awards…
Drama Series
WINNER: The Pitt
Nominees:
- The Diplomat
- The Gilded Age
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Paradise
- Pluribus
- Slow Horses
- Your Friends and Neighbors
Comedy Series
WINNER: Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Abbott Elementary
- The Bear
- Hacks
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Nobody Wants This
- Only Murders in the Building
- Shrinking
Limited or Anthology Series
WINNER: DTF St. Louis
Nominees:
- All Her Fault
- The Beast in Me
- Beef
- Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Nominees:
- Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
- Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
- Mark Ruffalo, Task
- Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Nominees:
- Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
- Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
- Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Zendaya, Euphoria
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
- Steve Carell, Rooster
- Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Nominees:
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
- Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Nominees:
- Riz Ahmed, Bait
- Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
- Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
- Oscar Isaac, Beef
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Nominees:
- Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
- Carey Mulligan, Beef
- Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
- Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, Task
Nominees:
- Patrick Ball, The Pitt
- Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
- Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
- Gerran Howell, The Pitt
- Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
- Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
WINNER: Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Nominees:
- Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
- Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
- Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
- Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
- Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
- Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
- Paul W. Downs, Hacks
- Harrison Ford, Shrinking
- Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Michael Urie, Shrinking
- Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
- Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
- Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
- Megan Stalter, Hacks
- Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Reality Competition Series
WINNER: The Traitors
Nominees:
- Dancing with the Stars
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Survivor
- Top Chef
Variety Series
WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Nominees:
- The Daily Show
- Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
- Saturday Night Live
Writing for a Drama Series
WINNER: Vince Gilligan, Pluribus
Nominees:
- Debora Cahn, The Diplomat
- Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman and R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt
- Valerie Chu, The Pitt
- Will Smith, Slow Horses
- Brad Ingelsby, Task
Writing for a Comedy Series
WINNER: Katie Dippold, Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Tim Robinson, The Chair Company
- Michael Patrick King, The Comeback
- Lucia Aniello, Hacks
- Anthony King, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
Directing for a Drama Series
WINNER: Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses
Nominees:
- Salli Richardson Whitfield, The Gilded Age
- Hanelle M. Culpepper, Paradise
- Noah Wyle, The Pitt
- Vince Gilligan, Pluribus
- Salli Richardson Whitfield, Task
Directing for a Comedy Series
WINNER: Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay
Nominees:
- Randall Einhorn, Abbott Elementary
- Christopher Storer, The Bear
- Andrew DeYoung, The Chair Company
- Lucia Aniello, Hacks
- Mary Lou Belli, The Ms. Pat Show
Featured image: @televisionacad/Instagram
