Emmy awards 2026 live: Noah Wyle, Matthew Rhys and Jean Smart win as Widow’s Bay cleans up

​Jean Smart, who seems genuinely moved even after EIGHT Emmy wins (five from Hacks alone), thanks the room, then orders all the men to stay standing and let the women sit down.

Smart now ties for the most acting wins in Primetime Emmy history, tied with Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who also have eight. (Leachman also has a daytime Emmy)

An early opening salvo for what could be a huge night for Widow’s Bay! Kate O’Flynn, arguably the best part of this delightful spooky series, seems genuinely shocked to win her first major US acting award. “This is the role of a lifetime,” she beams, thanking the show’s creators for “trusting this Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like a Patricia.”

She added: “This is for all the Patricias out there” – read: social outcast weirdos with a deadpan sense of humor and a knack for the attracting the occult – “see you at sunset cocktails.”

And we’re off! The stars are seated, host Mariska Hargitay has taken the stage and the 78th annual Primetime Emmy awards are under way. Everyone’s fave Captain Olivia Benson is joined by none other than New York Knicks star (and her No 1 fan) Jalen Brunson for a pre-taped segment in which the two are steaming dresses, leading to a song in which she sings the praises of loving TV screens to the tune of I Love Rock’n’ Roll (with a little help from Jeff Hiller, Jean Smart and Jennifer Coolidge, who I wish was doing this montage instead …)

Hargitay is, by her own admission, not a comedian but she fares better in the live element (perhaps it’s that Broadway training!), taking the stage at the Peacock Theater with a joke about the seemingly 100-year tenure on Law & Order: SVU and being the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years. “Imagine that, for 15 straight years, Amy and Tina said no,” she quipped.

After another bit botching the word “finale” – “I’m sorry guys, I’ve just never had one!” – she takes a seemingly serious and sincere turn:

I am truly, deeply moved and so incredibly grateful to be in a room full of people who have dedicated their lives to telling stories.

Does Nicole Kidman rest? Fresh off the promo circuit for Practical Magic 2, the Aussie star is a late but always welcome addition to the red carpet:

Just under 10 minutes to go now, and the last of the red carpet arrivals are hustling (I hope) into the theater…

This year’s red carpet is actually peacock blue this year – a colour switch to mark the 100th anniversary of NBC, which broadcasts the ceremony.

It’s a sea of Jessica Rabbit red, glittering gold and bold backless dresses on the red carpet before the 78th annual Primetime Emmy awards. Zendaya, Selena Gomez, Mariska Hargitay and power couple Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell have all arrived. The award for best effort surely goes to Hack’s Meg Stalter (who can beat that?)

It could also be a big year for couple goals. The adorable Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell aren’t just onscreen lovers, they’re together in real life (since 2013, catch up!).

If they both win an Emmy tonight, they would be the first couple to do so in 40 years. They’d also be the first real-life couple to win for different shows. Before them, married couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne took home two Emmys for The Magnificent Yankee, and William Daniels and Bonnie Bartlett both won for St Elsewhere.

Several records could be broken at this year’s Emmys. Take Harrison Ford for example; the 84-year-old actor (who hasn’t won an Emmy in his career yet) could become the oldest person to win the supporting actor category for comedy, taking the crown from Henry Winkler, who was 72 when he won for Barry in 2018. And if the prize goes to Stephen Root instead for Widow’s Bay, Winkler still gets knocked off the plinth, as Root is 74.

Neither would be the oldest person to ever win an Emmy though – that title belongs to David Attenborough, who last year became the oldest Emmy winner in history, aged 99. A tough one to beat!

Noah Wyle (55 years young) could also make history as the first performer to win both acting and directing prizes for a drama series in the same year. The Pitt star added a directing credit to his name on season two – and as Dr Robby is widely tipped to win the acting gong, Wyle could become the first to win both acting and directing Emmys on the same night for drama. The “for drama” bit is important because this feat has been achieved before in comedy: by Seth Rogan and Donald Glover.

There will be many eyes tonight on The Pitt, which heads into tonight’s telecast with 25 nominations, the most of any series this year (and it has already won four). The second season of this ER shift from hell may have garnered some pushback from viewers – it was tough, though I’d argue realistic, to watch Noah Wyle’s Dr Robby snipe, undermine and belittle some of his female coworkers – but I have little doubt the sophomore season will be an awards juggernaut again. My money’s on Wyle and co-star Katherine LaNasa as beloved charge nurse Dana Evans to both repeat their acting wins this year.

While we’re at it … my colleague Owen Myers and I took a crack at some predictions for tonight’s awards:

Just an interesting note re Apple TV, which has really come into its own over the last couple years: the streamer has won best comedy three times now (Ted Lasso twice and The Studio once) – but it has never won best drama, despite giving us great shows like Slow Horses and Severance. But Apple TV has two best drama nominations tonight – season five of Slow Horses and season one of Pluribus – so it could yet win TV’s most prestigious prize (if The Pitt somehow doesn’t win it again).

Also making their grand entrance … my two faves, Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, looking classy as ever. The Americans power couple turned once again dual nominees tonight could potentially become the first couple to win Emmys for different shows (Widow’s Bay and/or The Beast in Me for him, The Diplomat for her).

Zendaya is here! With even shorter hair than she’s been sporting of late and a dazzling silver gown that I will be examining from multiple angles:

Several of the best actress nominees – in drama, comedy and limited series – are making their way into the Peacock Theater:

Just a note on that Bad Bunny win at the un-televised night formerly known as the “Creative Arts Emmys”… the Puerto Rican superstar’s groundbreaking performance smashed the record for Emmys won by a Super Bowl half-time show, with seven total awards. (The only other Super Bowl half-time show to win for best live variety special – the 2022 hip-hop show starring Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent – took home three awards.) Bad Bunny’s show, for which he won as both performer and producer, also became the first Spanish-language program to win live variety special. The big Bad Bunny year continues!