Emmys 2026: The biggest winners from television’s night of nights

The television industry’s biggest night has wrapped, with the 78th Emmy Awards recognising the shows, performers and creative talent that made their mark over the past year. From returning favourites to breakthrough performances, the ceremony delivered plenty of memorable moments across drama, comedy, limited series and reality television.

By Chloe Posthumus

15 Sep 2026

Source: NBC Universal

Among the evening’s standout successes was Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, which made a strong showing across the comedy categories and was among the ceremony’s biggest winners.

The night also saw returning favourites strengthen their Emmy legacies, alongside performances that marked significant career milestones.

Widow’s Bay dominates comedy

The Apple TV series took home Outstanding Comedy Series, alongside a number of acting and creative awards. Including its Creative Arts wins, Widow’s Bay finished the awards season with a record 14 Emmys.

Matthew Rhys also made Emmy history, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Widow’s Bay, after earlier taking home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for Netflix’s The Beast in Me.

The double victory made him the first actor to win two lead acting Emmys at the same ceremony.

The Pitt holds onto drama crown

The Pitt continued its winning run with Outstanding Drama Series, while Noah Wyle claimed Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.

Rhea Seehorn also secured Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, adding another notable acting win to the drama categories.

More notable winners

Elsewhere, Jean Smart added another Emmy to her collection, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks. In the limited series categories, DTF St. Louis took home Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, while Sally Field was among the evening’s acting winners.

The ceremony also recognised reality and variety programming, with The Traitors winning Outstanding Reality Competition Program and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert taking the award for variety series.