TV’s biggest night is here! The 2026 Emmy Awards are underway in Los Angeles, with the stars of critically acclaimed shows vying for the coveted statuettes honoring television’s best programs and performances from the past year.
The show is being broadcast live on NBC and Peacock, with Mariska Hargitay, longtime star of Law & Order: SVU, becoming the first woman to host the ceremony in 15 years.
The night’s early winners included Matthew Rhys, who won two Emmys: Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Meand for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay; Jean Smart, who won her fifth consecutive Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy for Hacks; Allison Janney, who won her Supporting Actress in a Drama Emmy for The Diplomat;and Noah Wyle, who won for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on The Pitt.
CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which ended earlier this year, won for Outstanding Variety Series. Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation while accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his contributions to Parkinson’s research. And Sally Field and Reba McEntire led a tribute to the late Dolly Parton, with McEntire delivering a live performance of Parton’s “Appalachian Memories.”
There will be a total of 19 Emmy Awards presented on tonight’s primetime telecast. That’s in addition to about 100 Creative Arts Emmys that were handed out during a two-night gala earlier this month.
The Pitt led the way with 25 nominations, followed by Hacks with 24 nods — a record for a comedy series — and newcomers Widow’s Bay (19),Pluribus (18), Beef(16) and DTF St. Louis (13).
Follow our live blog below for live updates from the show, behind-the-scenes moments, analysis and much more.
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Mariska promised music — and boy did she deliver.
Mariska Hargitay wasn’t kidding when she told me there would be some singing and dancing during the show. Except that it’s a lot of singing and dancing! The crowd seems to be playing along for the most part, from the few faces I can see. Celebrities typically prefer a “play it safe” host to a roast host.
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‘DTF St. Louis’ wins Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
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Sally Field and Reba McEntire lead a tribute to Dolly Parton
The Emmys paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton in a segment led by Sally Field, Parton’s Steel Magnolias costar and longtime friend.
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one,” Field said. Parton died last month at 80 after a brief battle with cancer.
Fellow country music legend Reba Entire followed with a performance of Parton’s “Appalachian Memories.”
Parton had a long career in TV, including starring in a variety show called Dollyand playing herself in several TV shows. She was nominated for five Emmy Awards over the course of her career, winning one for Outstanding Television Movie for Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.
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Michael J. Fox thanks the Television Academy for ‘amazing, humbling honor’ of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
The beloved actor received an extended standing ovation from the crowd after being honored by the Television Academy for his contributions to Parkinson’s research.Â
Fox, who was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease in his late 20s, stepped away from full-time acting in 2000 to start his namesake foundation dedicated to finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s.
To date, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has invested over $3 billion, making it the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research.
Fox said he was especially touched to receive an honor named after Bob Hope, a man he described as a “selfless champion of soldiers and military families” like his own when he was a child.Â
“He embodied everything I came to believe in,” Fox said.Â
He also thanked the TV industry for standing by him throughout his struggles with the disease, allowing him to continue to work even as his condition worsened.Â
“You stood up for me, and I appreciate it,” he said.Â
Fox is the seventh person to be honored with the award, which was created in 2002 to recognize members of the TV industry “whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry and whose deeds and actions have a lasting impact on society.”
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‘Game of Thrones’ meets ‘The Bear’
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Justice for ‘Slow Horses’
Slow Horseshasn’t picked up any awards in the major categories but managed to snag a directing win, understandable for one of the sharpest-looking shows on television. It’s also one of the most consistent — the drama returns for a sixth season on Sept. 16, a year since its last.
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Hiro Murai wins Directing for a Comedy Series
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Randall Einhorn, Abbott Elementary
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Andrew DeYoung, The Chair Company
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Mary Lou Belli, The Ms. Pat Show
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Hiro Murai,Widow’s Bay —winner
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Keri Russell’s Emmy will come. Just not this year.
Eight-time Emmy nominee Keri Russell isn’t leaving with a trophy this year, but it’s honestly impressive that she’s been in contention so many times. As someone who’s covered a decade’s worth of Emmys, I know that just means her next role will be her best yet.
Her partner Matthew Rhys, who she met filming The Americans(for which he won his first Emmy) — just became the first person to win Best Actor in two lead categories at one ceremony for his roles on Widows Bayand The Beast in Me.I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t thank her in either of his acceptance speeches, but that must mean that he was instructed not to.
Congrats on your wins, Matthew, and on being a good partner. Keri, see you next year.
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‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ wins Outstanding Variety Series
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Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
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The Late Show With Stephen Colbert —winner
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Saul Metzstein wins Directing for a Drama Series
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Salli Richardson Whitfield, The Gilded Age
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Hanelle M. Culpepper, Paradise
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Saul Metzstein,Slow Horses —winner
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Salli Richardson Whitfield, Task
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Tom Pelphrey has nothing but love for ‘Task’ costar Mark Ruffalo
Tonight, Tom Pelphrey took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of the tragic and conflicted Robbie Prendergrast in Task. Pelphrey was quick to praise his costar, Mark Ruffalo, for being such a wonderful scene partner.
“Mark did all of the silent, kind of invisible things,” Pelphrey said in the press room. “He knew when to joke and when to be sort of still. He was just so incredibly supportive. It’s so true, there’s a generosity of spirit with him. … [He] just can’t help but make everyone else around him better. It’s a beautiful thing, and not everyone is that way, but he is.”
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Matthew Rhys makes history with dual acting wins
Rhys’s win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series made him the first male performer ever to take home lead acting Emmys in multiple categories in the same year.Â
Earlier in the ceremony, he also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.
Along with his drama win for The Americansin 2018, Rhys has now won for a lead performance in all three genres that the Emmys recognize.
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Katie Dippold wins Writing for a Comedy Series
Katie Dippold accepts the award for Writing for a Comedy Series (Phil McCarten/AP) -
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
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Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, The Chair Company
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Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow, Hacks
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Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks
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Anthony King, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
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Katie Dippold,Widow’s Bay —winner
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Add Sally Field to the Emmy upsets
Sally Field winning is a bit of a surprise — we haven’t had a TV movie performing win in a while, and the lead options really seemed to be between the Sarahs: Snook and Pidgeon for All Her Faultand Love Story, respectively.
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Sally Fields gets major love — and brings former costar Matthew Rhys to his feet
Standing ovation for Sally Field, clearly a darling in the room. Her Brothers and Sisters costar Matthew Rhys was among them, on his feet and cheering on the legendary star. Her speech may have run long, but no one cuts off Sally Field.
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Matthew Rhys wins Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
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Matthew Rhys,Widow’s Bay —winner
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Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
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‘The Pitt’ shut out of supporting wins despite 7 nominations
Surprise wins for Allison Janney and Tom Pelphrey in the drama supporting categories mean that none of The Pitt‘s seven supporting nominations resulted in an Emmy win tonight.
Four Pitt cast members, including last year’s winner, Katherine LaNasa, were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Three other members of the cast were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor.Â
It’s not all bad news for The Pitt, though. The show has already taken home four Emmys so far, including a second straight lead acting win for Noah Wyle. It also has a chance to repeat as Outstanding Drama Series later in the ceremony.
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Taylor Swift makes a surprise appearance as an ‘SVU’ detective
Taylor Swift, an Emmy winner who owns a cat named Olims Unit
In the sketch, she appears in character as a detective who helps the rest of the unit follow a trail of Easter eggs to determine whether Swift herself will appear at the Emmys.
Her contribution? A hunch that she might appear in a pre-taped sketch. Which she did. Case closed.
In real life, she’s at the Kansas City Chiefs game with Tom Cruise.
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Sally Field wins Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
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Sally Field,Remarkably Bright Creatures
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