- Widow’s Bay led Night 2 with eight Emmy wins.
- DTF St. Louis scored six awards, including two acting wins.
- The Pitt and Pluribus each took home four Emmys.
- South Park won Outstanding Animated Program.
- I Love Lucy received the inaugural Legacy Award.
The 2026 Emmy Awards are already shaping up to be a memorable race. The two-night Creative Arts Emmys took place September 5 and 6 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. More than 100 awards were handed out across acting, writing, directing and technical categories.
Widow’s Bay emerged as the biggest winner of Night 2 with eight awards. DTF St. Louis followed with six. Spider-Noir won five, while The Pitt and Pluribus each collected four. The results have added fresh momentum ahead of the main Primetime Emmy ceremony on September 14.
The Creative Arts ceremonies also delivered several emotional moments and first-time wins. The final 19 categories will be presented during the main ceremony, hosted by Mariska Hargitay.
DTF St. Louis scores big
DTF St. Louis had one of the strongest nights of the weekend. David Harbour won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Linda Cardellini won the corresponding actress award.
The HBO limited series also won for directing, writing, cinematography and picture editing. The wins gave the show six Emmys overall.
For Harbour, the victory was his first Emmy. “I’m really moved, I cannot believe you have embraced our show so much,” he said while accepting his award, according to Deadline.
Cardellini also celebrated her first Emmy. The actress became emotional during her acceptance speech.
“I’m overcome, I’m sorry it’s a little embarrassing, but this has just been an unbelievable journey,” Cardellini said. She later called the win “a real dream come true.”
US actor Noah Wyle (L) joins casting directors Cathy Sandrich Gelfong, Erica Berger and associate casting director Seth Caskey as they hold their Emmy for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series for "The Pitt" during Night Two of the 78th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 6, 2026. Getty Images
Widow’s Bay and The Pitt dominate
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay was the biggest winner on Night 2. Betty Gilpin won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The show also picked up awards for casting, production design, cinematography, music composition, music supervision, sound editing and sound mixing.
The Pitt, which entered the awards with 25 nominations, won four times. Ernest Harden Jr. took Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The medical drama also won for casting, prosthetic makeup and original music and lyrics.
Pluribus also had a strong showing. The Apple TV sci-fi drama won for production design, picture editing, original main title theme music and sound mixing.
Elsewhere, Spider-Noir collected five technical awards. BEEF, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale each won three.
(L-R) Gary Martinez, Nate Pellettieri, Lydia Quidilla, Frank C. Agnone II, Eric Stough, Trey Parker, Adrien Beard, Bruce Howell, Jenny Shin, Wonnie Ro, Greg Postma, Andrew Rhoades, Keo Thongkham and Mark Munley, winners of the Outstanding Animated Program award for “South Park” — “Sermon On The ‘Mount”, pose in the Winner's Walk during the 78th Emmy Awards Night 2 at Peacock Theater on September 06, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images
South Park, I Love Lucy and what comes next
South Park won Outstanding Animated Program, beating The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, Bob’s Burgers, Smiling Friends and Star Wars: Visions.
The weekend also honored television history. I Love Lucy received the first-ever Legacy Award, recognizing its lasting impact on television and popular culture. The series is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Night 1 also brought major wins for The Traitors, The Muppet Show, Love on the Spectrum, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny.
The main Emmy ceremony now takes center stage. It will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock on September 14, with Mariska Hargitay as host. Hargitay said hosting the ceremony is “my great honor” and that the Emmys celebrate a community of storytellers.
With The Pitt, Widow’s Bay, DTF St. Louis, Hacks, and Pluribus still in contention, the biggest Emmy surprises may still be ahead.
