Emmys 2026: farewells for Hacks and Colbert as Widow's Bay breaks through
A finished comedy, a new horror-comedy and a cancelled superhero story shared the spotlight at the 78th Emmy Awards on 14 September.
The ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with reporters inside the room feeding a live blog throughout the night Variety. The main telecast aired live coast-to-coast on NBC and streamed live and on demand on Peacock Television Academy.
Hosting for the first time was Mariska Hargitay, best known for nearly 30 seasons on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Variety. She arrived already a double winner in 2026, recognised for her HBO documentary My Mom Jayne.
The comedy race was built around an ending and a beginning. Hacks, the 2024 winner in the category, had concluded its run on HBO Max in the spring. Against it stood Widow's Bay, an Apple TV newcomer described as a Matthew Rhys horror-comedy. By the end of the night, Widow's Bay was listed among the big winners Deadline.
In drama, HBO Max's The Pitt entered as the returning champion, meaning last year's winner back to defend the title. The contest for drama actress brought together Rhea Seehorn of Pluribus, Carrie Coon of The Gilded Age, Keri Russell of The Diplomat, Zendaya of Euphoria and Chase Infiniti of The Testaments. Zendaya was already a two-time Emmy winner before the ceremony.
Limited series, meaning a story told in a single season, had a clear early leader. HBO's DTF St. Louis dominated the pre-telecast awards in that field. Its listed rivals included Netflix's Beef and FX's Love Story. DTF: St. Louis finished the Emmys among the big winners Deadline.
Farewells ran through the night. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had left the air in May. It then led the Night One winners alongside The Bad Bunny Halftime Show and The Traitors, and Stephen Colbert was listed among the 2026 winners. Another talking point was Spider-Noir, listed among the big winners despite having been cancelled.
The craft and guest awards were handed out earlier, at the Creative Arts Emmys on 5 and 6 September. Night Two winners announced by the Television Academy included Emily Bader, Eric Bauza and Jeff Hiller. Rob Reiner won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. "Jeopardy!" won Outstanding Game Show at the Creative Arts ceremony USA Today. Octavia Spencer also won an award at the 2026 Emmys.
The telecast itself leaned into nostalgia and remembrance. Cast reunions from Charlie's Angels and Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured in the show. The In Memoriam segment included a performance by Noah Kahan and a special tribute to Dolly Parton.
What makes this stand out for viewers is simple. Some stories got a proper goodbye. Others earned more time. And one that will not continue still got its night.
