One of the night’s biggest winners was The Pitt, which continued its impressive awards streak by taking home Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year. The acclaimed medical drama also earned a major acting victory, with Noah Wyle winning Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance on the show.

Meanwhile, Jean Smart further cemented her place in television history. The Hacks star won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth consecutive year, marking her eighth career Emmy. The achievement ties her with television legends Cloris Leachman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Allison Janney for the most acting Emmy wins by a performer. Smart also became the first woman to win the comedy lead actress category for every season of a show’s run.

Comedy newcomer Widow’s Bay emerged as another major success story of the evening. The series won Outstanding Comedy Series and secured three acting awards. Matthew Rhys claimed Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, while Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root won Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, respectively.

Rhys had an especially memorable night, adding a second Emmy to his collection by winning Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.

In the drama acting categories, Rhea Seehorn finally earned Emmy recognition for her work in Pluribus, taking home Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Tom Pelphrey won Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Task, while Allison Janney’s victory for The Diplomat added another trophy to her already impressive Emmy résumé.

The limited series categories also saw strong competition, with DTF St. Louis winning Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Sally Field received Lead Actress honors for Remarkably Bright Creatures, adding another prestigious award to her celebrated career.

Outside of scripted television, The Traitors continued its reality television dominance by winning Reality Competition Series, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert secured the award for Variety Series.

Several creative categories also highlighted outstanding behind-the-scenes talent. Saul Metzstein won Directing for a Drama Series for Slow Horses, while Hiro Murai earned Directing for a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay. Acclaimed creator Vince Gilligan won Writing for a Drama Series for Pluribus, and Katie Dippold received Writing for a Comedy Series honors for Widow’s Bay.

Here’s a list of winners at the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Comedy series

• “Widow’s Bay”

Drama series

• “The Pitt”

Lead actor in a comedy series

• Matthew Rhys, “Widow’s Bay”

Lead actress in a comedy series

• Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Lead actor in a drama series

• Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”

Lead actress in a drama series

• Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus”

Limited or anthology series

• “DTF St. Louis”

Lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me”

Supporting actor in a drama series

• Tom Pelphrey, “Task”

Supporting actress in a drama series

• Allison Janney, “The Diplomat”

Supporting actor in a comedy series

• Stephen Root, “Widow’s Bay”

Supporting actress in a comedy series

• Kate O’Flynn, “Widow’s Bay”

Lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures”

Reality competition series

• “The Traitors”

Variety series

• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

Directing for a drama series

• Saul Metzstein, “Slow Horses”

Directing for a comedy series

• Hiro Murai, “Widow’s Bay”

Writing for a drama series

• Vince Gilligan, “Pluribus”

Writing for a comedy series

• Katie Dippold, “Widow’s Bay”

The ceremony, hosted by Mariska Hargitay at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, also featured a special moment when Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his contributions beyond entertainment.

With historic wins, breakthrough performances, and several fan-favorite shows taking center stage, the 2026 Emmy Awards celebrated both television veterans and rising stars, proving once again that the small screen continues to deliver some of the industry’s most compelling storytelling.

Source: Compiled from various sources.