2026 Emmy Awards Winners: Major Results and Records
Widow’s Bay won outstanding comedy series, The Pitt won outstanding drama and the 78th Emmys produced several acting and career milestones.
Timeline
- September 5–6, 2026: The Television Academy presented the Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies.
- September 14, 2026: The 78th Emmy Awards main telecast took place.
- After the telecast: The Academy published official recaps and complete category results.
The 78th Emmy Awards honored television from the 2025–2026 eligibility season. The Television Academy presented Creative Arts ceremonies on September 5 and 6, followed by the main awards telecast on September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. [1][2]
Widow’s Bay won outstanding comedy series and led the main telecast with six awards. The Academy’s recap said the program also established a record total for the year when its results across the Emmy ceremonies were considered together. [1]
The Pitt won outstanding drama series. It collected two awards on the main telecast, tying Pluribus for the second-highest telecast total behind Widow’s Bay. Ceremony-specific counts matter because Creative Arts wins can make a show’s complete total larger. [1][2]
Matthew Rhys became the first person to win two lead-performance Emmys in one year, according to the Academy. He won lead actor in a comedy for Widow’s Bay and lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for The Beast in Me. [1]
Jean Smart and Allison Janney each reached eight career Emmy wins. The Academy highlighted the milestone among the ceremony’s historical results. Career totals span multiple years and categories and should not be confused with the number of awards won by one program in 2026. [1]
The Traitors won outstanding reality competition program for a third consecutive year, while The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won outstanding variety series for a second straight year. Those streaks apply to the named program categories as of the 2026 ceremony. [1]
Winner totals can differ across summaries because some count only the televised ceremony and others include both Creative Arts nights. The official Academy recap and category database should be used for a complete list, while this guide concentrates on the most searched series and records. Nomination totals are another distinct measure and should never be presented as wins. [1][2]