Matthew Rhys and Jean Smart were among the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday, as the stars of critically acclaimed shows gathered to honor television’s best programs and performances from the past year.
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay grabbed 14 Emmys — a record for a comedy series. Its star, Rhys, won two Lead Actor Emmys: one for Widow’s Bay (comedy) and the other for The Beast in Me (limited series), becoming the first male performer to win two in the same year. Rhys — who won his first Emmy in 2018 as Leading Actor in a Drama for The Americans —also became the first male performer to win in all three lead acting categories.
Smart also made history, winning her fifth Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy for Hacks — a win for every season. Noah Wyle won for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on The Pitt, which also nabbed an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for the second straight year. CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won for Outstanding Variety Series, one of six Emmys it received in its final season.
The show was hosted by Mariska Hargitay, longtime star of Law & Order: SVU, who became the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years. Hargitay also appeared in a surprise SVU-style skit with longtime friend Taylor Swift, trying to solve the mystery of whether Swift would show up for the ceremony. (She didn’t — she was in Kansas City cheering on her husband, Travis Kelce.)
The Emmys also paid emotional tributes to late stars Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara and Dolly Parton. And Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation as he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his contributions to Parkinson’s research.
Read our coverage of the night below for all the big talking points, behind-the-scenes moments, analysis and much more.
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Tue, Sep 15, 2026 03:34 AM UTC
Mike Bebernes