Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys

So, what’s on the entertainment industry’s mind before the ceremony kicks off? The biggest things you need to know are that this could be another major year for the acclaimed HBO Max medical drama The Pitt—it could be the first show to win Best Drama Series for its first two seasons since Mad Men—and comedy is contentious.

The Bear sparked many debates in recent years about what kind of shows should really qualify in the comedy categories—and it is up for many awards this year—but critics largely agree that Best Comedy Series is split between Widow’s Bay and Hacks. Widow’s Bay is technically a horror-comedy (and a very funny one at that!), but could the wunderkind Apple TV word-of-mouth success unseat Hacks, a longtime Academy favorite? We’ll have to see! Even if Widow’s Bay wins in the overall category, Jean Smart seems poised to take home Best Actress in a Comedy Series, making her the first performer to win for every year of a show’s run.

Other awards to keep an eye on? Whether voters finally show Harrison Ford love at 84 for his work on Shrinking (and making him the oldest Best Actor in a Comedy winner); if newcomer Sarah Pidgeon can beat out industry titans for her breakout performance as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy on Love Story; and if Matthew Rhys can make history by pulling two lead acting wins (for Widow’s Bay and the limited series The Beast in Me).

Oh, and if you’re wondering why it seems so few awards are airing live? That’s because even more categories were moved to the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. If you still need to fill out a ballot card and want to look at the recent wins to inform your picks, here are some standouts: DTF St. Louis stars David Harbour and Linda Cardellini won for their supporting limited-series performances, and guest actor wins include the late Rob Reiner (The Bear), Betty Gilpin (Widow’s Bay), Shailene Woodley (Paradise), and Ernest Harden Jr. (The Pitt). Sadie Bell, Senior Culture Editor

To be completely honest, my heart isn’t totally in it this Emmys season! I was disappointed from the get-go that, yet again, the Academy shunned the delicious, sexy financial drama Industry and didn’t give Task and The Comeback the love they should have.

I will say, I was pleased to see how much appreciation the heartfelt Margo’s Got Money Trouble got; was glad Chase Infiniti earned a nod for the moving Handmaid’s Tale spinoff The Testaments; thought Sarah Pidgeon had the most quintessential starmaking turn in Love Story; and am overjoyed that Widow’s Bay charmed the industry with all of its quirks. (May we all have the same ascension as showrunner Katie Dippold, from being the "Babadook at a wine party" meme to helming one of the best series on TV.) So that being said, I am curious how the showdown between the Apple TV breakout and Hacks will play out. I love them both, but as a lover of witty, genre-defying horror, I would be thrilled to see Widow’s Bay take the crown.

I think part of what excites me about the moment Widow’s Bay is having is that it’s a rare newcomer amid crowded categories of longtime series or spinoffs. And (even as a Stephen King homage) it feels original. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing a hapless yet adorable Matthew Rhys fumble through supernatural happenings?

That’s what I’ll be watching for. But speaking of Rhys, I’ll also be watching for wholesome (and potentially hot!) moments between him and his wife, Keri Russell, who’s nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat. Consider them the King and Queen of the 2026 Emmys. SB

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Even though TV ties with books for my personal favorite storytelling medium, the Emmys always tend to frustrate me a bit. I’ll be the first to say that there are too many shows coming out each year for Emmy voters to catch every single one, but it’s annoying to see familiar names and arguably past-their-prime series edge out fantastic, underrated newcomers. (Something that could solve this? Best New [insert genre] Series categories!)

So tonight, I’m hoping host Mariska Hargitay and this year’s writers will have some surprises up their sleeves. Outside of countless Law Order joke opportunities and a Jalen Brunson cameo, how will Hargitay shake things up? Which of her other famous friends will make a surprise appearance? Will she bring out George Clooney for a surprise ER cast reunion? Will she, Selena Gomez, and Zendaya do a special reenactment of the “Bad Blood” music video? (The last suggestion is why I’m not currently an Emmys writer.) Quinci LeGardye, Culture Writer

The first win of the night: Widow’s Bay hive, you simply love to see it. Kate O’Flynn, who plays the final girl of the moment, Patricia, took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award. She gave a short, sweet speech for what marks her first-ever Emmy, saying she’s grateful for the opportunity to play such a “sassy broad.” The star dedicated the Emmy to “all the Patricias out there.” Weird girls, unite—we’re thrilled to have O’Flynn playing such a kooky, spooky character on screen! SB

It’s official: Jean Smart is the first woman to win an Emmy for every season of her show’s run. She began her fifth and final acceptance speech with a bit Deborah Vance would be proud of. She told the men to keep up the standing ovation and for the women to go ahead and sit down. “You got your Spanx and your corset and your tape and your shoes that are cutting your toes off. You're [thinking], ‘Oh, my God, she's not that good.’”

After shouting out “my reps who are the best in the business” and “my children, who are my anchor,” Smart dedicated the award to Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky, and Paul W. Downs. “I love you guys so much. Thank you all. What a ride this has been.”

Thank you, legend, for one more laugh. (HBO, release the recording of Deborah Vance Friends Enemies Live!) QL

It’s early in the night, but Rhea Seehorn has already claimed my favorite acceptance speech of the evening. The Pluribus star took home Lead Actress in a Drama tonight, continuing her winning streak for Vince Gilligan’s latest hit. As she took the stage, a tearful Seehorn made an aside that got my biggest laugh of the night so far: “Sorry, this is me on a beta-blocker. It's pretty bad.”

Like many Gilligan stans, I’m still salty that her performance as Kim Wexler didn’t nab an award, so it was so satisfying to hear her refuse to cut her speech short. Her speech honored the entire cast and crew of Pluribus, with a special shout-out to Gilligan for “creating sets where we all get to collaborate and we are actually made to feel safe to take risks so that we get better as artists.”

Seehorn also revealed a sweet story of camaraderie among her fellow nominees. She shared that fellow nominee Keri Russell sent the actresses a gift with a quote from the late Gloria Steinem, reading, “We are linked, not ranked.” Seehorn added, “I feel that way about all you women, so thank you for that.” QL

And the Emmy for Outstanding Presenter of the Night goes to…John Mulaney. The comedian handed out the coveted Outstanding Actor in a Drama award to the stacked roster of Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Mark Ruffalo (Task), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), and Noah Wyle (The Pitt)—and took the opportunity to make fun of the fellas.

He was given ample stage time to make jokes about everything from method acting to DJ Khaled’s infamous (and idiotic) hot take about how “real men” don’t perform oral sex on women. While Mulaney’s jokes were largely bleeped, he made the case that the boys up for Best Actor definitely don’t abide by DJ Khaled’s rules. What’s more? The Everybody’s Live host pulled out and quoted none other than the reputable, well-known book A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man. It was all a delightful, very funny bit (leading up to Wyle’s win). It was almost as if he was making a case for hosting next year—or, hey, maybe even later this awards season—and we would sure like to see it. SB

If there’s a red carpet with any chance of Taylor Swift being there, the Swifties are on the case, trying to figure out whether she’ll appear, what she’ll wear, and any Easter eggs that may accompany her ensemble. Considering her 2025 concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—The Final Show, earned five nods for her producing and starring efforts, the Emmys were obviously on their radar. With the pop superstar’s bestie—and inspiration for the name behind her cat, Olivia Benson—hosting, it seemed inevitable that she would do some sort of bit, even if she didn’t make it to the event. That’s exactly what happened when the singer-songwriter appeared in a silly, pre-recorded SVU sketch in which Hargitay and her co-stars examined a murder board, following clues of whether she might be at the awards show. Who shows up? None other than Tay Tay herself and her iconic furry friend. SB

I’m about to out myself as a nerd: If I got the choice to host the Emmys, I would do the exact same thing that Mariska Hargitay just did. That is, make my participation contingent on being able to cosplay Game of Thrones and swing a giant sword. (I’d also likely quickly give up because the winter cloak is “hot as balls.”)

There have been as many Emmys GoT bits as seasons of the franchise at this point, but bringing Emma D’Arcy and Emilia Clarke together to unravel the Targaryen family tree and recite a bit of High Valyrian was among the best. That random whoop from the crowd is what TV’s Biggest Night is all about. QL

Jean Smart wasn’t the only performer to make history. In a similarly well-deserved turn, Matthew Rhys became the first actor to win Lead Actor in two categories in the same night: Best Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay and Best Limited Series for The Beast in Me. He seemed genuinely beside himself when he won the honor for playing Mayor Tom Loftis in the Apple TV hit—thanking “the depraved and twisted mind” of showrunner Katie Dippold, as well as director Hiro Murai.

The double win felt like a long time coming for this year’s Prom King of the awards ceremony. He’s been nominated eight times throughout his career—also winning once for the perfect show The Americans in 2018—and has delivered stellar performances. (Television Academy, it’s not too late to deliver Rhys an award for his guest appearance on one of the all-time best episodes of Girls.) Case in point: It’s shocking to hear his real Welsh accent during his acceptance speech because he’s consistently so transformative on-screen! Here’s to hoping he and Russell have a blast partying the night away. SB

By this point in the night, you should be getting the sense that Widow’s Bay is going for a near-clear sweep. And, rightfully so, the genius behind the zany supernatural series earned an award herself. Following Rhys’ Outstanding Actor in a Comedy win, showrunner Katie Dippold won her first-ever Emmy for Writing for a Comedy Series. The very funny lady—who wrote the pilot of Widow’s Bay 18 years ago—gave one of the night’s best speeches, touting how she plans on putting her trophy on full display.

“I always told myself if I ever won one of these things, I would stay humble, you know, maybe I wouldn't even display it. I would just do one of those cool Hollywood things where you keep it in the garage,” she joked. “But standing here now, I promise all of you that no one will ever set foot in my home without seeing this thing. It will have its own spotlight. It is gonna sit on a rotating turntable. I will create a system of mirrors, so no matter where you stand in my home, this is going to be in your direct eye line.” And that’s her right! (Now get back to that season 2 writers’ room! We’re desperate to return to that haunted, little island ASAP!) SB

This past year has seen many difficult losses in the entertainment industry, and many are still mourning Dolly Parton’s death. The Emmys took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late country music superstar with a thoughtful speech made by her Steel Magnolias co-star (and award winner of the night) Sally Field. Parton’s contemporary Reba McEntire also took to the stage to cover her classic song “Appalachian Memories.”

“Over the years, I never stopped loving her,” Field said of the singer/actress/philanthropist. “I adored her from day one; how could you not? She was genuine and humble, supportive, and blisteringly funny, with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide.”

Field went on to recognize “what a real giant Dolly was, not just as an artist, but as a human.” She added, “She was a humanitarian whose contributions had made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee and across our country.” SB

If you somehow made it through McEntire’s Dolly tribute without breaking down, feel free to join me sobbing on the floor. To begin the In Memoriam segment, Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy took to the stage to pay tribute to their TV mom, the late comedy legend Catherine O’Hara. Culkin was visibly emotional as he spoke on what O’Hara meant to him, and to all of us who grew up watching her in movies like Home Alone.

“She was encouraging, she was warm, she was funny, but the word that I think of is ‘mama,’" he said. “Like a good mom, she always showed up when I asked her to. That's what she did… and this is the best that we can do for her tonight. We're showing up for her.”

Her Schitt’s Creek co-star Murphy then recalled the outpouring of support she received from O’Hara’s fans following the actress’ passing, from a note written by a well-wisher on a plane to a hug from an “extremely gruff gas-station attendant” to a mashed-up Schitt’s Creek and Best in Show impression. “These are only a very few of the interactions I've been lucky enough to have that remind me how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world,” she added.

Finally, Schitt’s Creek co-creator Levy shared that she taught him to always say yes. “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,” he said. “Say yes to her dinner invites and her stories, and her wisdom and her generosity. Always say yes to any opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness.” QL

Well, that wraps up TV’s Biggest Night™! You win Emmys, I’ll finally watch Widow’s Bay! Though I wish Hacks got more love, this is the type of Emmys year I should love: Exceptional new shows (Pluribus, Widow’s Bay) put up a hell of a fight against the returning favorites. It’s just always a bit blah when the winners feel so…expected.

Still, I’ll hold on to my favorite moments of the night. Hiro Murai getting his first directing win! (He was one of the notably few non-white winners tonight.) Katie Dippold joining Rhea Seehorn in the night’s best speeches! Sally Field giving me my newest vocal stim (“BLESSED CANADA! OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIENDS!”).

Clearly, it’s time for us to get some sleep. Until next year, TV fans, thank you for having us! QL