Emmys 2026’s best, worst and most incredible history-making moments

The stars of television's best shows gathered together in a ballroom where things got wild with host Mariska Hargitay opening the show with a banger.

Published Sep 14, 2026  •  Last updated 17 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Matthew Rhys holds up his Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Award for Widow's Bay and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Award for "The Beast in Me at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday, September 15, 2026. Amy Sussman/Getty Images

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The stars of television’s best shows gathered together in a ballroom where things got wild with host Mariska Hargitay opening the show with a banger.

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I Love TV Screens set to Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll was, admittedly, not great, though it didn’t help that her opener was followed by Amy Poehler presenting the first award of the night and hit all the right notes with her “loser” bit.

The Law & Order: SVU star, the first female host in 15 years, relayed that she was advised not to go for sincerity — which she ignored because what seemed like genuine words were actually lines ripped verbatim from Nicole Kidman’s now-viral AMC commercial, which starts with the line: “We come to this place for magic.”

Kidman was in on the joke, and interrupted the monologue, but Hargitay plowed on, telling the Margo’s Got Money Trouble nominee to “Zip it, movie lady. It’s TV’s turn tonight!”

Here are some other highs and lows from Monday night’s show:

Megan Stalter, dressed as an Emmy, with actor and writer Paul W. Downs at the Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

Meg Stalter dressed as a literal Emmy

The Hacks actress went full method and celebrated her first nomination painted in gold and wearing a gold bra, shorts and massive wings while hoisting the Emmy sphere over her head.

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“The statuette of a winged woman holding an atom has since become the symbol of the Television Academy’s goal of supporting and uplifting the arts and science of television,” according to the Television Academy. “The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron of science.”

And, yes, she stayed in the get-up while in the audience.

Veteran actress Jean Smart accepts the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks at the Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

Jean Smart breaks — and ties — Emmy records

The Hacks star made Emmy history, winning for every single eligible season of a comedy series, and also tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most Emmy wins by an actress in history.

The actress gave a special thank you to Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky: “It all begins and ends with them… What a ride!“

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Allison Janney’s shocking win for The Diplomat

Janney’s going to need a new mantle place for her eighth Emmy. The former West Wing and Mom star took home the statuette for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, a category that the actresses of The Pitt appeared to dominate, but perhaps ended up cancelling one another out.

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She is now tied with Louis-Dreyfus, Leachman, and Smart.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Elle Fanning dazzles on the red carpet at the Emmys in Los Angeles. on Sept. 14, 2026. Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Matthew Rhys’ two lead acting wins

Make it it a triple. Rhys also made Emmy history, doing something no actor had done in 78 years of the awards show: He was the first person to win two lead acting Emmys in one night (Lead Comedy Actor for Widow’s Bay and Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or movie for The Beast in Me).

He is also the first man to win all three top acting prizes, adding to his Lead Drama Actor win for The Americans in 2018.

Taylor Swift’s Emmy ‘appearance’

Just when you thought the music superstar couldn’t do everything, Swift not only appeared at husband Travis Kelce’s first Kansas City Chiefs game of the season, she also appeared at the Emmys in a meta SVU sketch.

“The mayor’s office is breathing down my neck demanding an answer to the big question: Will Taylor Swift be at the Emmys?” the host said in the sketch, in character as Olivia Benson. “Now, in order to crack a Swifty case, you’ve got to think like a Swifty, because the Swifties think that everything is a clue to what she’ll do next.”

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“Rookie” Swift joined in on the fun, throwing out clues to help the detectives solve whether she would appear at the show. The breakdown of the evidence boards were kind of brilliantly written. And the pop star was a fun addition.

Comedian Stephen Colbert wins the Outstanding Variety Series and Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series for the now-cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at the Emmys on September 14, 2026. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

Stephen Colbert gets a final Emmy win

John Oliver’s 10-year win streak came to an end when The Late Show With Stephen Colbert took home the award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series — the last time he could win following the show’s cancellation.

Colbert kept his speech, short, sweet and sincere, concluding with, “We hope you enjoyed the show, we had a great time doing it for you, Thank you, we’ll catch you all on the flip.”

In an emotional moment, Canadian actor Michael J. Fox is honoured with the Bob Hope Humanitarian award at the Emmys on September 14, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

John Mulaney’s scene-stealing presenting

While winners were given time limits to deliver their acceptance speeches, producers let Mulaney run free — and boy, was he a breath of fresh air.

Just a couple of his notable lines, aside from reciting from Frank Vincent’s A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man:

“Let’s talk about these bros tonight. These sweathogs. Some of the men in this category do method acting, and some do regular, less annoying acting.”

“I believe it was DJ Khaled who said ‘real men don’t go down on their wives,’ but these nominees know that that is B.S. They know there’s often less pressure on them if they do that first.”

We know who our vote to host next year’s Emmys is…

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