DTF St. Louis takes seven as Rhys doubles up at the 78th Emmys

DTF St. Louis ruled the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards with seven statues including limited or anthology series, the prize for a closed-ended story told in a single season.

The show was hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit icon, with the Television Academy designating this year's contest as the 78th Emmy Awards Variety. The Pitt also landed wins among the drama contenders ABC News.

Matthew Rhys won twice in one night, taking lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie and lead actor in a comedy series Variety. Rhys and Jean Smart made history at the ceremony, while Noah Wyle and Rhea Seehorn were also named as winners Deadline. Kate O'Flynn won for playing Patricia Moyer on Widow's Bay. Every lead and supporting acting award went to a white performer.

The variety prize went to the final season of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The win followed a category shake-up. Outstanding variety series was split in 2015 into outstanding variety sketch series and outstanding talk series, then merged back into a combined category this year. Colbert won talk series last year before winning the combined prize, while John Oliver's Last Week Tonight had consistently won the sketch series statue.

In the craft honours, Saul Metzstein won drama directing for the Slow Horses episode "Scars". Vince Gilligan won dramatic writing for Pluribus.

Hargitay pulled double duty as host and winner. She earned two Emmys for My Mom Jayne, for best documentary and for directing Deadline. She had already scored a win at Night One of the awards, which were held across three ceremonies Television Academy.

Night One was led by Bad Bunny Halftime Show, The Traitors and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, according to the Television Academy. The Muppets also scored a win at Night One. The Academy published its Night One winners on 5 September, after the Creative Arts ceremony, which covers technical and guest categories, was scheduled for Saturday, 5 September. The nominations for the 78th Emmys were announced by Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas of The Bear and Jeff Hiller of Somebody Somewhere.

Taylor Swift pre-taped a comedy sketch to support Hargitay's hosting turn so she could also attend Travis Kelce's first Kansas City Chiefs game of the season. It was a short detour. She filmed her bit and headed to the football.

What makes this stand out is the mix of clean sweeps and split loyalties. One limited series took seven prizes, one actor took two lead trophies, and a late-night show closed its run with a win in a newly recombined category.