The 2026 Creative Arts Emmys on September 6 saw “Widow’s Bay” dominate with eight awards, while posthumous wins and unexpected triumphs for canceled shows added emotional and dramatic moments at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Widow’s Bay Dominates Night 2 with Eight Emmys
Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” emerged as the night’s biggest winner, securing eight Emmys across categories including guest acting, cinematography, and animation. The series, which blends comedy and horror, took home awards for best animated program, sound editing, and cinematography for a series (half hour), among others. The show’s success underscored its critical acclaim, with producer Steve Conrad winning dual Emmys for directing and writing a limited/anthology series. I can’t believe that you’ve embraced our show so much this beautiful, vulnerable, weird show that I love so much,
said David Harbour, who won for supporting actor in a limited series, in a speech cited by Variety.
“Widow’s Bay” also claimed the guest actress in a comedy series award for Betty Gilpin, who praised the show’s “dynamic range” in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The series’ 18 total Emmys across both nights of the Creative Arts ceremony positioned it as a frontrunner ahead of the Primetime Emmys on September 14.
2026 Creative Arts Emmys Winners List Night Two
Posthumous Win for Rob Reiner and Emotional Moments
The evening’s most poignant moment came when Rob Reiner was posthumously honored for his guest actor role in “The Bear,” a win that drew a standing ovation at the Peacock Theater. Reiner was celebrated for his beautiful, vulnerable performance,
with co-star Jason Bateman expressing gratitude for the recognition in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. The win highlighted the emotional weight of the ceremony, as Reiner’s legacy was honored in front of a live audience.
Other emotional highlights included Shailene Woodley’s win for guest actress in a drama series for “Paradise,” where she reflected on the show’s humanity and art in a quote shared by The Hollywood Reporter. Woodley, who dedicated her win to the show’s bigger mission, emphasized the series’ genre-defying approach to storytelling.
Unexpected Triumphs for Cancelled Series and Industry Highlights
Creative Arts Emmys Night Two Winners List (UPDATED LIVE)
Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir,” which was canceled just days before the ceremony, defied expectations by winning five Emmys, including awards for stunt coordination, cinematography, and special visual effects. The series’ win underscored the resilience of its crew and the impact of its “big action” sequences, despite its abrupt cancellation.
HBO Max’s “DTF St. Louis” also made waves, earning six Emmys, including supporting actor and actress awards for David Harbour and Linda Cardellini. The show’s success was celebrated by its cast, with Cardellini thanking her “DTF family” in a speech cited by The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, Julie Andrews extended her record as the oldest woman to win an Emmy, taking home the character voice-over performance award for “Bridgerton” in a win noted by filmibeat.com.
The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the 78th Primetime Emmys, set for September 14, which will feature the final round of awards for the 2025–2026 season.
Additional Wins and Industry Context
Emmy Awards 2026 Winners List With Name (Night 2)
Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” led Night 2 of the 78th Emmys with eight Emmy wins, putting it firmly in the frontrunners position among comedy contenders heading into the Primetime ceremony on September 14. “Widow’s Bay” was one of several big wins for Apple TV, which wound up scoring 18 Emmys on Night 2, more than any other outlet. Other big hauls for the streamer included “Pluribus” with four wins, as well as three apiece for Margo’s Got Money Troubles
and “Palm Royale.” Among the “Widow’s Bay” victories: Betty Gilpin landed the guest actress in a comedy series Emmy. The show also picked up casting for a comedy series, music supervision, cinematography for a series (half hour), sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (half hour) and animation, sound editing for a comedy or drama series (half hour) and animation, music composition for a series (original dramatic score) and production design for a narrative program (half hour).
HBO Max’s “DTF St. Louis” won six total on Sunday. The program landed both supporting acting categories for limited/anthology series (David Harbour and Linda Cardellini). The 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards recognized outstanding television programs that competed within the eligibility period of June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. The ceremony was hosted by Noah Wyle, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Daveed Diggs. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards concluded its second and final Creative Arts ceremony of the weekend at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater. The 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Night 2 was held on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, which fell in the early hours of September 7 in India. The main telecast day (day 3) of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 14, 2026. For viewers in India, the ceremony will air in the early hours of September 15 due to the time-zone difference.
Other notable winners included “Spider-Noir,” which scored five awards despite its cancellation. The series won for title design, cinematography, and visual effects. “The Pitt” earned four Emmys, including the guest drama actor prize for Ernest Harden Jr. “Pluribus” claimed four wins, while Margo’s Got Money Troubles
and “Palm Royale” each secured three. “I Love Lucy” received the first-ever Legacy Award, recognizing its enduring impact on television.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2026 Full Winners List Night 2 highlighted the diversity of achievements in television, from technical excellence to guest acting. The event, held at the Peacock Theater, celebrated the year’s artistic and technical accomplishments, setting the stage for the Primetime Emmys on September 14.
