The 78th Emmy Awards: historic moments and emotional goodbyes

The 78th Emmy Awards ceremony was held Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, featuring a series of historic moments and moving farewell awards.

At the center of the evening stood actor Matthew Rhys, who became the first person in the history of the ceremony to win two leading acting awards on the same night. Rhys first won the award for Best Actor in a Miniseries for "The Beast in Me," and later also took home the award for Best Actor in a Comedy for his role in the hit "Widow’s Bay."

Unlike last year, no pro-Palestinian outbursts or controversial statements by attendees at the ceremony were documented.

The comedy sensation: Widow's Bay and Jean Smart's high point

The horror comedy "Widow’s Bay" from Apple TV had a phenomenal and sweeping debut last night, taking home the prestigious award for Best Comedy Series. This main win was part of a perfect evening for the production, which also collected supporting actor awards for Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root, as well as the writing award for Katie Dippold, who joked on stage: "No one will enter my house without seeing this thing. I’ll put it on a rotating platform with a spotlight and a system of mirrors."

Meanwhile, 75-year-old actress Jean Smart made history by becoming the first to win five consecutive awards for the same series, for the latest season of "Hacks," as she excitedly declared: "What a rollercoaster this has been."

Drama Battles: The Pitt vs. Pluribus

The successful emergency room drama "The Pitt" from HBO Max was crowned last night as the best drama series of 2026, capping off a festive and award-filled evening for the production. The show's tremendous achievement was joined by the impressive win of the series' star, Noah Wyle, who earlier took home the award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama.

On the other hand, the award for Best Actress in a Drama went to Rhea Seehorn for her performance in the sci-fi series "Pluribus," her first Emmy win after two previous nominations for "Better Call Saul," while veteran Allison Janney marked her eighth career Emmy win as Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Sally Field warns against mega-mergers

The veteran actress Sally Field won the award for Best Actress in a Miniseries for her role in "Remarkably Bright Creatures," thus earning the fourth Emmy statuette of her career.

Field took advantage of the opportunity to deliver a sharp monologue in defense of the world of creativity and culture, in what was perceived as a direct jab at the business mergers threatening Hollywood. In her speech, Field declared: "We are the art, our voices matter, and our unique stories matter. We cannot allow these voices to be silenced, compromised, or merged."

A bittersweet farewell: Stephen Colbert wins after his show was canceled

A few months after CBS announced the cancellation of his show after 11 seasons, Stephen Colbert won the Emmy Award for Best Variety Series. Colbert used the stage to emotionally thank the extended production team, emphasizing the critical role of late-night shows as a professional incubator: "The thing about these late-night shows is that they require so many people that they serve as a fantastic incubator for young people to learn how to work professionally under deadlines and to collaborate, and that's the future of our business that we need to preserve."

The new and updated information: Colbert noted that the program's staff are now available for work and addressed the industry's producers with a strong recommendation: "Hire them; they will make your show better, and they will make your day easier."

The host avoided addressing the political storm surrounding the show's cancellation last May and the well-known tensions with President Donald Trump. He spoke directly to his viewers and concluded: "We hope you enjoyed the show; we greatly enjoyed making it for you."

The humanitarian award to Michael J. Fox: "You made me feel that I can go on"

An inspiring highlight occurred when beloved television star Michael J. Fox took the stage, receiving the prestigious Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to loud and prolonged applause from the audience.

Fox, who stood on the Emmy stage for the first time in over a decade and received the statuette from his "The Good Wife" co-star Julianna Margulies, thanked the audience with great emotion for their consistent support over the years.

The actor, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1995 at only 29 years old, admitted that he had previously feared the public's reaction and addressed the audience: "It just made me feel that I could keep doing this; it's thanks to the fact that you stood by my side and I appreciate it."

In his speech, Fox praised Bob Hope’s legacy, saying he learned a lot from his persona when “I took on a role I hadn’t sought” in coping with the disease. The “Family Ties” star, who was nominated this year for Guest Actor in a Comedy for his appearance in the third season of “Shrinking,” expressed deep pride in the achievements of the foundation he established for Parkinson’s research. Fox concluded his remarks with hope and determination to continue the medical struggle in order to “eradicate this disease forever.”

A touching tribute to the country legend: Dolly Parton

A particularly moving musical moment came towards the end of the evening, when Sally Field took the stage to lead a special tribute in memory of her "Steel Magnolias" castmate, Dolly Parton, who passed away last month in Nashville at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.

Field bid her farewell in tears and said: "If there really are angels on earth, then we just lost one." The veteran actress described Parton as a cultural giant and added: “I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human. She was a humanitarian whose contributions have made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee and across our country.”

Immediately after Field's remarks, country singer Reba McEntire took the stage and performed Parton's famous song "Appalachian Memories."