The 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards are just around the corner. But before television’s biggest stars gather for the annual ceremony honoring the best in broadcast, cable and streaming, more than 100 awards have already been handed out during this weekend’s two-night Creative Arts Emmys at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.Among the early standouts is “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay — the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years — who took home two awards for directing HBO’s critically acclaimed documentary about her late mother, “My Mom Jayne.”Frank Micelotta via Getty ImagesMariska Hargitay, winner of the Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special Emmy for "My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay" poses at the Peacock Theater on Sept. 5, 2026 in Los Angeles.When it comes to TV shows, Apple TV’s horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay” leads the pack with eight wins and counting, including an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series award for Betty Gilpin. The streamer also won big for producing the Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, which itself collected seven awards.Meanwhile, the first-ever Legacy Award — given to iconic programs that have made a “profound and lasting impact” on audiences through the years — was handed to the groundbreaking 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy.”Other notable winners from the two-part ceremony included “The Traitors,” “DTF St. Louis,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the recently canceled “Spider-Noir,” and the late Rob Reiner, who received a posthumous award for his guest appearance on FX’s “The Bear.”The upcoming Primetime Emmys still have plenty of major awards to hand out when the ceremony airs live on NBC and Peacock on Monday, Sept. 14.On the comedy side, the race is shaping up to be a showdown between breakout hit “Widow’s Bay” and reigning champion “Hacks,” which is looking to cap its final season with another impressive haul. The HBO Max series earned 24 total nominations, making it the most nominated season for a comedy in Emmys history.In the drama categories, the competition appears to be just as fierce, with the mysterious sci-fi series “Pluribus” going head-to-head with “The Pitt,” which is aiming to follow up last year’s success after scoring 25 nominations this year.HuffPost is liveblogging the Emmy Awards on Monday night. Stay tuned for updates.Beloved Guest Star On ‘The Pitt’ Wins First Emmy: ‘I’m On Cloud 25’It’s been a long time coming for Ernest Harden Jr. Throughout his 50-plus years in Hollywood, the 73-year-old actor has quietly built a steady career with supporting roles in films and guest appearances on television. Now, thanks to his standout turn as the beloved alcoholic patient Louie Cloverfield on “The Pitt,” Harden Jr. has finally earned an Emmy.“I am on cloud 25,” Harden Jr. said backstage at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, per Deadline. “I’m not saying this is a complete surprise because ‘The Pitt’ is such a powerful show to come from, but just to get it in your hands is like unreal.”According to the outlet, Harden Jr. closed his eyes while giving an emotional acceptance speech after winning Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.“I just want to thank God for helping me and standing me and keeping me through all these years; through the ups and downs of this business,” he said.“I wish my parents were here to see this,” he continued. “They would have been so proud.”While reflecting backstage on the start of his acting career, Harden Jr. looked back to 1974, recalling, “That’s the first time I ever spoke in a film; it was a movie called ‘Three Days of the Condor’ with Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.”He continued, “From then on, I’ve just been doing my thing, trying to work where I could. I got some beautiful breaks.” And his role on “The Pitt” is now one of them.See the rest of this year’s Emmy winners so far here.Latest Live UpdatesShailene Woodley Wins First-Ever Emmy For Memorable Guest-Starring Role In Hit DramaShailene Woodley is finally an Emmy winner.The 34-year-old actor earned her first nomination in 2017 for her supporting role as Jane Chapman in HBO’s acclaimed drama “Big Little Lies.” Nearly a decade later, Woodley has now earned her first award, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Hulu’s post-apocalyptic series “Paradise” at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.During her brief acceptance speech, Woodley gave a heartfelt shout-out to her mother, saying, “Mom, this is so cool,” before expressing gratitude for the honor.“I just feel so lucky to do what we do and to be a part of the circus with all of you amazing traveling storytelling clowns,” she said onstage, per Deadline.The following day, Woodley took to Instagram to share a more detailed message about her first-ever Emmy win, after she was apparently informed that she would have less than a minute to speak during Sunday’s ceremony.“i was told if i won, i’d have thirty seconds to give a speech ... and anyone who knows me well knows i have the gift of gab,” Woodley wrote in one post. “trying to paraphrase such a special experience into thirty seconds felt impossible.”“when i think of my time as annie, i think of the kindness, the generosity, the invitational way you all welcomed me in as a temporary guest in your big paradise compound,” she continued, also giving a shout-out to creator Dan Fogelman and her fellow nominated co-star Sterling K. Brown.Woodley wrapped up her series of posts with a final message that reads: “THANK GOD FOR ART!!!! THANK GOD FOR ARTISTS!!!! next up... dan! sterling! julianne! hanelle! Let’s go!!!”Read more below. These Shows Are Top Contenders At This Year's Emmys — See The Full List Of Nominees“Hacks,” “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” could win big at this year’s ceremony.See All UpdatesTrending In EntertainmentMore In Life
Beloved Guest Star On ‘The Pitt’ Wins First Emmy: ‘I’m On Cloud 25’
The 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards are just around the corner. But before television’s biggest stars gather for the annual ceremony honoring the best in broadcast, cable and streaming, more than 100 awards have already been handed out during this weekend’s two-night Creative Arts Emmys at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.Among the early standouts is “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay — the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years — who took home two awards for directing HBO’s critically acclaimed documentary about her late mother, “My Mom Jayne.”Frank Micelotta via Getty ImagesMariska Hargitay, winner of the Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special Emmy for "My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay" poses at the Peacock Theater on Sept. 5, 2026 in Los Angeles.When it comes to TV shows, Apple TV’s horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay” leads the pack with eight wins and counting, including an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series award for Betty Gilpin. The streamer also won big for producing the Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, which itself collected seven awards.Meanwhile, the first-ever Legacy Award — given to iconic programs that have made a “profound and lasting impact” on audiences through the years — was handed to the groundbreaking 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy.”Other notable winners from the two-part ceremony included “The Traitors,” “DTF St. Louis,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the recently canceled “Spider-Noir,” and the late Rob Reiner, who received a posthumous award for his guest appearance on FX’s “The Bear.”The upcoming Primetime Emmys still have plenty of major awards to hand out when the ceremony airs live on NBC and Peacock on Monday, Sept. 14.On the comedy side, the race is shaping up to be a showdown between breakout hit “Widow’s Bay” and reigning champion “Hacks,” which is looking to cap its final season with another impressive haul. The HBO Max series earned 24 total nominations, making it the most nominated season for a comedy in Emmys history.In the drama categories, the competition appears to be just as fierce, with the mysterious sci-fi series “Pluribus” going head-to-head with “The Pitt,” which is aiming to follow up last year’s success after scoring 25 nominations this year.HuffPost is liveblogging the Emmy Awards on Monday night. Stay tuned for updates.Beloved Guest Star On ‘The Pitt’ Wins First Emmy: ‘I’m On Cloud 25’It’s been a long time coming for Ernest Harden Jr. Throughout his 50-plus years in Hollywood, the 73-year-old actor has quietly built a steady career with supporting roles in films and guest appearances on television. Now, thanks to his standout turn as the beloved alcoholic patient Louie Cloverfield on “The Pitt,” Harden Jr. has finally earned an Emmy.“I am on cloud 25,” Harden Jr. said backstage at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, per Deadline. “I’m not saying this is a complete surprise because ‘The Pitt’ is such a powerful show to come from, but just to get it in your hands is like unreal.”According to the outlet, Harden Jr. closed his eyes while giving an emotional acceptance speech after winning Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.“I just want to thank God for helping me and standing me and keeping me through all these years; through the ups and downs of this business,” he said.“I wish my parents were here to see this,” he continued. “They would have been so proud.”While reflecting backstage on the start of his acting career, Harden Jr. looked back to 1974, recalling, “That’s the first time I ever spoke in a film; it was a movie called ‘Three Days of the Condor’ with Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.”He continued, “From then on, I’ve just been doing my thing, trying to work where I could. I got some beautiful breaks.” And his role on “The Pitt” is now one of them.See the rest of this year’s Emmy winners so far here.Latest Live UpdatesShailene Woodley Wins First-Ever Emmy For Memorable Guest-Starring Role In Hit DramaShailene Woodley is finally an Emmy winner.The 34-year-old actor earned her first nomination in 2017 for her supporting role as Jane Chapman in HBO’s acclaimed drama “Big Little Lies.” Nearly a decade later, Woodley has now earned her first award, winning Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Hulu’s post-apocalyptic series “Paradise” at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.During her brief acceptance speech, Woodley gave a heartfelt shout-out to her mother, saying, “Mom, this is so cool,” before expressing gratitude for the honor.“I just feel so lucky to do what we do and to be a part of the circus with all of you amazing traveling storytelling clowns,” she said onstage, per Deadline.The following day, Woodley took to Instagram to share a more detailed message about her first-ever Emmy win, after she was apparently informed that she would have less than a minute to speak during Sunday’s ceremony.“i was told if i won, i’d have thirty seconds to give a speech ... and anyone who knows me well knows i have the gift of gab,” Woodley wrote in one post. “trying to paraphrase such a special experience into thirty seconds felt impossible.”“when i think of my time as annie, i think of the kindness, the generosity, the invitational way you all welcomed me in as a temporary guest in your big paradise compound,” she continued, also giving a shout-out to creator Dan Fogelman and her fellow nominated co-star Sterling K. Brown.Woodley wrapped up her series of posts with a final message that reads: “THANK GOD FOR ART!!!! THANK GOD FOR ARTISTS!!!! next up... dan! sterling! julianne! hanelle! Let’s go!!!”Read more below. These Shows Are Top Contenders At This Year's Emmys — See The Full List Of Nominees“Hacks,” “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” could win big at this year’s ceremony.See All UpdatesTrending In EntertainmentMore In Life
