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 the best programs and performances from the past year on television’s biggest night.
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 Colbertwon for Outstanding Variety Series, one of six Emmys it received in its final season.
Also see:The best, boldest and most ‘wait, what’ red carpet looks, from Zendaya’s crystals to Shailene Woodley’s closet roulette
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 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, Chiefs tight end 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 full coverage of the 2026 Emmys below for all the big talking points, behind-the-scenes moments and much more.
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Here are this year’s biggest winners
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We asked 13 kids to rate the Emmys red carpet. Here’s what they said.
Yahoo’s young fashion critics are back. The 2026 Emmys red carpet delivered the usual entertaining spectacle of good, bad, bold and bizarre. But the 13 kids — ranging in age from 2 to 16 — we rounded up for their fashion takes saw things through a Gen Alpha lens.
Elsa and Anna, Rosalina, Willy Wonka and Minecraft got name-dropped. They saw a red suit and thought: My Little Pony. A cape made them wonder: Superman … or Jesus?
Meg Stalter drew the most reactions — and understandably so, considering she dressed like a human Emmy. The verdicts were overwhelmingly positive. What can we say? They love gold.
The young critics raised practical concerns at times. Would Zendaya’s floor-dragging dress get dirty? How did Selena Gomez get into her metallic gown? Would Eunice Bae’s fluffy look be itchy? Did we think Stalter ordered her giant orb from Amazon?
We loved their imaginations. In the designer ensembles, the kids saw cotton candy, pillows, birds, disco balls and a napkin. Someone was dubbed “a cavewoman sunflower.”
Here they are, in their own words.
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Breaking down Shailene Woodley’s Emmys outfits
Shailene Woodley had quite the sartorial evolution at this year’s Emmys.
At what were formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys on Sept. 6, Woodley won her first career Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Paradiseand accepted the award in a white miniskirt.
At last night’s primetime Emmy Awards, Woodley showed up on the red carpet in what could be charitably described as something a little different.
As Yahoo’s Kerry Justich put it: “Shailene Woodley appears to have played closet roulette.”
The newly minted Emmy winner combined a periwinkle halter top, gold sequined pants and burgundy gloves — a look she said was Balenciaga couture.
The ensemble divided the internet, with some wondering whether this is what happens when you use ChatGPT as your stylist.
Woodley wore the outfit onstage to present the Emmy for Drama Directing.
At one point inside the Peacock Theater, Woodley was photographed wearing a black blazer alongside Nicole Kidman. Then, she showed up to Disney’s Emmys afterparty in a vintage T-shirt promoting the 1986 film Home of the Brave.
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What you missed at the Emmys: Taylor Swift drops Easter eggs, John Mulaney gets censored and ‘Widow’s Bay’ sparks a relationship question
It’s the day after the Emmys, and a bunch of people just won awards for shows that you have to add to your ever-growing watchlist. On top of that, you’ve probably heard about a number of important pop culture developments: Taylor Swift made an unexpected appearance, Mariska Hargitay made the case that Law & Ordershould really let her crack a smile every once in a while and John Mulaney got a whole punchline censored from the broadcast.
There were many more musical numbers than expected and a lot of awards presented toWidow’s Bay in what ended up being a surprisingly short ceremony.
Here’s a small-talk guide to viral Emmys moments you might have missed.
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Stars hit the afterparties — with their Emmys in tow
Some of the night’s big winners attended Emmys afterparties — with their trophies in hand. Matthew Rhys, who made history by winning two Emmys for two separate leading roles (Widow’s Bayand The Beast in Me), showed up to Apple TV’s official afterparty at Hollywood’s NYA Studios West with his new hardware.
The Pitt star Noah Wyle came with two of his Emmys to the HBO Max afterparty at San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, where DTF St. Louis costars Jason Bateman and David Harbour were also seen clutching theirs.
Jean Smart, who won her record fifth consecutive Emmy for Hacks, was there too, though she was not photographed with her latest statuette.
Smart’s Hacks costar Megan Stalter didn’t need an Emmy trophy to be noticed at the party — she came dressed as one,
Maddie Allen, Megan Stalter and Chris Fleming at the HBO Max afterparty. Advertisement
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Savannah Guthrie thanks Allison Janney for message about Nancy Guthrie
Backstage after winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat— her eighth Emmy — Allison Janney talked with an NBC reporter who last spoke with Janney after Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared.
“I honestly can say I think about her every day and think about the loss and what Savannah and her family are going through,” Janney said.
On Tuesday’s Today show, Savannah Guthrie said she was “so touched” to hear Janney’s remarks.
“Thank you, Alison Janney, for remembering us and giving me that opportunity to renew that call,” she said. “We just want our mom home and give her a proper goodbye, that’s all.”
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Catherine O’Hara’s ‘kids’ pay emotional tribute to her at the Emmys: ‘She’s all of our mama’
The Emmys in memoriam segment included a touching tribute to Catherine O’Hara, who died in January.
Three of O’Hara’s onscreen children — Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Daniel Levy — took the stage to remember her.
“We remember her as the forgetful mother, right? But I will never forget about her,” said Culkin, who played O’Hara’s son in Home Alone.“There are all kinds of words I could use to describe Catherine. She was encouraging. She was warm. She was funny. But the word I think of is ‘mama.’ She wasn’t just a wife and mother to Bo and Matthew and Luke, she was my mom. And by extension, she’s all of our mama. By the way, call your mother tonight. For real. Give it up for the moms.
“Like a good mom, she always showed up when I asked her to. Because that was Catherine. That’s what she did. She showed up,” Culkin added. “And this is the best that we can do for her tonight. We’re showing up for her. She may have forgotten me — twice — but we will always remember her.”
Murphy and Levy, who starred opposite O’Hara as her children on Schitt’s Creek,also shared memories.
“Catherine’s laugh was a perpetual ‘yes and,'” Murphy said. “It challenged anyone who heard it to join in and be as delighted as she was, and she spread that delight everywhere.”
“The greatest lesson I learned from Catherine both personally and professionally was to always say yes,” Levy added. “Say yes to her instincts, all of them, as radical as they may sometimes seem, she is miles ahead of you and you will learn to catch up.”
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Stephen Root breaks Henry Winkler’s Emmys record
Widow’s Bay actorStephen Root said he was “happy” to break an Emmys record.
The 74-year-old was named Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, becoming the oldest person to win in the category. Henry Winkler, his former Barry costar, previously held the record after winning at 72 in 2018.
“I’m happy to break his record,” Root said backstage. “He’ll be happy to relinquish it, I’m sure.”
Root predicted there would be no hard feelings: “Henry’s gonna call and come give … a big teary hug.”
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Stephen Colbert says he was ‘hallucinating’ during acceptance speech
Stephen Colbert has moved on from The Late Show — and he’s keeping busy.
Just months after the series ended, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series. Backstage, Colbert gave an update on his next project: cowriting a Lord of the Rings movie.
“That’s what I’m doing,” he said when asked what’s next “That takes a lot of time, man. You ever written a Lord of the Rings movie? It’s a full-time job.”
Colbert, who is writing the film with Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee, said he had flown in from New Zealand just a day earlier for Monday’s ceremony. He said, “I went from yesterday to tomorrow, so I don’t know how many days today has been. What did I say in my speech? I was hallucinating up there.”
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The best, boldest and most ‘wait, what’ red carpet looks
The 2026 Emmy Awards celebrated the best performances on television, but some of the night’s most memorable moments took place before anyone stepped onstage.
This year’s Emmys red carpet delivered method dressing, unapologetic splashes of color, coordinated families, ’90s nostalgia and an expectant plus-one. If this was the dress rehearsal, we’re in for a fun awards season.
Read more on last night’s red carpet looks here.
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Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan shares Season 2 update
Pluribus Season 2 is taking shape after the show took home six Emmys.
Rhea Seehorn won best actress in a drama series, while creator Vince Gilligan took home the award for drama series writing.
Backstage, Gilligan revealed that he’s finished the first two scripts for Season 2 and that the entire season has been mapped out.
Seehorn hasn’t seen the scripts yet. “I don’t have anything,” she said, as
“The rest of them are in various stages of being written, but we know what the whole season is,” Gilligan said, adding that he plans to share the scripts with Seehorn soon.
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‘Widow’s Bay’ star teases ‘wild’ celebrations
Widow’s Bay had a huge night at the Emmys.
The Apple TV show, set in a cursed island town, set a single-season record for a comedy with 14 wins, including best comedy series and best actor for star Matthew Rhys, who personally took home three trophies.
“The celebrations will be long, varied, and I hope at times wild,” Rhys said backstage.
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From a viral Halloween post to Emmys glory
Congratulations are in order for first-time Emmy winner Katie Dippold.
The Widow’s Bay showrunner is just the sixth woman in history to win best comedy series as the sole creator of a show.
As the others were Susan Harris (The Golden Girls), Diane English (Murphy Brown), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
Dippold was previously best known for a decade-old viral post showing her awkwardly dressed as the horror character The Babadook at a Halloween party.
“When I was sitting there in that costume,” Dippold said backstage after the show, “I did not think that this moment would happen.”
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Zendaya hasn’t had an ‘official’ wedding ceremony yet, says stylist
Wait, are Zendaya and Tom Holland not “officially” married?
Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach, claimed on the Emmys red carpet that the Spider-Man costars, who are reported to have tied the knot, “actually haven’t had an official ceremony yet.”
He added, “It’s gonna happen after the Dune press tour,” referencing Zendaya’s latest movie, Dune: Part Three, which hits theaters in December.
He also dismissed AI-generated images that purported to show the couple’s wedding, saying, “The AI images were totally fake, for sure. That dress was ugly.”
He said in July that the pair “had a private wedding, and they got away with it.”
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Taylor Swift skips the Emmys to cheer on Travis Kelce
Donna Kelce, Taylor Swift and Tom Cruise attend the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. Taylor Swift was turning heads wherever you looked last night.
On TV screens, the superstar appeared alongside Mariska Hargitay in a prerecorded, Easter-egg-filled Law & Order sketch for the Emmys.
On the same night, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., she joined Tom Cruise in the stands to watch husband Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs kick off their season against the Denver Broncos.
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‘The Diplomat’ star Allison Janney makes Emmys history
Allison Janney had a historic night at the Emmys.
The star of Netflix’s The Diplomat won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. It was the eighth Emmy of her career, meaning she is tied for the all-time record for most Emmy wins by a performer — a record also held by Jean Smart (who picked up her eighth on Monday night also), Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In her speech, Janney said, “This is not what I planned for this category at all. I’m very surprised and very, very grateful to be here.”
She hailed costar Keri Russell as “the coolest woman on the planet.”
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Jean Smart gets standing ovation for record-tying win
The room rose to applaud Jean Smart after her Best Actress award for Hacks , meaning she has won an Emmy for every season of the show.
The actor won over fans and the industry as wisecracking comedian Deborah Vance in the series, which wrapped its fifth season earlier this year.
“Just the men stay standing. The girls get to sit down,” she joked as she accepted her trophy.
Smart now has eight Emmys in her career. She won her first Emmys for guest appearances on Frasier and then another for a supporting role on Samantha Who.
She is now tied for the most Emmy wins by an actor of any gender with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman and Alison Janney, who also won her eighth award on Monday night for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat.
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Noah Wyle races off to round up ‘The Pitt’ cast after big Emmys win
The Pitt star Noah Wyle was seen jumping up from his seat and running off to gather his costars and crew after the show won Outstanding Drama Series.
Wyle, who plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the embattled head of a Pittsburgh ER, also won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Accepting the award, the actor told the room: “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do and this is the only club I’ve ever wanted to join. Thank you for accepting me.”
The Pitt won five Emmys in total.
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Marcello Hernández really wants Zendaya and Tom Holland at his dinner party
Comedian and actor Marcello Hernández decided to shoot his shot at the Emmys, using his time onstage to hand out dinner party invites to Zendaya and Tom Holland.
Presenting the award for Best Directing for a Comedy Series, Hernández said: “I wanna say hi to Zendaya! You’re a beast and you’re amazing, and I saw you and I wanted to play it cool and I’ve decided I can’t do that,” as Zendaya laughed. “So I would like to invite you and Spider-Man to have dinner at my house.”
Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac and Matthew McConaughey also made Hernández’s dinner party guest list.
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Apple TV dominates with 28 wins
Apple TV dominated the Emmys, with the platform securing a record-breaking 28 wins for its shows.
In addition to Widow’s Bay leading the pack with 14 wins, Pluribus won six, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale three each, while Slow Horses and Mr. Scorsesepicked up one apiece.
It also posted an impressive win rate compared with its rivals. While Apple submitted just 31 shows, Netflix had 125 and HBO 86.
Last year, the streaming service picked up 13 wins for The Studio, but HBO beat it to the top spot.
