The 78th Emmy Awards just delivered another packed night of surprises, and the Creative Arts results are already reshaping the conversation ahead of the main ceremony. On Sunday, September 6, Widow’s Bay emerged as the biggest winner at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, taking home eight awards, while DTF St. Louis followed with six.
But the night was much bigger than the top two winners. Spider-Noir scored five Emmys despite being canceled by Prime Video shortly before the ceremony, while The Pitt and Pluribus each collected four. Acting victories for Betty Gilpin, Shailene Woodley, Ernest Harden Jr., David Harbour, Linda Cardellini and the late Rob Reiner added even more weight to an already dramatic night.
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Creative Arts Emmys 2026 Night Two: What Happened on September 6?
Night two was the second part of a three-night 78th Emmy Awards schedule, with the first two ceremonies focused primarily on the Creative Arts categories before the main Emmy telecast arrives on September 14.
More than 100 awards were distributed across the first two nights, recognising the enormous range of creative and technical work behind television, from cinematography and costumes to casting, editing, sound, visual effects, choreography and animation.
This year’s second Creative Arts ceremony also introduced an important structural change. For the first time, the supporting actor and supporting actress categories for a limited or anthology series or movie were presented during the Creative Arts portion rather than being held for the main Primetime telecast.
And by the end of the evening, one production had clearly separated itself from the pack.
Widow’s Bay Wins 8 Emmys and Becomes Night Two’s Biggest Winner
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay was the undisputed leader of the second night, collecting eight Emmy Awards across a remarkably broad selection of categories.
The series won Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour), Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation, Outstanding Music Supervision and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.
The eighth victory came through Betty Gilpin, who won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Sarah Westcott Warren.
That spread matters because Widow’s Bay wasn’t simply collecting technical awards in one corner of the ballot. Its eight victories covered casting, cinematography, production design, sound, music and acting, showing the breadth of the show’s Emmy appeal.
With those eight wins, Widow’s Bay became the most successful programme of Night Two and positioned itself as one of the strongest contenders heading into the final night of the 78th Emmy Awards.
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DTF St. Louis Follows With 6 Emmy Wins Across Major Categories
If Widow’s Bay owned the top spot, DTF St. Louis wasn’t far behind.
The HBO Max limited series collected six Emmys, with its victories stretching across both major creative categories and acting.
James Whitaker won Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, while Steven Conrad took Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The series also won Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, with Kevin D. Ross and Max Koepke receiving the award.
Then came two major acting victories.
David Harbour won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing Floyd Smernitch, while Linda Cardellini won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her performance as Carol Love-Smernitch.
Together, the wins gave DTF St. Louis one of the most comprehensive hauls of the night, covering cinematography, directing, writing, editing and both supporting acting categories.
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Spider-Noir Wins 5 Emmys Even After Prime Video Cancellation
One of the night’s most striking stories came from Spider-Noir.
The series collected five Emmy Awards across cinematography, sound editing, stunt coordination, title design and special visual effects.
Darran Tiernan won Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour), while the series also took Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming, Outstanding Title Design and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Single Episode.
The timing made the result especially notable.
Spider-Noir had been canceled by Prime Video shortly before the Emmy ceremony, yet the series still managed to emerge as one of Night Two’s strongest performers with five victories.
Its results also demonstrated just how much Emmy recognition can survive beyond a show’s immediate future on a streaming platform. Whatever happens to Spider-Noir next, its Creative Arts Emmy haul has now become part of the show’s legacy.
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The Pitt Collects 4 Emmys After Entering With 25 Nominations
The Pitt also had a major night, collecting four awards and strengthening an already impressive Emmy campaign.
The HBO Max drama won Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song “Need Someone,” with Gavin Brivik credited for music and Andrew Bird credited for music and lyrics.
The fourth win came in acting, with Ernest Harden Jr. taking Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Louie Cloverfield.
The four victories are particularly significant because The Pitt entered the awards with the highest nomination total of the year: 25 nominations.
That gave the series the largest overall nomination haul heading into the awards, and its Night Two victories added momentum to what was already one of the strongest Emmy campaigns of 2026.
Pluribus Takes 4 Creative Arts Emmys in Night Two
Apple TV’s Pluribus also secured four awards during the ceremony.
Its victories included Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More), Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour).
Pluribus entered the awards season with 18 nominations, putting it among the leading contenders behind The Pitt, Hacks and Widow’s Bay.
Its four wins further established the show’s strength in music, production design, editing and sound.
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Betty Gilpin Wins Outstanding Guest Actress for Widow’s Bay
One of the evening’s biggest acting moments belonged to Betty Gilpin.
Gilpin won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for playing Sarah Westcott Warren in Widow’s Bay, contributing one of the show’s eight total Emmy wins.
The category featured Leslie Bibb and Cherry Jones from Hacks, Jamie Lee Curtis from The Bear, and Laurie Metcalf, Kaitlin Olson and Lauren Weedman from Hacks.
Gilpin’s victory gave Widow’s Bay an important on-screen performance win to accompany its substantial collection of behind-the-scenes honours.
Shailene Woodley Wins Her First Emmy for Paradise
Shailene Woodley picked up Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing Annie in Hulu’s Paradise.
The victory marked Woodley’s first Emmy win.
It also became the first Emmy victory for Paradise.
Woodley competed against Brittany Allen, Tal Anderson and Tina Ivlev from The Pitt, Miriam Shor from Pluribus and Merritt Wever from The Gilded Age.
The result gave Paradise a major breakthrough moment during a night otherwise dominated by a relatively small group of productions.
Ernest Harden Jr. Wins Guest Actor Emmy for The Pitt
Another acting victory arrived for The Pitt when Ernest Harden Jr. won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Louie Cloverfield.
Harden Jr. defeated Colman Domingo for Euphoria, Jeff Hiller for Pluribus, Jeff Kober for The Pitt, Jonathan Pryce for Slow Horses and Bradley Whitford for The Diplomat.
His win became another major acting highlight for The Pitt, adding individual recognition to the show’s four-award Creative Arts haul.
David Harbour and Linda Cardellini Make Emmy History With DTF St. Louis Wins
David Harbour and Linda Cardellini both took home supporting acting Emmys for DTF St. Louis.
Harbour won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role as Floyd Smernitch.
Cardellini won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing Carol Love-Smernitch.
Their victories carried additional significance because these limited-series supporting acting categories were presented during the Creative Arts ceremony in 2026 instead of being reserved for the main Primetime Emmy telecast.
That structural change made the acting results one of the more closely watched developments of Night Two.
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Rob Reiner Wins a Posthumous Emmy for The Bear
The evening also delivered one of its most emotional results with a posthumous Emmy victory for Rob Reiner.
Reiner won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Albert in FX’s The Bear.
His category included Michael J. Fox and Brett Goldstein from Shrinking, Hamish Linklater from Widow’s Bay, Christopher McDonald from Hacks and Connor Storrie for Saturday Night Live.
Reiner’s victory became one of the most significant emotional moments of the ceremony and added another major distinction to the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Julie Andrews Wins Voice-Over Emmy as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton
Netflix’s Bridgerton also had a memorable evening thanks to Julie Andrews.
Andrews won Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work as Lady Whistledown.
She competed against Pamela Adlon for King of the Hill, Hank Azaria for The Simpsons, Trey Parker for South Park, Matt Vogel for The Muppet Show and Steven Yeun for Invincible.
The victory was one of two Emmy wins for Bridgerton during the evening. The series also won Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling.
South Park Wins Outstanding Animated Program for “Sermon On The ‘Mount”
South Park added another Emmy to its long awards history by winning Outstanding Animated Program for the episode “Sermon On The ‘Mount.”
The Comedy Central series won against Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, Smiling Friends and Star Wars: Visions.
The result further extended the long-running animated series’ presence in Emmy history.
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Beef, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale Each Win 3 Emmys
Several other productions also made significant gains during Night Two.
Beef won three awards: Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles also collected three awards, winning Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling and Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic).
Palm Royale matched that total with three wins of its own for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming, Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) and Outstanding Period Costumes.
The variety of categories once again showed that Creative Arts Emmy success isn’t determined solely by headline acting awards.
Fallout, Stranger Things and Other Major Creative Arts Emmy Winners
Fallout took two major craft awards, winning Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes and Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program.
Stranger Things also collected two awards, including Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms won Outstanding Stunt Performance, with Zach Roberts, Gyula Tóth, Chris Cox and Jake Cox recognised for their work.
The Boys won Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming, with John Koyama receiving the award as supervising stunt coordinator.
These victories added even more genre television representation to an already diverse Night Two winners list.
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Full 2026 Creative Arts Emmys Night Two Winners List
| Emmy Category | Winner |
| Outstanding Animated Program | South Park — “Sermon On The ‘Mount” |
| Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series | The Pitt |
| Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette |
| Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance | Julie Andrews, Bridgerton |
| Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming | Palm Royale |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour) | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) | Spider-Noir |
| Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series | Margo’s Got Money Troubles |
| Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Beef |
| Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling | Margo’s Got Money Troubles |
| Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Margo’s Got Money Troubles |
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Steven Conrad, DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes | Fallout |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Rob Reiner, The Bear |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt |
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Betty Gilpin, Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Shailene Woodley, Paradise |
| Outstanding Movie | Remarkably Bright Creatures |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | The Beast in Me |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Music Supervision | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Pluribus |
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | The Pitt — “Need Someone” |
| Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling | Bridgerton |
| Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Palm Royale |
| Outstanding Period Costumes | Palm Royale |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series | Pluribus |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Multi-Camera Comedy Series | Leanne |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series | Hacks |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program | Pluribus |
| Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program | Fallout |
| Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup | The Pitt |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) | Spider-Noir |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | Beef |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Widow’s Bay |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) | Pluribus |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Beef |
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie | Stranger Things |
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode | Spider-Noir |
| Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming | Spider-Noir |
| Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming | The Boys |
| Outstanding Stunt Performance | A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | David Harbour, DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis |
| Outstanding Title Design | Spider-Noir |
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Steven Conrad, DTF St. Louis |
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I Love Lucy Receives the First-Ever Legacy Award
Away from the competitive categories, the Television Academy delivered one of the night’s most historic honours.
I Love Lucy received the inaugural Legacy Award for its “profound and generational impact” on television audiences, society and the industry.
The Legacy Award was created to recognise a television programme whose influence continues across generations and remains culturally significant.
The timing made the honour even more fitting, as I Love Lucy celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The award places the classic series in a special position within the history of the Emmy Awards while recognising the lasting cultural influence it has maintained decades after its original run.
When Is the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony?
The 78th Emmy Awards are being presented across three nights: September 5, September 6 and September 14.
The first two nights focused largely on Creative Arts categories.
Night One concentrated primarily on variety, reality and documentary/nonfiction programming, while Night Two focused heavily on scripted television and included more acting categories than Creative Arts ceremonies have traditionally presented.
Together, the first two nights distributed more than 100 awards.
The final ceremony now remains the major event still to come.
| Event | Date | Official Details |
| Creative Arts Emmy Night One | September 5, 2026 | Primarily variety, reality and documentary/nonfiction categories |
| Creative Arts Emmy Night Two | September 6, 2026 | Primarily scripted television and expanded acting categories |
| Main 78th Emmy Awards | September 14, 2026 | Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE |
| Main ceremony host | September 14, 2026 | Mariska Hargitay |
| Broadcast | September 14, 2026 | Live on NBC and streaming on Peacock |
| Edited Creative Arts presentation | September 12, 2026, 8 p.m. ET/PT | 78th Emmy Awards (Creative Arts) on FXX |
| Streaming of edited presentation | September 13, 2026 | Available on Hulu |
The main 78th Emmy Awards telecast will take place on September 14 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE. Mariska Hargitay is set to host, with the ceremony airing live on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
The edited presentation combining the first two Creative Arts nights will air as the 78th Emmy Awards (Creative Arts) on FXX on September 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with streaming availability on Hulu the following day.
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How the Creative Arts Emmy Wins Could Shape the 2026 Emmy Race
The Night Two results have created several clear storylines heading into the final Primetime ceremony.
The Pitt entered the awards with 25 nominations, the highest total among all programmes.
Hacks followed with 24 nominations, setting a comedy-series record for nominations in a single year.
Widow’s Bay entered with 19 nominations, while Pluribus had 18 and Beef had 16.
The nomination picture going into the awards was therefore already highly competitive. But the Creative Arts victories have now added another layer to that race.
Widow’s Bay‘s eight wins give it the biggest Night Two haul.
DTF St. Louis‘s six awards demonstrate strength across directing, writing, editing, cinematography and supporting acting.
Spider-Noir‘s five victories stand out even more because of the show’s cancellation by Prime Video shortly before the ceremony.
Meanwhile, The Pitt‘s four awards are particularly noteworthy because the series had entered the ceremony with more nominations than any other programme.
The results also reinforce a broader reality about the Emmys: television’s biggest awards campaigns aren’t built only around lead performances or headline categories. Cinematography, editing, costumes, makeup, sound, production design, visual effects, stunt work, music and casting can all play a major role in defining an awards season.
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What Comes Next After Creative Arts Emmys Night Two?
The Creative Arts portion of the 78th Emmy Awards has now established several major winners, but the Emmy story isn’t finished.
The first two nights have already handed out more than 100 awards and revealed where several of the year’s most nominated productions are gaining momentum.
Widow’s Bay currently has the biggest Night Two victory total with eight awards. DTF St. Louis follows with six, Spider-Noir has five, while The Pitt and Pluribus each have four.
At the same time, major individual wins from Betty Gilpin, Shailene Woodley, Ernest Harden Jr., David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Rob Reiner and Julie Andrews have added star power to the Creative Arts results.
The final chapter arrives on September 14, when the main 78th Emmy Awards ceremony takes place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE.
Until then, the Creative Arts results have given audiences a much clearer picture of which shows are converting nominations into trophies — and which productions may still have something to prove when the main Emmy night arrives.
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Disclaimer
This article has been prepared on the basis of thorough research using the supplied material and cross-checked against official Emmy/Television Academy information available at the time of publication. Award results, schedules, winners and event details are subject to official updates or corrections from the Television Academy.
Sources
- Television Academy — 78th Emmy Awards Night Two Winners Announced
- Television Academy — Widow’s Bay and DTF St. Louis Set the Pace on Night Two
- Television Academy — 2026 Emmy Awards Nominees & Winners
- Television Academy — Creative Arts Emmy Awards
- The Hollywood Reporter — Creative Arts Emmys, Night 2: Winners List
Featured Image Credit: Bill Ingalls / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
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