Emmy Night 2 proved that television awards season has its own juicy story arc. A newly canceled superhero series won five Emmys. A prestige medical drama kept flexing its muscles. A beloved Apple TV+ comedy-horror hit dominated the night. And several longtime television veterans finally got the moment they’d been waiting decades to have.

By the end of the evening, Widow’s Bay had emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home eight trophies and establishing itself as an early force heading into the Sept. 14 ceremony. Margo’s Got Money Troubles did well with three Emmys, while The Pitt continued to look nearly impossible to beat.

The night opened with Noah Wyle taking a moment to recognize the hard work that goes into the “industry,” reminding viewers that the ceremony recognizes the best artists in the business. It was an appropriate setup for an evening that repeatedly celebrated the people behind television’s biggest productions — and some who had waited a very long time to be recognized themselves.

The casting awards offered an early preview of the night’s storylines. Love Story won casting for a limited or anthology series or movie, while Widow’s Bay took comedy casting. Then The Pitt won drama casting, with Noah Wyle himself delivering the award. If anyone was still wondering whether the HBO Max medical drama was going to be the big winner this year, the answer was increasingly obvious.

With a record 25 nominations for its second season, The Pitt entered the 78th Emmy Awards as the most-nominated show. Night 2 only strengthened that position.

Widow’s Bay, meanwhile, was everywhere. In addition to casting, the Apple TV+ series won production design for a half-hour narrative program, cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, music supervision, and original dramatic score. Betty Gilpin added another trophy, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Gilpin’s acceptance speech was one of the evening’s sweetest moments. She had written herself a poem on the plane ride out to Los Angeles beginning, “Read this aloud if for some fluke you win…” — and then actually read it. Among others, she thanked the “hot guys on set,” her family and her late dog before wrapping things up.

Backstage, Gilpin made it clear she isn’t ready to leave Widow’s Bay behind. “I’m forever pitching Katie Dippold via text (on) ways in which it would make sense in the world of the show for me to come back,” she said. “I feel like by her genius, demented ‘Widow’s Bay’ lore math, it doesn’t make sense for her to come back, but … c’mon just change it so I can come back.”

The high-society dramedy Palm Royale, another standout of the night, has officially ended after two seasons, concluding this past January. Its final season won period costumes, while the show also picked up choreography and other technical honors. Its first season earned 11 Emmy nominations, including a nod for star and executive producer Kristen Wiig.

Then there was Spider-Noir, which somehow managed to turn cancelation into an awards-season punchline.

The Prime Video and MGM+ Nicolas Cage-led live-action superhero series was officially canceled after one season, reportedly amid high production costs and viewership concerns. Two days after that news, Spider-Noir won five Emmys, including cinematography, title design, stunt coordination for comedy programming, sound editing, and special visual effects for a single episode.

Nothing says “please reconsider Season 2” quite like five Emmys.

Another major winner was DTF St. Louis, which collected six trophies. David Harbour won his first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, while Linda Cardellini won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Steven Conrad took both directing and writing honors for the HBO Max dark comedy.

Harbour’s win was especially full-circle. He received previous Emmy nominations for Stranger Things, but his first victory came at last night’s 2026 ceremony for playing Floyd Smernitch in DTF St. Louis. The role required a heavy prosthetic stomach, which Harbour wore through long shooting days.

Backstage, Harbour reflected on the long road to this moment. He banged on a lot of doors to get here. “I was acting professionally for 20 years before Stranger Things, so I sort of knew what life was like as a working actor,” he said. Now, after the success of Stranger Things and his Emmy-winning work on DTF, he’s still looking for roles that push him.

“I really love Sonny, [Beef] and I think he’s a brilliant writer, so maybe I’ll go knocking on his door next,” he told Awards Buzz’s Sari Cohen after his win.

Cardellini, meanwhile, marked roughly 30 years in the business with her first Emmy. “One of my friends once told me it’s a long life in this business if they’re lucky, and I feel very lucky to be here right now holding this Emmy,” she told Awards Buzz backstage.

Another emotional first belonged to Ernest Harden Jr., who won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt at age 73. It was his first Emmy nomination — and his first win — after a career stretching back to the ’70s.

Harden dedicated the honor to Bette Davis, his White Mama co-star, 46 years after the television movie premiered. He also recalled his first film role, in Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, before going on to work steadily, including a recurring role on The Jeffersons.

Shailene Woodley also collected her first Emmy, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise. Her first Emmy nomination came in 2017 for Big Little Lies. This year, Paradise has seven nominations, up from four for its first season. This marks the first win for the series.

Woodley said she admired her character Annie’s patience and resiliency. “I love doing our art, thank god for artists,” she said in her acceptance speech.

The evening also delivered a posthumous standing ovation for Rob Reiner, who won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for FX’s The Bear. This was Reiner’s third Emmy win, following his two supporting-actor wins for All in the Family.

David Harbour and Linda Cardellini brought DTF St. Louis to six wins, while Beef, Pluribus, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale all continued to build their totals.

And then there was South Park, winning animated program as Season 29 prepares to premiere Sept. 16 on Comedy Central. With 21 Emmy nominations and five wins for Outstanding Animated Program, the show remains very much alive and kicking.

The leaderboard tells the story: Widow’s Bay leads with eight wins, followed by DTF St. Louis at 6, Spider-Noir sits at five despite already being canceled, and The Pitt stands at four.

So much for television being predictable. Night 2 delivered veterans finally getting their due, canceled shows getting their flowers, rising series announcing themselves as contenders — and Widow’s Bay quietly making the loudest case of all.

Nights one and two will air on Sat. Sep 12, 8 p.m. on FXX, and will stream on Hulu the next day.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air live on September 14, 2026, at 8 p.m ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock, hosted by Mariska Hargitay from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Night 2 tally:

• Widow’s Bay — 8
• DTF St. Louis — 6
• Spider-Noir — 5
• The Pitt — 4
• Pluribus — 4
• Beef — 3
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles — 3
• Palm Royale — 3

78th Creative Arts Emmy Awards — Night 2

Complete Nominees & Winners — Sunday, September 6, 2026

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES

All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story — WINNER

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

The Diplomat
Paradise
The Pitt — WINNER
Pluribus
Slow Horses

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING

All’s Fair
Emily in Paris
Euphoria
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — WINNER
Wednesday

OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI HAIRSTYLING

Bridgerton — WINNER
Fallout
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Palm Royale

OUTSTANDING DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS

Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tal Anderson, The Pitt
Tina Ivlev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
Shailene Woodley, Paradise — WINNER

OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES

Alien: Earth
The Boys
Fallout — WINNER
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

OUTSTANDING PERIOD COSTUMES

Bridgerton
The Gilded Age
Love Story
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Palm Royale — WINNER

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A SERIES

Emily in Paris
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — WINNER
Only Murders in the Building
Wednesday

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A LIMITED SERIES

The Beast in Me
Beef — WINNER
Black Rabbit
DTF St. Louis
Remarkably Bright Creatures

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)

All’s Fair
Euphoria
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — WINNER
The Pitt
Wednesday

OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)

Fallout
The Gilded Age
Love Story
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Palm Royale — WINNER

OUTSTANDING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP

Fallout
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
The Pitt — WINNER
Spider-Noir
Stranger Things

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING

Bridgerton
Noah’s Arc: The Movie
Palm Royale — WINNER
Stumble
Wednesday
Will Trent

OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR DRAMA PROGRAMMING

The Boys — WINNER
Fallout
FBI
The Rookie
Stranger Things

OUTSTANDING STUNT PERFORMANCE

Fallout
FBI
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — WINNER
Palm Royale
Spider-Noir

OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR COMEDY PROGRAMMING

Beef
Palm Royale
Peacemaker
Poker Face
Spider-Noir — WINNER
Tulsa King

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (HALF-HOUR)

The Bear
Hacks
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The Upshaws
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (ONE HOUR)

Alien: Earth
Euphoria
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Pluribus
Spider-Noir — WINNER
Task

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Beef
Black Rabbit
Death by Lightning
DTF St. Louis — WINNER
Monster: The Ed Gein Story

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Euphoria, “In God We Trust”
The Pitt, “1:00 P.M.”
The Pitt, “9:00 P.M.”
Pluribus, “Got Milk”
Pluribus, “Grenade”
Pluribus, “We Is Us” — WINNER
Task, “A Still Small Voice”

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES

The Bear, “Bears”
Hacks, “The Cube”
Hacks, “Hacks (Finale)” — WINNER
Widow’s Bay, “Our History”
Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
Widow’s Bay, “What to Expect on Your Trip”

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES

Leanne, “Having Big Feelings” — WINNER
The Neighborhood, “Welcome to the Zhuzh”
Shifting Gears, “Nutcracker”
Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living, “A Rolling Stone”
The Upshaws, “Election Day”

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES

Beef, “All the Things We’re Never Going to Have”
Beef, “The Increasing Flimsiness of Any Certainties About the Future”
Black Rabbit, “Isle of Joy”
Death by Lightning, “The Man From Ohio”
DTF St. Louis, “No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way From Across the Street” — WINNER

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)

Hacks
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Leanne
Only Murders in the Building
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PERIOD OR FANTASY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)

Fallout — WINNER
The Gilded Age
Palm Royale
Spider-Noir
Stranger Things

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)

Euphoria
The Pitt
Pluribus — WINNER
Slow Horses
Wednesday

OUTSTANDING DRAMA GUEST ACTOR

Colman Domingo, Euphoria
Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt — WINNER
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat

OUTSTANDING LIMITED/MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis — WINNER
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning

OUTSTANDING LIMITED/MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis — WINNER
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Constance Zimmer, Love Story

OUTSTANDING COMEDY GUEST ACTOR

Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
Hamish Linklater, Widow’s Bay
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Rob Reiner, The Bear — WINNER
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS

Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
Betty Gilpin, Widow’s Bay — WINNER
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Lauren Weedman, Hacks

OUTSTANDING MOVIE

Heads of State
Miss You, Love You
People We Meet on Vacation
Remarkably Bright Creatures — WINNER
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM

Bob’s Burgers
Rick and Morty
The Simpsons
Smiling Friends
South Park — WINNER
Star Wars: Visions

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE

Pamela Adlon, King of the Hill
Julie Andrews, Bridgerton — WINNER
Hank Azaria, The Simpsons
Trey Parker, South Park
Matt Vogel, The Muppet Show
Steven Yeun, Invincible

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION

Eyes of Wakanda, “Into the Lion’s Den” — WINNER
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, “Kingdom of Sorrow” — WINNER
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, “Vengeance of Death” — WINNER
The Mighty Nein, “Mote of Possibility” — WINNER
Star Wars: Visions, “The Duel: Payback” — WINNER

OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION

The Boys
Hacks
Nobody Wants This
Pluribus
Stranger Things
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS

The Boys, “Raise Him Up”
Hacks, “Mis Figuritas”
The Pitt, “Need Someone” — WINNER
South Park, “Christian Woman”
Spider-Noir, “The Devil You Know”
Wednesday, “The Dead Dance”

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Palm Royale
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Spider-Noir
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A LIMITED SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)

All Her Fault
The Beast in Me — WINNER
Black Rabbit
In the Blink of an Eye
Washington Black

OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC

All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
The ‘Burbs
Murderbot
Pluribus — WINNER

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Murderbot
Predator: Killer of Killers
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

Alien: Earth
The Boys
Fallout
Spider-Noir — WINNER
Stranger Things

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

The Beast in Me
Beef — WINNER
Lord of the Flies
The Rip
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR)

The Bear
Hacks
Shrinking
Tires
Widow’s Bay — WINNER

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

Fallout
The Pitt
Pluribus — WINNER
Spider-Noir
Stranger Things

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Beef — WINNER
Black Rabbit
DTF St. Louis
Lord of the Flies
Monster: The Ed Gein Story

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SINGLE EPISODE

Gen V, “New Year, New U”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother”
Paradise, “Exodus”
Spider-Noir, “Nightmare on a Gurney” — WINNER
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, “Costa da Morte”

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SEASON OR A MOVIE

Alien: Earth
Foundation
It: Welcome to Derry
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age
Stranger Things — WINNER

OUTSTANDING TITLE DESIGN

It: Welcome to Derry
Murderbot
Ponies
Smoke
Spider-Noir — WINNER
Young Sherlock