78th Emmy Awards announce winners including Jean Smart and Rhea Seehorn

78th Emmy Awards Winners Announced

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on Monday, September 14, with a range of shows and stars competing for top honors. The ceremony, hosted by Mariska Hargitay from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, saw Rhea Seehorn win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, beating out Carrie Coon, Chase Infiniti, Keri Russell, and Zendaya.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Jean Smart won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth and final season of Hacks, taking her overall acting Emmy tally to eight. She was up against Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Elle Fanning, and Lisa Kudrow. Smart has now won the award for every season of the series.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

Matthew Rhys won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for The Beast in Me, beating out Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman, Charlie Hunnam, and Oscar Isaac. Rhys, who has two nominations this year, is still in the running for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay.

Supporting Actress Awards

Allison Janney won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat, taking her career tally to eight Emmys, in addition to her Oscar. Kate O'Flynn won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, beating out Dale Dickey, Hannah Einbinder, Janelle James, Michelle Pfeiffer, Megan Stalter, and Jessica Williams.

Nominees and Winners

The 2026 Emmy nominations span drama, comedy, limited series, reality competition, and more, with The Pitt leading the overall race with 25 nominations, followed by Hacks with 24. A range of shows and stars were nominated, including The Diplomat, The Bear, Slow Horses, Beef, Widow's Bay, and Pluribus, as well as Gary Oldman, Noah Wyle, Zendaya, Ayo Edebiri, Jean Smart, Matthew Rhys, Riz Ahmed, and Carey Mulligan.

Category	Winner	Nominees
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus	Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age; Chase Infiniti, The Testaments; Keri Russell, The Diplomat; Zendaya, Euphoria
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Jean Smart, Hacks	Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary; Ayo Edebiri, The Bear; Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles; Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series	Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me	Riz Ahmed, Bait; Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit; Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story; Oscar Isaac, BEEF
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Allison Janney, The Diplomat	Taylor Dearden, The Pitt; Fiona Dourif, The Pitt; Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt; Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt; Julianne Nicholson, Paradise; Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay	Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay; Hannah Einbinder, Hacks; Janelle James, Abbott Elementary; Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles; Megan Stalter, Hacks; Jessica Williams, Shrinkin

Red Carpet Arrivals and Reunions

The ceremony saw a range of stars walking the red carpet, including Selena Gomez, who stars in Only Murders in the Building, and Zendaya, who was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz reunited at the Emmys to mark 30 years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with Gellar hinting at the fate of the planned Buffy revival. Hacks star Megan Stalter arrived in a striking all-gold look, complete with gold body paint, a bikini, and angel wings.