Emmy winners 2026: ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘The Pitt’ dominate

What the report says

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were held in Los Angeles on Monday, with the drama "The Pitt" and the comedy-horror series "Widow’s Bay" emerging as the major winners, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on AP and Reuters coverage. The night recognized a mix of established stars and newer breakout shows, with prizes spread across acting, writing and series categories.

"Widow’s Bay," set in a cursed New England town, took the comedy series award and also delivered notable acting wins. Matthew Rhys made history by becoming the first person to win two lead acting honours at the same ceremony, while Stephen Root won supporting actor in a comedy. In one of the evening’s standout individual achievements, Jean Smart won her fifth Emmy for "Hacks," becoming the first performer to win lead comedy actress for every season of the same show.

In the drama races, "The Pitt," set in a Pittsburgh emergency department, won best drama series for a second straight year, and Noah Wyle repeated as best lead drama actor for his role as Dr. Robby Robinavitch. Rhea Seehorn won best drama actress for "Pluribus," and Vince Gilligan was recognized for writing. The article also notes that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" won best variety series as it ends its run, adding a political and business dimension to the evening after CBS cited financial pressures in cancelling the show.