The Pitt and Widow's Bay Dominate 78th Emmys as Matthew Rhys Makes History
The Pitt and Widow's Bay led the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, while Matthew Rhys and Jean Smart entered the record books.
HBO Max's medical drama The Pitt and Apple TV+'s comedy Widow's Bay emerged as the standout winners at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14 and hosted by Mariska Hargitay.
The Pitt, which led the field with 25 nominations, claimed Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year. Noah Wyle repeated his win for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, collecting his third career Emmy after earlier victories as a producer on the show.
Widow's Bay capped a dominant run by taking Outstanding Comedy Series, its sixth trophy of the night. Combined with eight wins at the preceding Creative Arts ceremonies, the series finished the season with 14 Emmys. Its haul included supporting acting honours for Stephen Root and Kate O'Flynn, guest acting awards for Rob Reiner and Betty Gilpin, and directing and writing wins for Hiro Murai and Katie Dippold.
The night's biggest individual story belonged to Matthew Rhys, who won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay and Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix's The Beast in Me. The twin victories made him the first performer to win across all three lead categories — comedy, drama and limited series or movie — and the first man to take two lead acting Emmys in a single year. They were the second and third Emmys of his career.
Jean Smart also entered the record books, winning her eighth career Emmy for Hacks. Her fifth straight Lead Actress in a Comedy Series win tied her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most Emmys ever won by a performer. She closed her acceptance speech with the words, "What a ride this has been."
Rhea Seehorn took Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Apple TV+'s freshman series Pluribus, her first Emmy after two nominations for Better Call Saul. HBO Max's DTF St. Louis won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series after six Creative Arts wins, with David Harbour and Linda Cardellini also honoured and the show adding directing and writing awards. Sally Field won Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures.
In the drama supporting categories, Tom Pelphrey won for Task and Allison Janney for The Diplomat. Ernest Harden Jr. was named Guest Actor for The Pitt and Shailene Woodley Guest Actress for Paradise. Saul Metzstein won directing for Slow Horses, while Vince Gilligan took writing for Pluribus for the episode "We Is Us".
The Traitors was named Outstanding Reality Competition Programme and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Variety Scripted Series. Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.