The Apple TV series swept the night, making history with the most wins for a comedy in a single year.

Emmys 2026: Widow’s Bay sets a new record — see the complete list of winners

The Apple TV series swept the night, making history with the most wins for a comedy in a single year.

By Kat Pettibone

on September 14, 2026 11:44 p.m. ET

Matthew Rhys; Jean Smart. Credit:

Chloe Kern/WireImage; Rich Polk/Variety via Getty

- The 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

- *Widow’s Bay* swept the evening, making history with the most wins for a comedy in a single year.

- The ceremony came one week after the Creative Arts Emmys, where the Television Academy presented more than 100 awards over a two-night event.

The Primetime Emmy Awards are keeping the celebration going.

The 2026 ceremony kicked off at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Mariska Hargitay taking the stage for her hosting debut as some of this year’s biggest shows competed for TV’s biggest honor.

*The Pitt* and *Hacks* headed into the night as the leading contenders in their respective fields, with 25 and 24 nominations each. *The Pitt* won its second straight Outstanding Drama Series trophy, while star Noah Wyle defended his Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series crown.

*Hacks* star Jean Smart ultimately made history with her win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, giving her eight total Emmy wins and tying her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most acting wins by any performer in Emmys history (Allison Janney later joined the exclusive club with her eighth win, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for *The Diplomat**)*. Smart’s triumph also marked a historic fifth consecutive victory for her role on *Hacks*.

It was *Widow’s Bay*, however, that was the big name of the evening. After winning eight trophies at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, it won its remaining six categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series, on Monday for a total of 14 — the most ever won by a comedy in a single year. Its fellow Apple TV comedy *The Studio* had set the record last year with 13 wins.

*Widow’s Bay*’s wins included Matthew Rhys taking home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, his second trophy of the evening after nabbing Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his performance on *The Beast in Me. *The two-punch combo made him the first-ever nominee to win two lead acting Emmy Awards in the same year. Combined with his 2018 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series prize for *The Americans*, Rhys is the first person to win lead acting awards in all three genres.

The 2026 ceremony also welcomed back several familiar faces to the Emmys race: Zendaya, who was once again up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for *Euphoria*, (a win that ultimately went to *Pluribus’ *Rhea Seehorn), while Steve Carell returned to the comedy space for *Rooster* with an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination (ultimately losing out to Rhys).

Noah Wyle accepts the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Award for ‘The Pitt’ onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Lisa Kudrow, scored two nominations this year for the long-awaited third season of *The Comeback*, earning a lead actress nod for her performance as Valerie Cherish, and a second for Outstanding Writing on a Comedy Series. (The wins went to Smart and *Widow’s Bay* creator Katie Dippold, respectively.)

Monday’s winners joined an already lengthy list of this year’s Emmy honorees. More than 100 trophies were previously handed out after the Television Academy presented the Creative Arts Emmys across two nights on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6. Besides* Widow’s Bay*’s aforementioned eight wins there,* *Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show snagged with seven, while *DTF St. Louis* and *The Traitors* each picked up six.

2026 Emmy winner predictions: Our final picks in drama, comedy, limited series, and acting categories

Awardist 2026: Emmys contenders issue

The Creative Arts ceremony also saw the late Rob Reiner receive a posthumous Emmy for his guest-starring role on *The Bear. *Presenter Wendi McLendon-Covey accepted the award on his behalf, telling the audience, “We all wish he were here.” He was honored once again during Monday’s ceremony’s In Memoriam segment, which also paid tribute to late stars Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, Tim Curry, and more.

See the complete list of winners of the 2026 Emmys below:

Outstanding Drama

*The Diplomat****The Gilded Age****A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms****Paradise*****WINNER: *The Pitt******Pluribus****Slow Horses****Your Friends & Neighbors*

Lead Actress in a Drama

Carrie Coon, *The Gilded Age***Chase Infiniti, *The Testaments***Keri Russell, *The Diplomat*****WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, *Pluribus*****Zendaya, *Euphoria*

Lead Actor in a Drama

Sterling K. Brown, *Paradise***Gary Oldman, *Slow Horses***Mark Ruffalo, *Task***Rufus Sewell, *The Diplomat*****WINNER: Noah Wyle, *The Pitt***

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Taylor Dearden, *The Pitt***Fiona Dourif, *The Pitt*****WINNER: Allison Janney, *The Diplomat*****Katherine LaNasa, *The Pitt***Sepideh Moafi, *The Pitt***Julianne Nicholson, *Paradise***Karolina Wydra, *Pluribus*

Allison Janney at the 78th Emmy Awards.

Rich Polk/Variety via Getty

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Patrick Ball, *The Pitt***Billy Crudup, *The Morning Show***Shawn Hatosy, *The Pitt***Gerran Howell, *The Pitt***Jack Lowden, *Slow Horses*****WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, *Task*****Carlos-Manuel Vesga, *Pluribus*

Outstanding Comedy

*Abbott Elementary****The Bear****Hacks****Margo’s Got Money Troubles****Nobody Wants This****Only Murders in the Building****Shrinking*****WINNER: *Widow’s Bay***

Lead Actress in a Comedy

Quinta Brunson, *Abbott Elementary***Ayo Edebiri, *The Bear***Elle Fanning, *Margo’s Got Money Troubles***Lisa Kudrow, *The Comeback*****WINNER: Jean Smart, *Hacks***

Lead Actor in a Comedy

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, *Wonder Man***Steve Carell, *Rooster*****WINNER: Matthew Rhys, *Widow’s Bay*****Jason Segel, *Shrinking***Martin Short, *Only Murders in the Building*

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Dale Dickey, *Widow’s Bay***Hannah Einbinder, *Hacks***Janelle James, *Abbott Elementary*****WINNER: Kate O’Flynn, *Widow’s Bay*****Michelle Pfeiffer, *Margo’s Got Money Troubles***Megan Stalter, *Hacks***Jessica Williams, *Shrinking*

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Colman Domingo, *The Four Seasons***Paul W. Downs, *Hacks***Harrison Ford, *Shrinking***Nick Offerman, *Margo’s Got Money Troubles*****WINNER: Stephen Root, *Widow’s Bay*****Michael Urie, *Shrinking***Tyler James Williams, *Abbott Elementary*

**Watch EW and PEOPLE’s interview with Emmy winner Stephen Root below. **

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

*Dancing With the Stars****RuPaul’s Drag Race****Survivor****Top Chef*****WINNER: *The Traitors***

Alan Cumming and crew from ‘The Traitors’ accept the Outstanding Reality Competition Program Award at 78th Primetime Emmys.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

*All Her Fault****The Beast in Me****Beef*****WINNER: *DTF St. Louis******Love Story*

Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Claire Danes, *The Beast in Me*****WINNER: Sally Field, *Remarkably Bright Creatures*****Carey Mulligan, *Beef***Sarah Pidgeon, *Love Story***Sarah Snook, *All Her Fault*

Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed, *Bait***Jason Bateman, *Black Rabbit***Charlie Hunnam, *Monster: The Ed Gein Story***Oscar Isaac, *Beef*****WINNER: Matthew Rhys, *The Beast in Me***

Matthew Rhys accepts the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Award for ‘The Beast In Me’ onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series

*The Daily Show****Jimmy Kimmel Live ****Last Week Tonight With John Oliver *****WINNER: *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert ******Saturday Night Live*

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

*Abbott Elementary* (Quinta Brunson for “Team Building”)***The Chair Company* (Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)***The Comeback *(Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow for “Valerie Does It All”)***Hacks *(Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for “Hacks”)***Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat* (Anthony King for “Mergers and Acquisitions”)****WINNER: *Widow’s Bay *(Katie Dippold for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”)**

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

*Abbott Elementary* (Randall Einhorn for “Ballgame”)***The Bear* (Christopher Storer for “Bears”)***The Chair Company* (Andrew DeYoung for “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does”)***Hacks* (Lucia Aniello for “Hacks”)***The Ms. Pat Show *(Mary Lou Belli for “Give It Arrest”)****WINNER: *Widow’s Bay *(Hiro Murai for “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”)**

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

*The Diplomat *(Peter Akerman and Debora Cahn for “Amagansett”)***The Pitt *(Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill for “1:00 PM”)***The Pitt* (Valerie Chu for “12:00 PM”)***Industry (*Mickey Down and Konrad Kay for “Dear Henry”)****WINNER: *Pluribus* (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)*****Slow Horses* (Will Smith for “Scars”)***Task *(Brad Ingelsby for “A Still Small Voice”)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

*The Gilded Age* (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “My Mind Is Made Up”)***Paradise *(Hanelle M. Culpepper for “Exodus”)***The Pitt* (Noah Wyle for “12:00 PM”)***Pluribus* (Vince Gilligan for “We Is Us”)****WINNER: *Slow Horses* (Saul Metzstein for “Scars”)*****Task* (Salli Richardson-Whitfield for “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river”)

- Awards Shows & Events

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Emmys”