Emmys 2026 Winners: Widow's Bay and The Pitt Sweep Night

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the Emmys 2026 winners list was topped by two shows: Apple's Widow's Bay and HBO Max's The Pitt. Widow's Bay took home the trophy for Outstanding Comedy Series and racked up 14 prizes overall, making it the most honored program of the year, while The Pitt was named Outstanding Drama Series and collected seven honors. See the full list of winners from Empire.

It was a night that rewarded both fresh faces and familiar ones. Apple TV's comedy earned wins across acting, directing, and writing categories, while the medical drama The Pitt dominated the drama field. The ceremony, which aired live from Los Angeles, drew television's biggest names together for one of the most competitive awards seasons in recent memory.

A night owned by two shows

Widow's Bay beat out a stacked comedy field that included Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, and Shrinking to claim the Outstanding Comedy Series prize. The show's haul of 14 Emmys made it the runaway winner of the evening. Matthew Rhys picked up Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show, Stephen Root won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Kate O'Flynn took Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

The show also swept the behind-the-camera comedy categories, with Hiro Murai winning for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Katie Dippold winning for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. According to multiple reports from the ceremony, the Widow's Bay team spent much of the night on stage, and the show's 14 wins put it well ahead of every other comedy in the field.

The Pitt, meanwhile, turned its first eligibility season into a coronation. The medical drama won Outstanding Drama Series over The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, Pluribus, and Slow Horses, and Noah Wyle was named Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The show's seven honors made it the second most awarded program of the night.

Records and repeat winners

Matthew Rhys made history by winning twice in one night. In addition to his comedy acting win for Widow's Bay, he also took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his performance in The Beast in Me. It is rare for a performer to win two acting Emmys on the same night, and the double victory instantly became one of the evening's defining storylines.

Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, her eighth career Emmy. The win moved her into a tie with Cloris Leachman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Allison Janney for the most acting wins by a performer in Emmy history. Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, while Sally Field was named Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures.

In the supporting categories, Tom Pelphrey won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Task and Allison Janney won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat. Vince Gilligan won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Pluribus, and Saul Metzstein won Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Slow Horses.

The red carpet and the rest of the night

Before the winners were announced, the blue carpet delivered its usual share of fashion moments. Zendaya, nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria, arrived in a custom Giorgio Armani Prive gown with a crystal-embellished sheer base and a plunging neckline, accessorized with Mikimoto jewelry and a pixie haircut, according to Cosmopolitan, as reported by The Shade Room. Sheryl Lee Ralph attended with her husband, Vincent Hughes, wearing a strapless sequin Sergio Hudson gown in shades of white, cream, brown, green, and gray.

The ceremony also handed out some familiar hardware to familiar faces. The Traitors captured Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the third consecutive year, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Variety Series for the second straight year. Michael J. Fox was recognized with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

DTF St. Louis won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, beating All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The limited series pulled in seven Emmys in total, matching The Pitt's haul and tying for second most awarded program of the night.

With the Emmys in the books, attention now turns to film awards season, where the Toronto International Film Festival has already started shaping the Oscar conversation. For more red carpet looks from awards season, check out our roundup of Oscar party fashion. On television's biggest night, the Emmys 2026 winners came from two shows that owned the evening from start to finish.