In 2026 the show ‘Widow’s Bay’ makes history by winning 14 awards, while ‘The Pitt’ and ‘DTF St. Louis’ each win 7.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were marked by a number of records, several repeat wins and a few surprising omissions. Apple TV’s horror-comedy Widow’s Bay secured a record 14 awards, whereas HBO’s medical drama The Pitt and the limited series DTF St. Louis each won seven awards in a closely contested race.
Widow’s Bay Breaks the Comedy Record
Widow’s Bay didn’t just win; it changed history. The series from its first season became the comedy with the most awards in a single Emmy year, beating the record set last year by The Studio. Its 14 awards comprised six won at the main telecast (in the categories of Best Comedy Series, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Writing and one other) and eight won at the Creative Arts ceremony.
Key Wins for Widow’s Bay
- Outstanding Comedy Series
- Lead Actor, Comedy: Matthew Rhys (who also won Lead Actor in a Limited Series for The Beast in Me, making him the first performer to win two lead acting Emmys in one night)
- Supporting Actor, Comedy: Stephen Root
- Supporting Actress, Comedy: Kate O’Flynn
- Writing for a Comedy Series: Katie Dippold (creator)
The combination of small-town satire, a sense of supernatural dread and strong characterisation clearly hit a chord with the voters, even though it meant that Hacks had to end its run prematurely, the show having entered the night with the highest number of comedy nominations of all for its final season.
The Pitt Repeats, But Underperforms Elsewhere
In Drama, The Pitt managed to achieve two consecutive victories in the Outstanding Drama Series category, with star Noah Wyle once again being awarded Lead Actor, Drama. However, the HBO Max ER drama did not meet expectations in the other categories, as it failed to turn its substantial number of nominations into a wider range of wins.
Drama Highlights
- Outstanding Drama Series: The Pitt
- Lead Actor, Drama: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
- Supporting Actor, Drama: Tom Pelphrey, Task (a surprise win that thrilled the room; Pelphrey dedicated his award to his pregnant wife, Kaley Cuoco)
- Supporting Actress, Drama: Allison Janney, The Diplomat (in a crowded field that included four The Pitt nominees)
The fact that the top award at The Pitt was divided between Task and The Diplomat shows how fragmented the drama category was this year, since Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus also received major awards for Lead Actress (Rhea Seehorn) and Writing.
The DTF St. Louis Limited Series Sees an Upset
In the Limited or Anthology Series category, DTF St. Louis achieved a near sweep by defeating several heavily favoured rivals to win the award for Outstanding Limited Series together with six further Emmys. The HBO true-crime satire received praise for its sharp writing, attention to period detail and outstanding performances, concluding one of the most surprising sequences of the night.
Limited Series Highlights
- DTF’s St. Louis series in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology category.
- Supporting Actor, Limited Series: David Harbour
- Multiple Creative Arts wins for casting, editing and sound
Biggest Surprises and Snubs
Surprise: Tom Pelphrey Takes Supporting Drama
Although it was expected that The Pitt would take home the awards in the supporting categories, Tom Pelphrey won the award for Task by delivering an emotional speech which immediately became a highlight. His win showed strong support for the tough crime drama and provided the evening with one of its most memorable moments.
Snub: The Pitt’s Supporting Women
Although Allison Janney, who was acting in The Diplomat, won the award, The Pitt had four nominations in the Supporting Actress, Drama category Katherine LaNasa, Taylor Dearden, Sepideh Moafi, and Fiona Dourif and thus came away empty-handed. The outcome has led many to question whether the show’s strong cast caused the votes to be split or if the voters had simply favoured Janney’s exceptional performance.
Fun Moment: Megan Stalter Becomes an Emmy
Even though she didn’t win in the Supporting Actress or Comedy categories, Megan Stalter, star of the show Hacks, took centre stage on the red carpet by painting her body gold, wearing angel wings and posing as a live Emmy statuette complete with a large atom prop. This dramatic display brought to a close a lighthearted evening which also included Jalen Brunson opening the show and numerous jokes that were meta in nature about television itself.
What the Wins Say About TV in 2026
Genre-Bending Comedy Has the Potential to Take Over
Widow’s Bay shows that horror-comedy mixes featuring a strong ensemble can succeed in a highly competitive field.
The Drama Is Fragmented
Since The Pitt, Task, The Diplomat and Pluribus have all won top prizes, the drama scene now seems more varied and more competitive than ever.
The Limited Series Is Still a Strong Force
DTF St. Louis’s sweep demonstrates that bold and stylised storytelling in the limited format continues to attract significant attention.
