Emmys 2026: 'Widow’s Bay' dominates comedy while 'Hacks' wins two awards
"Widow’s Bay" captured 14 of 19 comedy awards, and Jean Smart became the first actress to win best-actress Emmy for every season of a series, while several high-profile shows left empty-handed.
The 2026 Emmy Awards saw HBO Max’s comedy series Hacks receive a record 24 nominations for its final season but secure only two trophies: best actress for Jean Smart, who made history as the first woman to win that award for every season of a series, and a picture-editing prize at the Creative Arts ceremony.
Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay swept the comedy categories, winning 14 of the 19 awards for which it was nominated, including all comedy honors except best actress.
Other series fell short of expectations. The Bear earned a single win for guest actor Rob Reiner, who was honored with a tribute from Jamie Lee Curtis during the broadcast. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver failed to win any awards, as Stephen Colbert’s Late Show took both the combined best variety series and best writing for a variety series honors.
Saturday Night Live added only one award for best makeup, despite 11 nominations. In the limited-series field, DTF St. Louis captured best limited series but saw its supporting-actor, supporting-actress, and writing awards shifted to the Creative Arts ceremony. Beef season two, despite prior success, won three technical awards and no major categories.
Drama series The Pitt won best drama and best drama actor for Noah Wyle, bringing its total to six awards, though it missed writing and supporting-actress honors. Allison Janney surprised viewers by winning best supporting actress in a drama for her role as President Grace Penn in The Diplomat. Apple’s Slow Horses earned best directing, continuing the network’s recent strength in writing and directing categories.