The 2026 Emmy winners crowned a haunted island comedy and an actor who won for two very different performances. Widow’s Bay won a record 14 awards, and its star, Matthew Rhys, also won for the Netflix thriller The Beast in Me.
Apple TV’s horror-comedy broke the single-year comedy record of 13 awards set by The Studio in 2025, according to the Television Academy. Its total includes eight Creative Arts awards and six prizes at the main ceremony on 14 September.
Voters have rewarded the show’s acting, writing, directing and production across the two stages of the competition.
Read more: Bad Bunny leads the early 2026 Emmy winners
Emmy winners 2026 reward an actor across three genres
Rhys won the lead actor award in a comedy for Widow’s Bay and the lead actor award in a limited series or television film for The Beast in Me.
His earlier drama win for The Americans means he has now won in all three lead-acting categories — a first, the Academy says.
The double victory offers viewers a useful alternative to a long winners list: two contrasting performances by the same actor, one in a horror-comedy and the other in a thriller.
The Pitt holds on, Hacks loses top prize
The Pitt retained the drama series award, while Noah Wyle won again for his central performance. Widow’s Bay defeated the final season of Hacks in comedy, although Jean Smart took another acting prize, Reuters reported.
The main results give viewers a compact catch-up list:
| Programme | Major recognition |
| Widow’s Bay | Comedy series; lead actor Matthew Rhys |
| The Pitt | Drama series; lead actor Noah Wyle |
| DTF St. Louis | Limited or anthology series |
| Pluribus | Lead drama actress Rhea Seehorn |
| The Beast in Me | Lead actor in a limited series or film, Matthew Rhys |
| Hacks | Lead comedy actress Jean Smart |
Read more: Three episodes and one Emmy: Rob Reiner’s best The Bear moments
