Emmy Awards 2026: Widow's Bay dominates with 8 wins, The Pitt scores 4, 5 for Spider Noir; full winner’s list

The 78th Emmy Awards weekend has begun with a string of major wins, emotional tributes and first-time victories across television. Apple TV’s Widow's Bay emerged as one of the biggest early winners with eight awards, while HBO Max’s The Pitt added four trophies to its impressive second-season run. DTF St Louis also dominated the limited series categories with six wins. Meanwhile, posthumous recognition for Rob Reiner and first-time Emmy victories for David Harbour, Linda Cardellini and Shailene Woodley added emotional weight to the ceremony.

Widow's Bay leads early Emmy wins

Apple TV’s Widow's Bay emerged as the biggest winner of the first night, collecting eight Emmys for its debut season. The horror comedy stars Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a small New England town dealing with a centuries-old curse. The series picked up awards across several technical categories, including cinematography, sound, music and production design.

Betty Gilpin also won the Emmy for best guest actress in a comedy for her performance in the series. Her win added to the show’s strong showing ahead of the main Emmy Awards telecast.

The Pitt earns four Emmys

The Pitt continued its impressive awards run with four wins. The HBO Max medical drama was the year’s leading nominee with 25 nominations after its first season won the best drama series Emmy. Among its early wins was the award for best guest actor in a drama, which went to 73-year-old Ernest Harden Jr. for his portrayal of Louie Cloverfield, an emergency room regular and struggling alcoholic.

The victory marked Harden’s first Emmy win after decades of acting. Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivik also won for original music and lyrics for a song written around Harden’s character.

DTF St Louis scores six wins

DTF St Louis was another major force at the ceremony, taking home six awards in the limited series categories. The series also delivered first-time Emmy victories for its veteran co-stars David Harbour and Linda Cardellini. Harbour won best supporting actor in a limited series in his third Emmy nomination, while Cardellini took home best supporting actress in a limited series in her fourth nomination. Cardellini has built an acclaimed television career through roles in Freaks and Geeks and Mad Men, making her long-awaited Emmy victory a notable moment.

Rob Reiner wins Emmy posthumously

One of the most poignant moments of the ceremony came with the posthumous Emmy victory for Rob Reiner.Reiner won best guest actor in a comedy for his appearance on The Bear. His win prompted a lengthy standing ovation, with his friend and fellow The Bear guest star Jamie Lee Curtis among those present to honour him.

Reiner was killed alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in December. Their son has pleaded not guilty and has been charged in connection with their deaths. The Emmy came roughly five decades after Reiner won two awards for his acting on All in the Family.

Pluribus wins four Emmys

Another Apple TV newcomer, Pluribus, also had a strong night, taking home four trophies. Created by Vince Gilligan, the mind behind Breaking Bad, the series won awards including editing, production design and sound mixing. The early success adds to expectations that Pluribus could emerge as a major contender against The Pitt in the leading drama categories.

Shailene Woodley wins her first Emmy

Shailene Woodley earned her first Emmy for her performance in Paradise. The actress won best guest actress in a drama, marking her first victory at the television awards. Her win adds another major name to the list of performers recognised during the early ceremonies.

Canceled Spider-Noir wins five Emmys

Spider-Noir, the Nicolas Cage-led series, also made a significant mark at the ceremony despite being canceled by Amazon Prime Video after one season. The series won five Emmys, including awards for visual effects and stunts. Its recognition comes shortly after the cancellation, making its strong showing at the awards particularly notable.

Mariska Hargitay adds two more Emmys

Mariska Hargitay was also among the weekend’s winners, taking home two Emmys for My Mom Jayne, the documentary she directed about her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield. The victories add to Hargitay’s Emmy legacy. She previously won best actress in a drama in 2006 for her performance in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Bad Bunny wins his first Emmy

Bad Bunny secured his first career Emmy for his Super Bowl halftime show, which collected seven awards during the first ceremony of the weekend on Saturday. The win adds an Emmy to the global performer’s growing list of accolades and makes his Super Bowl performance one of the weekend’s standout award-winning productions.

Emmy Awards 2026: Winners mentioned so far

- Widow's Bay — 8 wins

- The Pitt — 4 wins

- DTF St Louis — 6 wins

- Pluribus — 4 wins

- Spider-Noir — 5 wins

- David Harbour — Best supporting actor in a limited series for DTF St Louis

- Linda Cardellini — Best supporting actress in a limited series for DTF St Louis

- Betty Gilpin — Best guest actress in a comedy for Widow's Bay

- Ernest Harden Jr. — Best guest actor in a drama for The Pitt

- Rob Reiner — Best guest actor in a comedy for The Bear, posthumously

- Shailene Woodley — Best guest actress in a drama for Paradise

- Mariska Hargitay — Two Emmys for My Mom Jayne

- Bad Bunny — Emmy for his Super Bowl halftime show

- Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivik — Original music and lyrics for The Pitt