2026 Emmy Awards: 'Widow's Bay' and 'The Pitt' Achieve Major Wins

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were held in Los Angeles, where the emergency room drama "The Pitt" and the comedy-horror series "Widow's Bay" received top honors. "Widow's Bay" won the award for best comedy series, surpassing last season's winner, "Hacks." Matthew Rhys, a star of "Widow's Bay," made history by winning two lead acting awards at the same ceremony, while Stephen Root received the award for best supporting actor in a comedy, defeating Harrison Ford from "Shrinking." Root acknowledged Ford's contributions during his acceptance speech. Jean Smart won her fifth Emmy for her role as Deborah Vance in "Hacks," making her the first actress to win best lead comedy actress for every season of a show's run. Overall, Smart has won eight Emmys in her career. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is noted for winning the award for six of the seven seasons of "Veep." Noah Wyle, who portrayed Dr. "Robby" Robinavitch on "The Pitt," won his second consecutive Emmy for best lead drama actor. "The Pitt" also secured its second consecutive Emmy for best drama series, competing against nominees such as "Pluribus," "Paradise," and "The Diplomat." Rhea Seehorn won best actress in a drama for her role in "Pluribus," having been nominated twice previously without a win for her role in "Better Call Saul." Vince Gilligan won best drama writing for "Pluribus." The award for best variety series went to "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," which concluded its farewell season with a total of six Emmys after CBS announced the cancellation of the program due to financial pressures. Colbert criticized the network's explanation, suggesting it was influenced by pressure from President Donald Trump regarding his frequent satire of the administration.