Widow’s Bay, The Pitt Dominate 78th Emmy Awards
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay and Home Box Office (HBO) Max’s The Pitt emerged as the major winners at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live, where Widow’s Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series and The Pitt retained Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
Widow’s Bay led the televised ceremony with six awards, taking its total for the 2026 Emmy season to 14 after collecting eight awards at the second Creative Arts ceremony on Sunday, September 6.
The 14-award haul broke the previous record of 13 Emmys won by a comedy series in a single season, set by The Studio in 2025.
The comedy-horror series also collected awards for lead actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, writing and directing, alongside its Outstanding Comedy Series victory.
Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in Widow’s Bay, before adding another lead acting Emmy for The Beast in Me.
The double victory made Rhys the first person to win two Emmys for leading performances in different categories in the same year.
His latest achievement also completed a rare sweep across the three lead acting categories, following his previous drama lead victory for The Americans in 2018.
Speaking after his historic night, Rhys said, “I am slightly giddy and a little bit dizzy.”
He also described the achievement as something he could not immediately believe, saying, “I genuinely can’t believe it.”
The Pitt, meanwhile, secured Outstanding Drama Series for its second season, becoming the first series since Mad Men to win the top drama prize for each of its first two seasons.
The medical drama also produced a repeat winner in its lead acting category, with Noah Wyle taking Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
Wyle’s back-to-back victory made him the first actor since Bryan Cranston in 2009 to win the lead drama acting Emmy for the first two seasons of a series.
Reflecting on the success of the second season, Wyle said, “It’s incredibly gratifying coming back and feeling like we did it.”
The 78th ceremony also recorded several other historic achievements across the acting and programme categories.
Jean Smart won her fifth Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award for the fifth and final season of Hacks, becoming the first performer to win the acting category for every season of a series.
The victory also took her career acting Emmy total to eight, tying the record for most acting Emmy wins by a performer.
Allison Janney also reached eight acting Emmy wins after taking Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat.
Sally Field became the oldest winner of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie after winning for Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Stephen Root, 74, also became the oldest winner of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series after winning for Widow’s Bay.
Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, while DTF St. Louis won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
The Traitors won Outstanding Reality Competition Programme for the third consecutive year, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert secured Outstanding Variety Series for the second consecutive year.
The ceremony was hosted by Mariska Hargitay and broadcast live on NBC and Peacock from the Peacock Theater at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles.
The 78th Emmy Awards followed the two Creative Arts ceremonies held on September 5 and 6, which recognised achievements across technical, artistic and other categories.
With its record 14 victories, Widow’s Bay finished the Emmy season as the most-awarded comedy series in a single year, while The Pitt strengthened its position as a repeat winner of television’s top drama honour.
The 2026 ceremony therefore combined record-breaking performances, repeat victories and first-time milestones as the television industry celebrated its latest achievements in Los Angeles.
