Emmys 2026: The Best, Worst, and Most WTF Moments

A lot of questions lingered in the air before the 2026 Emmys: Would Vince Gilligan go-to Rhea Seehorn finally take home an Emmy? Would producers find a way to shoehorn variety-special nominee Taylor Swift into the broadcast? Was Widow’s Bay going to clean up after entering the awards with 19 nominations? Should the writers have questioned their judgment if they decided to open up the show with an extended “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” parody featuring dancers with TV sets on their heads? The answers to those questions are yes, yes, yes, and yes. The Widow’s Bay team did indeed take home a boatload (no pun intended) of Emmys: six on the night, which, added to the eight they’d already won at the earlier Creative Arts Emmys ceremony, brought their total to 14 — one more than the record for a comedy series set by The Studio last year. There were deserved honors for Jean Smart, Noah Wyle, and Stephen Colbert, and a moving speech by Michael J. Fox, who took home the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his advocacy for those living with Parkinson’s disease. But as with most awards shows, there were plenty of downs to go with those ups. Here, our list of the night’s highs, lows, and huh? s.

The only thing Kate O’Flynn is missing now is an antler crown. The Widow’s Bay actress and English-born “Lancashire lass” (as she called herself from the microphone) took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Patricia Moyer, the neurotic and socially awkward assistant to Matthew Rhys’ mayor Tom Loftis in the Apple TV comedy-horror hybrid. Flynn’s performance was praised by critics and audiences alike for its unhinged take on the outcast queen, which made her win a perfect start to the Emmys night. “I want to thank our mayor and all the residents of Widow’s Bay,” O’Flynn said onstage. “This is for all the Patricias out there.” — CT Jones