Emmy Night 2 proved that television awards season has its own juicy story arc. A newly canceled superhero series won five Emmys. A prestige medical drama kept flexing its muscles. A beloved Apple TV+ comedy-horror hit dominated the night. And several longtime television veterans finally got the moment they’d been waiting decades to have.

By the end of the evening, Widow’s Bay had emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home eight trophies and establishing itself as an early force heading into the Sept. 14 ceremony. Margo’s Got Money Troubles did well with three Emmys, while The Pitt continued to look nearly impossible to beat.

The night opened with Noah Wyle taking a moment to recognize the hard work that goes into the “industry,” reminding viewers that the ceremony recognizes the best artists in the business. It was an appropriate setup for an evening that repeatedly celebrated the people behind television’s biggest productions — and some who had waited a very long time to be recognized themselves.

The casting awards offered an early preview of the night’s storylines. Love Story won casting for a limited or anthology series or movie, while Widow’s Bay took comedy casting. Then The Pitt won drama casting, with Noah Wyle himself delivering the award. If anyone was still wondering whether the HBO Max medical drama was going to be the big winner this year, the answer was increasingly obvious.

With a record 25 nominations for its second season, The Pitt entered the 78th Emmy Awards as the most-nominated show. Night 2 only strengthened that position.

Widow’s Bay, meanwhile, was everywhere. In addition to casting, the Apple TV+ series won production design for a half-hour narrative program, cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, music supervision, and original dramatic score. Betty Gilpin added another trophy, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Gilpin’s acceptance speech was one of the evening’s sweetest moments. She had written herself a poem on the plane ride out to Los Angeles beginning, “Read this aloud if for some fluke you win…” — and then actually read it. Among others, she thanked the “hot guys on set,” her family and her late dog before wrapping things up.

Backstage, Gilpin made it clear she isn’t ready to leave Widow’s Bay behind. “I’m forever pitching Katie Dippold via text (on) ways in which it would make sense in the world of the show for me to come back,” she said. “I feel like by her genius, demented ‘Widow’s Bay’ lore math, it doesn’t make sense for her to come back, but … c’mon just change it so I can come back.”

The high-society dramedy Palm Royale, another standout of the night, has officially ended after two seasons, concluding this past January. Its final season won period costumes, while the show also picked up choreography and other technical honors. Its first season earned 11 Emmy nominations, including a nod for star and executive producer Kristen Wiig.

Then there was Spider-Noir, which somehow managed to turn cancelation into an awards-season punchline.

The Prime Video and MGM+ Nicolas Cage-led live-action superhero series was officially canceled after one season, reportedly amid high production costs and viewership concerns. Two days after that news, Spider-Noir won five Emmys, including cinematography, title design, stunt coordination for comedy programming, sound editing, and special visual effects for a single episode.

Nothing says “please reconsider Season 2” quite like five Emmys.

Another major winner was DTF St. Louis, which collected six trophies. David Harbour won his first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, while Linda Cardellini won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Steven Conrad took both directing and writing honors for the HBO Max dark comedy.

Harbour’s win was especially full-circle. He received previous Emmy nominations for Stranger Things, but his first victory came at last night’s 2026 ceremony for playing Floyd Smernitch in DTF St. Louis. The role required a heavy prosthetic stomach, which Harbour wore through long shooting days.

Backstage, Harbour reflected on the long road to this moment. He banged on a lot of doors to get here. “I was acting professionally for 20 years before Stranger Things, so I sort of knew what life was like as a working actor,” he said. Now, after the success of Stranger Things and his Emmy-winning work on DTF, he’s still looking for roles that push him.

“I really love Sonny, [Beef] and I think he’s a brilliant writer, so maybe I’ll go knocking on his door next,” he told Awards Buzz’s Sari Cohen after his win.

Cardellini, meanwhile, marked roughly 30 years in the business with her first Emmy. “One of my friends once told me it’s a long life in this business if they’re lucky, and I feel very lucky to be here right now holding this Emmy,” she told Awards Buzz backstage.

Another emotional first belonged to Ernest Harden Jr., who won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt at age 73. It was his first Emmy nomination — and his first win — after a career stretching back to the ’70s.

Harden dedicated the honor to Bette Davis, his White Mama co-star, 46 years after the television movie premiered. He also recalled his first film role, in Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, before going on to work steadily, including a recurring role on The Jeffersons.

Shailene Woodley also collected her first Emmy, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise. Her first Emmy nomination came in 2017 for Big Little Lies. This year, Paradise has seven nominations, up from four for its first season. This marks the first win for the series.

Woodley said she admired her character Annie’s patience and resiliency. “I love doing our art, thank god for artists,” she said in her acceptance speech.

The evening also delivered a posthumous standing ovation for Rob Reiner, who won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for FX’s The Bear. This was Reiner’s third Emmy win, following his two supporting-actor wins for All in the Family.

David Harbour and Linda Cardellini brought DTF St. Louis to six wins, while Beef, Pluribus, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale all continued to build their totals.

And then there was South Park, winning animated program as Season 29 prepares to premiere Sept. 16 on Comedy Central. With 21 Emmy nominations and five wins for Outstanding Animated Program, the show remains very much alive and kicking.

The leaderboard tells the story: Widow’s Bay leads with eight wins, followed by DTF St. Louis at six, Spider-Noir sits at five despite already being canceled, and The Pitt stands at four.

So much for television being predictable. Night two delivered veterans finally getting their due, canceled shows getting their flowers, rising series announcing themselves as contenders — and Widow’s Bay quietly making the loudest case of all.

Nights one and two will air on Sat. Sep 12, 8 p.m. on FXX, and will stream on Hulu the next day.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air live on September 14, 2026, at 8 p.m ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock, hosted by Mariska Hargitay from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Published in Awards Buzz.