Widow's Bay Dominates 2026 Emmys as Matthew Rhys, Jean Smart Make History
Welsh actor becomes first performer to win lead acting Emmys for different shows in the same night, while Jean Smart claims a win for every season of Hacks
Matthew Rhys made Emmy Awards history on Monday night, becoming the first actor in the ceremony's 78-year run to win multiple lead acting awards for performances in two different shows in the same year, according to the Guardian.
The 51-year-old Welsh actor won outstanding lead actor in a comedy for his role in Apple TV's Widow's Bay and outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his performance in Netflix's The Beast in Me, the report said.
With the double win, Rhys has now claimed all three major lead acting categories across his career. He previously won outstanding lead actor in a drama in 2018 for his role in The Americans, making him, per the Guardian, the first male performer to win all three lead acting categories at the Emmys.
Widow's Bay was reported to have dominated the ceremony overall, emerging as a major winner on the night.
Jean Smart also made history at the ceremony, according to the Guardian, becoming the first woman to win an Emmy for every season of a single show, for her role in the HBO Max comedy Hacks.
The Guardian described the night's central storyline as a competition between Widow's Bay and Hacks across multiple categories.
The ceremony also featured red carpet coverage of outfits worn by attendees, and the Guardian published a full list of winners alongside a live blog covering the event as it unfolded.
Sources
- Emmys 2026: Widow’s Bay dominates as Matthew Rhys and Jean Smart land historic wins — The Guardian — Culture
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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