‘The Pitt,’ ‘Widow’s Bay’ lead a night of Emmy surprises

JEAN Smart in ‘Hacks.’The 78th Emmy Awards highlighted a changing television landscape, with gripping medical drama The Pitt and unconventional comedy-horror series Widow’s Bay among the night’s biggest standouts.

HBO Max series The Pitt secured the top honor for drama series, winning Outstanding Drama Series, while Noah Wyle received the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for his performance as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.

Widow’s Bay delivered one of the evening’s biggest surprises. The Apple TV series, which combines dark humor with horror elements, captured Outstanding Comedy Series and collected several acting awards, including victories for Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn.

Jean Smart remained unstoppable in the comedy category, adding another Emmy trophy to her collection. The Hacks actress won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth straight year, reinforcing her status as one of the most respected performers in television.

Rhys also became one of the night’s standout figures, earning two acting honors. Aside from his comedy win for Widow’s Bay, he took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.

DTF St. Louis also had a strong showing in the limited series categories, winning Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, with David Harbour and Linda Cardellini recognized for their performances.

Hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the 78th Emmy Awards brought together television’s biggest names to honor the programs and performers that shaped the year, from established industry favorites to newer series that expanded the boundaries of modern storytelling.