Emmys 2026: Jean Smart Makes History as Hacks Falls Short Despite Record Nominations

Jean Smart made television history at this year's Emmy Awards, winning lead actress in a comedy series for her role in Hacks, according to The Guardian. The win marks the first time a woman has received an Emmy for every season of a programme's run, as Smart has now won the award for each season the show has aired.

Despite the milestone achievement for Smart, Hacks otherwise underperformed relative to expectations, the report said. The comedy entered the ceremony with a record 24 nominations, described by The Guardian as the most ever received by a comedy series in a single year, and was seen as carrying significant momentum from its farewell season narrative.

However, according to the report, Hacks ultimately won only two awards across the night: Smart's lead actress trophy and a Creative Arts Emmy for picture editing. The Guardian noted this meant the show lost 22 of its 24 nominations, a result it characterized as a "terrible failure" alongside the show's undeniable success in Smart's individual win.

The Guardian's coverage described the ceremony as featuring numerous upsets throughout the night. Among the standout moments, the outlet highlighted performances tied to Matthew Rhys and the series Widow's Bay, which it described as both "genuinely scary" and "genuinely hilarious," suggesting the show factored prominently into the evening's narrative.

The Guardian's report focused on the contrast between individual acting recognition and overall show performance, using Hacks as a central example of how a program can achieve historic individual honors while falling well short of broader awards expectations.