Matthew Rhys’s double triumph: Highlights from the 2026 Emmys

The main ceremony was held on September 14 at the Peacock Theater, hosted by actress Mariska Hargitay. Awards were presented in 19 categories, completing three nights of celebrations, including ceremonies on September 5 and 6, honoring the 2025/2026 television season.

Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay led the winners with 14 Emmys. Six came during the main ceremony, including Outstanding Comedy Series. According to the Television Academy, the total set a new record for a comedy series, surpassing the 13 awards won by The Studio last year.

Widow’s Bay follows the mayor of a small island town in New England as he tries to attract tourists and revive the local economy. Residents believe the island is cursed, but the mayor refuses to take their fears seriously. When tourists finally arrive, old horror stories begin coming true. Apple TV describes the series as blending horror with character-driven comedy.

Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, while Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root took the supporting acting awards. Katie Dippold and Hiro Murai received the writing and directing awards, respectively, for the episode “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”

Rhys enjoyed a particularly successful evening. In addition to his performance as Mayor Tom Loftis, he was recognized for playing Nile Jarvis in Netflix’s The Beast in Me, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

According to the Television Academy, Rhys became the first performer to win two Emmys for leading roles in a single year. Combined with his 2018 victory for The Americans, he has now won lead acting awards across all three fields: drama, comedy, and limited series or television movies. Rhys received three Emmys in total this year, including one as an executive producer of Widow’s Bay.

The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series, while Noah Wyle received the lead actor award for his portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch. The series finished with six Emmys overall.

Pluribus also collected six awards. Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for playing Carol Sturka, while Vince Gilligan received the writing award for the episode “We Is Us.”

DTF St. Louis took the award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, collecting seven Emmys across the three ceremonies. Sally Field won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her portrayal of Tova Sullivan in Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Despite the success of Widow’s Bay, the lead actress award in comedy went to Jean Smart for playing Deborah Vance in Hacks. In the drama supporting acting categories, Allison Janney was recognized for The Diplomat and Tom Pelphrey for Task.

Beyond scripted series, The Traitors and the Super Bowl LX halftime show starring Bad Bunny stood out with seven awards each. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert finished with six Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Series.

Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. The Academy recognized his contributions to supporting Parkinson’s disease research and raising awareness of the condition. His former The Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies presented the honor.

The ceremony’s musical performances included Noah Kahan singing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” during the In Memoriam segment and Reba McEntire performing “Appalachian Memories” in tribute to Dolly Parton. Celebrity presenters included Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Matthew McConaughey, Emilia Clarke and Macaulay Culkin.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that The Pitt led this year’s Emmy nominations with 25 nods, followed by Hacks with 24. Widow’s Bay and Pluribus were also among the most-nominated shows.