Hacks had the biggest haul of nominations in a single year for any comedy series in its final season, and it walked away with exactly two trophies. The HBO Max hit went into the 2026 Emmys with 24 nods, a record for a comedy finale, but the night belonged to Widow’s Bay, which dominated the comedy categories and left the competition behind.
The Emmys handed Jean Smart the best actress prize, making her the first woman to win best actress for every season of a TV series. The show also picked up a picture-editing award during the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend. That was it. Hacks came up short across nearly everything else, even as Widow’s Bay swept the categories where the two shows competed head-to-head.
Widow’s Bay’s Sweep
Widow’s Bay entered the night with a shot at best comedy series, with star Matthew Rhys as the favorite for best actor in a comedy. The prediction was that the Apple TV newcomer might edge out Hacks, which was considered a possible spoiler. Instead, Widow’s Bay won 14 of the 19 Emmys it was nominated for, taking every comedy category except best actress.
The show’s total included wins for acting, directing, and writing. Its 14 wins represent the vast majority of the comedy categories presented on Monday night.
Oliver’s Empty Night
John Oliver’s show, Last Week Tonight, has been a fixture in the variety series categories for years. This time, it went home empty-handed. The final season of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show won the combined best variety series category and best writing for a variety series, leaving Oliver’s show with nothing.
Saturday Night Live, the show with the most Emmys in history, added only one more to its lifetime tally this year. The NBC sketch series won best makeup, but failed to win on any of its other 11 nominations. The category had been made an “area” award, with the possibility of multiple winners, which led to speculation that all or most of the nominees would take home prizes. Only Colbert’s show emerged victorious.
Limited Series Losers
In the limited series categories, DTF St. Louis took home the top prize of best limited series. But that was the show’s only televised win — its awards for best supporting actor and actress and writing were moved to the Creative Arts Emmys. A number of awards experts thought 16-time nominee Beef, starring Oscar Isaac, could snag the limited series and actor in a limited series categories. It came up empty-handed in all of the major categories.
Beef season two won only three awards, all in the technical categories presented at the Creative Arts Emmys. The anthology series had cleaned up at the 2023 Emmys, winning eight awards, including both of the lead acting awards. Just three years later, it walked away with nothing in the major categories.
Fellow limited series nominees Love Story and All Her Fault were also shut out entirely.
The Night’s Early Surprise
The big surprise came early when Allison Janney won best supporting actress in a drama for her role in The Diplomat as fictional president Grace Penn. Janney’s win was unexpected, and it gave the evening a jolt of unpredictability.
Slow Horses also delivered a win, taking best directing. That continues a tradition of the Apple series triumphing in writing and directing categories, which it has done since 2024.
The Results In Order
- Widow’s Bay won 14 of 19 nominations, sweeping all comedy categories except best actress.
- Hacks took home two trophies: Jean Smart’s best actress win and a picture-editing prize.
- Last Week Tonight went home empty-handed.
- Slow Horses won best directing, continuing its run since 2024.
Hacks’ two wins are a consolation, but they don’t erase the disappointment of coming up short in so many categories. Smart’s best actress win was a career milestone, and the picture-editing prize at the Creative Arts Emmys was a solid consolation.
The night’s early surprise with Janney showed that the Emmys can still produce moments that feel earned. Her win was a reminder that talent can overcome expectations, and that the best actors often find a way to shine even when the odds are stacked against them.
The 2026 Emmys were a night of contrasts. Some shows soared, others stumbled, and the surprises kept coming.
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