The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards have concluded, and the results are in. HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt and its comedy standout Hacks dominated the night, while a stunning double win from Matthew Rhys and historic victories from Jean Smart and Noah Wyle defined the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The Pitt entered the night as the most-nominated drama with 25 nods, while Hacks led all comedies with 24 nominations, breaking the record for the most Emmy nominations for a comedy series in a single year. Both shows delivered on expectations, with The Pitt taking Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year and Hacks earning major acting honors in its final season.
But the night’s biggest surprises came from Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay, which swept several major comedy acting categories, and from Matthew Rhys, who made Emmy history with a dual victory that no male actor had ever achieved before.
The Primetime Emmy Awards recognize excellence in American primetime television programming, honoring achievements in acting, directing, writing, and production across drama, comedy, limited series, reality, and variety categories. Administered by the Television Academy, the Emmys are widely considered the television equivalent of the Oscars and represent the industry’s highest honors for small-screen achievement.
The 2026 ceremony marks the 78th edition of the Primetime Emmys, celebrating television content that aired during the 2025–2026 season. With streaming platforms now competing directly against traditional broadcast networks, the awards have become a key battleground for prestige and industry recognition.
The Pitt solidified its status as television’s reigning drama, winning Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row. The HBO Max series, which follows the intense hour-by-hour operations of an emergency department, entered the night with 25 nominations and converted that momentum into major victories.
Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, his second consecutive win in the category. The series also saw Tom Pelphrey take home Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the crime drama Task, a win that highlighted the broader strength of HBO’s drama slate.
Hacks capped its acclaimed run with a dominant performance in the comedy categories. Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth consecutive year, completing an unprecedented sweep for her role as Deborah Vance. No actor had previously won an Emmy every year for a series lasting more than three seasons.
Smart’s victory was also her eighth career Emmy, tying her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman, and Allison Janney for the most acting Emmys in television history.
The freshman Apple TV+ series Widow’s Bay emerged as the night’s breakout star, winning multiple major acting awards in its first season. Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in the comedy-horror series, while Kate O’Flynn took Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Stephen Root also won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in the series, completing a near-sweep of the major comedy acting categories.
Winner: The Pitt (HBO Max)
The Pitt’s second consecutive Outstanding Drama Series win cements the show’s place as the defining drama of its era. Created by R. Scott Gemmill and developed with Noah Wyle and John Wells, the series reimagined the medical drama format for streaming audiences with its real-time, hour-by-hour structure.
The show’s victory came over a competitive field that included The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, Pluribus, Slow Horses, and Your Friends & Neighbors. With its 25 nominations leading all programs, The Pitt’s Drama Series win was a fitting culmination of a dominant awards season.
Winner: Hacks (HBO Max)
Note: The Outstanding Comedy Series winner was not explicitly confirmed in available search results at the time of writing. Based on the ceremony’s overall results and Hacks’ dominant performance—including Jean Smart’s historic fifth win—Hacks is the likely winner. Readers should verify this result against the official Television Academy winners list.
Hacks entered the night with 24 nominations, the most ever for a comedy series, breaking the previous record of 23 held by The Bear and The Studio. The series competed against Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, and Widow’s Bay.
The limited series race featured All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis, and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The category saw Matthew Rhys win Outstanding Lead Actor for The Beast in Me and Sally Field reportedly upset Carey Mulligan for Outstanding Lead Actress. DTF St. Louis also performed strongly, with David Harbour and Linda Cardellini winning supporting acting awards.
Winner: Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO Max)
Noah Wyle won his second consecutive Emmy for his role as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the dedicated but weary emergency room physician at the center of The Pitt. Wyle’s victory was widely expected given the show’s dominance, but the win carries special significance for the actor, who achieved international fame as Dr. John Carter on ER in the 1990s before experiencing a major career resurgence with this role.
In his acceptance speech, Wyle acknowledged his fellow nominees, calling them “phenomenal,” and recognized the broader creative team behind the series.
Winner: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus (Apple TV+)
Rhea Seehorn won her first Emmy for her role in Vince Gilligan’s post-apocalyptic drama Pluribus, an emotional victory that saw her become emotional during her acceptance speech. Seehorn had previously been nominated multiple times for her work on Better Call Saul without a win, making this recognition particularly meaningful.
She prevailed over a strong field that included Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Chase Infiniti (The Testaments), Keri Russell (The Diplomat), and Zendaya (Euphoria).
Winner: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay, part of a historic double victory that also saw him win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.
Rhys beat a competitive field that included Steve Carell (Rooster), Jason Segel (Shrinking), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man).
Winner: Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
Jean Smart completed an unprecedented sweep, winning her fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth and final season of Hacks. The victory made her the first performer to win an acting Emmy for every season of a show that lasted more than three seasons.
Smart’s win also tied her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman, and Allison Janney for the most acting Emmys in history, with eight total. In her speech, she thanked Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, saying “It all begins and ends with them”.
Winner: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his performance in The Beast in Me, completing a historic double victory on the same night. Rhys became the first male actor to win Emmys in all three lead acting categories—drama, comedy, and limited series—having previously won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Americans in 2018.
He won over Riz Ahmed (Bait), Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit), Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), and Oscar Isaac (Beef).
Winner: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix)
Sally Field won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, an upset victory over heavily favored Carey Mulligan (Beef). The win adds another major honor to Field’s distinguished career.
Other nominees included Claire Danes (The Beast in Me), Carey Mulligan (Beef), Sarah Pidgeon (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette), and Sarah Snook (All Her Fault).
Winner: Tom Pelphrey, Task (HBO)
Tom Pelphrey won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Task, delivering an emotional acceptance speech in which he thanked his partner, Kaley Cuoco. Pelphrey’s victory came in a category dominated by The Pitt nominees, including Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy, and Gerran Howell, along with Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Pluribus).
Winner: Allison Janney, The Diplomat (Netflix)
Allison Janney won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Netflix’s political drama The Diplomat. The victory was notable because The Pitt had four nominees in the category—Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, and Sepideh Moafi—yet none prevailed.
Janney’s win also contributed to the historic night in which multiple performers tied the record for most acting Emmys.
Winner: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Stephen Root won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Widow’s Bay, part of the freshman series’ remarkable acting sweep. He prevailed over Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Nick Offerman (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), Michael Urie (Shrinking), and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary).
Winner: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Kate O’Flynn won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, defeating a field that included her co-star Dale Dickey, Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), Megan Stalter (Hacks), and Jessica Williams (Shrinking).
O’Flynn was the first winner announced during the night’s telecast.
Winner: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis (HBO)
David Harbour won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis, a win announced during the Creative Arts ceremony. He competed against Jason Bateman (DTF St. Louis), Richard Gadd (Half Man), Richard Jenkins (DTF St. Louis), Charles Melton (Beef), and Nick Offerman (Death by Lightning).
Winner: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis (HBO)
Linda Cardellini won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for DTF St. Louis, also announced during the Creative Arts ceremony. Her fellow nominees included Dakota Fanning (All Her Fault), Laurie Metcalf (Monster), Joy Sunday (DTF St. Louis), Yuh-Jung Youn (Beef), and Constance Zimmer (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette).
Noah Wyle’s second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series represents one of television’s most remarkable career revivals. The 55-year-old actor first became a household name in the 1990s as Dr. John Carter on ER, the medical drama that defined the genre for a generation.
In The Pitt, Wyle plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a character that allows him to revisit the medical drama format with a darker, more contemporary sensibility. The role demands a balance of emotional restraint and visceral urgency, anchoring the series’ ensemble cast through its intense real-time narrative structure.
Wyle’s victory was widely expected given The Pitt’s critical and commercial success, but the win nonetheless marks a significant milestone in a career that has found new creative vitality.
Jean Smart’s fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks is a record-setting achievement that cements her place among television’s most decorated performers. No actor had previously won an Emmy every year for a series lasting more than three seasons until Smart accomplished the feat.
Smart’s portrayal of Deborah Vance—a brash, aging stand-up comedian fighting against obscurity and sexism—has been the defining role of her later career. The 75-year-old actress, who first gained national attention on Designing Women, won her first Emmys for guest appearances on Frasier and a supporting role on Samantha Who.
Her total of eight Emmys ties her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman, and Allison Janney for the most acting Emmys in television history. In her acceptance speech, Smart reflected on the journey: “What a ride this has been”.
Matthew Rhys made Emmy history by winning two lead acting awards in different categories on the same night—a feat no male actor had previously achieved.
Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me. Combined with his 2018 win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Americans, Rhys became the first male actor to win Emmys in all three lead acting categories.
The achievement is particularly notable given the rarity of actors being nominated in multiple lead categories in the same year, let alone winning both. Rhys, who has been nominated for eight Emmys overall, delivered a night that will be remembered in Emmy history.
Outstanding Drama Series: The Pitt (HBO Max)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO Max)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tom Pelphrey, Task (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Allison Janney, The Diplomat (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis (HBO)
Outstanding Reality Competition Program: Not confirmed in available sources
Outstanding Variety Series: Not confirmed in available sources
Outstanding Variety Special (Live): Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny
Based on the available results from the Primetime ceremony:
The Pitt led the drama categories with wins including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor (Noah Wyle). The show also had significant recognition in the Creative Arts Emmys, which are counted separately from the Primetime ceremony.
Widow’s Bay delivered a remarkable freshman performance, sweeping Outstanding Lead Actor (Matthew Rhys), Supporting Actor (Stephen Root), Supporting Actress (Kate O’Flynn), and Writing for a Comedy Series. Reports indicate the series tied a record for Emmys for a comedy in a season with 13 wins when including Creative Arts honors.
Hacks earned major acting recognition with Jean Smart’s historic win, along with its nomination dominance.
Sally Field’s win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie over Carey Mulligan, who was heavily favored for Beef, ranked among the night’s most unexpected results. Field’s victory demonstrated that Emmy voters still reward established star power and career achievement in competitive races.
While some industry observers predicted Widow’s Bay would perform well, the extent of its acting sweep—taking Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress—exceeded most expectations. The comedy-horror series, which received 19 nominations, established itself as a major awards contender in its first season.
Taylor Swift appeared in a pre-taped Law & Order: SVU skit with host Mariska Hargitay, addressing speculation about whether she would attend the ceremony. In the sketch, Swift’s character delivered a series of seemingly random words directly to camera: “Saccharine. Aries. From the Vineyard. North or South”. The moment became one of the night’s most-discussed segments.
Hacks actress Megan Stalter, who lost her Supporting Actress category, made headlines by painting her entire body gold and wearing angel wings to dress as an Emmy statuette on the red carpet. The playful move, which coincided with her birthday at midnight, provided a memorable moment amid the competitive awards.
Despite having four nominees in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category—Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, and Sepideh Moafi—The Pitt failed to win, with the award going to Allison Janney for The Diplomat. The outcome was notable given the show’s overall dominance elsewhere.
The Game of Thrones spinoff received eight nominations but won only one award—Outstanding Stunt Performance—despite being one of HBO’s most ambitious productions of the year. Its limited success highlighted the challenges facing franchise extensions in competitive Emmy fields.
Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show continued its Emmy recognition even after CBS ended the series, underscoring the enduring critical respect for late-night programming amid changing network priorities.
Mariska Hargitay became the first woman to host the Primetime Emmys in 15 years, opening the show with a pre-taped musical bit that featured her singing a parody of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” retitled “I Love TV Screens”. The sketch included cameos from Jean Smart, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jalen Brunson, with Hargitay traveling from New York to Los Angeles in a whirlwind sequence.
Nicole Kidman interrupted Hargitay’s opening monologue in a comedic bit referencing Kidman’s famous AMC Theatres advertisement. As Hargitay delivered an emotional speech about television’s power, Kidman interjected from the front row: “Nope. Come on, that’s my line.” Hargitay responded: “Zip it movie lady, it’s TV’s time tonight!”
Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz reunited onstage to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just months after a planned reboot was scrapped. When Boreanaz mused whether their characters would ever get together, Gellar replied: “Guess we’ll never find out!”
Michael J. Fox was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his advocacy work through the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The 65-year-old actor, who has lived with Parkinson’s disease since 1991, received a standing ovation and opened his speech with a characteristic joke about having to sit while others stand.
The ceremony’s In Memoriam segment featured emotional tributes to Catherine O’Hara, who died in January, and Rob Reiner, who was killed in December along with his wife Michelle. Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy led the O’Hara tribute, while Jamie Lee Curtis spoke about Reiner, visibly overcome with emotion.
| Category | Winner | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Drama Series | The Pitt | HBO Max |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Noah Wyle | The Pitt |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Rhea Seehorn | Pluribus |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Tom Pelphrey | Task |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Allison Janney | The Diplomat |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Matthew Rhys | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Jean Smart | Hacks |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Stephen Root | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Kate O’Flynn | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series | Matthew Rhys | The Beast in Me |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series | Sally Field | Remarkably Bright Creatures |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series | David Harbour | DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series | Linda Cardellini | DTF St. Louis |
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards saw major wins for The Pitt (Outstanding Drama Series), Hacks (Jean Smart’s fifth Lead Actress win), and Widow’s Bay (multiple acting awards including Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, and Kate O’Flynn).
The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
The available search results did not explicitly confirm the Outstanding Comedy Series winner. Readers should verify this result against the official Television Academy winners list.
Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt, while Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in both Comedy (Widow’s Bay) and Limited Series (The Beast in Me).
Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, and Sally Field won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Yes. The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series and Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Yes. Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth consecutive year.
Yes. Noah Wyle won his second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt.
Yes. Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, setting a record for winning an acting Emmy for every season of a show lasting more than three seasons.
The Pitt, Hacks, and Widow’s Bay were the biggest winners, with Noah Wyle, Jean Smart, and Matthew Rhys among the most prominent individual victors.
The complete official winners list is available on the Television Academy’s website. Major entertainment news outlets also publish comprehensive category-by-category results.
Sally Field’s upset win over Carey Mulligan, Widow’s Bay’s acting sweep, and Matthew Rhys’ historic double victory were among the night’s most surprising outcomes.
The 2026 Emmy Awards underscored several significant trends in the television landscape. The continued dominance of The Pitt demonstrates that prestige dramas with innovative formats and strong ensemble casts can sustain awards momentum across multiple seasons. Meanwhile, Hacks’ final-season recognition reflects the industry’s enduring appreciation for character-driven comedy with sharp writing.
Widow’s Bay’s freshman sweep signals that Emmy voters remain receptive to bold, genre-blending series that defy traditional categorization. The comedy-horror hybrid’s success suggests that Apple TV+ has established itself as a major player in awards competitions, joining HBO Max and Netflix at the top tier of streaming platforms.