Television’s biggest night crowned a new batch of winners Monday as the 78th Emmy Awards celebrated the shows and stars that dominated the past year.

The ceremony, hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, featured historic wins, long-awaited victories and some familiar faces returning to the Emmy stage.

One of the biggest stories of the night was Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” which entered Monday’s ceremony already carrying eight Creative Arts Emmy wins. The horror-comedy continued its winning streak during the primetime broadcast, with Matthew Rhys taking Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Stephen Root winning Supporting Actor and Kate O’Flynn winning Supporting Actress.

Rhys also pulled off something no performer had done in the 78-year history of the Emmys: winning two lead acting categories in the same year. In addition to “Widow’s Bay,” he won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for “The Beast in Me.”

“Widow’s Bay” also scored victories for writing and directing, with Hiro Murai becoming the first Asian director to win the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.

Jean Smart makes history with ‘Hacks’

Jean Smart added another Emmy to her collection for the fifth and final season of HBO Max’s “Hacks,” winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for playing legendary comedian Deborah Vance.

It was Smart’s fifth win for the role, making her the first woman to win an Emmy for every season of a television series.

“Hacks” entered Emmy season with a record-setting 24 nominations, the most ever for a comedy series in a single year. Other Outstanding Comedy Series nominees included “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Shrinking” and “Widow’s Bay.”

Rhea Seehorn finally gets her Emmy

After years of acclaimed performances and nominations, Rhea Seehorn finally became an Emmy winner.

Seehorn took Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Apple TV’s “Pluribus,” years after her acclaimed performance as Kim Wexler on “Better Call Saul” failed to earn her a trophy.

The category featured some of television’s biggest stars, including Zendaya for “Euphoria,” Keri Russell for “The Diplomat” and Carrie Coon for “The Gilded Age.”

Noah Wyle also continued his awards run, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt.”

“The Pitt” came into this year’s Emmys as the most-nominated program with 25 nominations. Wyle himself earned three nominations for his work as an actor, director and producer on the series.

Allison Janney and Sally Field add to their collections

Allison Janney won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for “The Diplomat,” beating a category that included four actresses from “The Pitt”: Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi.

Tom Pelphrey won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Task.”

Sally Field also made Emmy history, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” The 79-year-old became the oldest winner in the history of the category.

Stephen Colbert wins after ‘Late Show’ cancellation

One of the night’s most closely watched awards went to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” which won Outstanding Variety Series following CBS’ decision to end the late-night program.

Colbert used part of his acceptance speech to praise his staff and encourage others in the television industry to hire members of his crew.

“The Late Show” competed against “The Daily Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live.”

“The Traitors” was another winner Monday, taking Outstanding Reality Competition Program. The franchise had already earned an Emmy for host Alan Cumming during the Creative Arts ceremonies.

A big year for television

This year’s Emmy field included a mix of longtime favorites and newcomers, with 28 performers receiving their first Emmy nominations.

Among the multiple nominees were Jason Bateman, Quinta Brunson, Jason Segel, Noah Wyle and Matthew Rhys, while stars including Colman Domingo, Claire Danes, Oscar Isaac, Keri Russell, Sarah Snook and Michelle Pfeiffer earned nominations in more than one category.

The Emmys were spread across three nights this year, with Creative Arts ceremonies held Sept. 5 and 6 before Monday’s primetime ceremony. Among the earlier winners was the late Rob Reiner, who received a posthumous Emmy for his guest performance on “The Bear.” “Widow’s Bay” won eight awards during the second Creative Arts ceremony alone, while “DTF St. Louis” picked up six.

The 78th Emmy Awards honored television programming and performances from the 2025-2026 season.

Gary and Shannon

Join the conversation with Yappa