The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards saw many historic wins today. Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay swept the season with six awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series; Welsh actor Matthew Rhys bagged two awards in one night for his lead acting roles in Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me; and Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive Emmy for her performance as Deborah Vance in Hacks.
But some wins don’t need trophies. Sometimes, you can win by just having fun, and that’s what some of these winners set out to do.
Megan Stalter
If you can’t win the Emmy, be the Emmy. Comedian, actress, and birthday girl Megan Stalter rolled up to the red carpet dressed as the iconic winged woman trophy, complete with wings, a globe, and all the gold body paint. Stalter was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series for her performance as Kayla in Hacks, but lost to Widow’s Bay star Kate O’Flynn. I’d wish Meg better luck next time, but she seems perfectly happy being the prettiest statuette in America.
Mariska Hargitay
This awards night was undeniably Mariska Hargitay’s night, and why shouldn’t it be? She’s the host. I’d lost count of how many times the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star changed her look within the main ceremony’s three-hour period. At some point, she ditched her hair extensions to serve bob. She also did an SVU-themed recorded skit with Taylor Swift, sang with Andrew Rannells, and dressed like she was on the Night’s Watch from Game of Thrones, just like she asked.
John Mulaney
At the awards show, comedian John Mulaney got to push a very important advocacy: men’s representation in TV. As he presented the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, Mulaney said (sarcastically, of course, in case you’re still not picking it up), “Since the creation of television, men have been historically unrepresented. For the first three years TV existed, there were no men on it. It was just beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets, until the early ‘60s, until a man walked out and said, ‘Enough!’”
Katie Dippold
Yes, Katie Dippold did win the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for A Comedy Series for her work on Widow’s Bay. But this win wasn’t just for her as a screenwriter. It was for the Katie Dippold who attended a Halloween party dressed as the Babadook when the gathering had “more of a grown ups drinking wine vibe.” Now, Dippold could add this accolade to her growing list of achievements, right next to becoming a classic Twitter meme. Widow’s Bay being the best comedy horror show out there had to come from somewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Widow’s Bay won the most awards of the night with six awards, followed by The Pitt and Pluribus with two awards each.
Though Megan Stalter was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series, she did not win the award.
In 2006, Mariska Hargitay won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2026, she won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.
Katie Dippold won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the first episode of Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
John Mulaney has won four Emmy Awards: Outstanding Music and Lyrics for Saturday Night Live (2011), Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018), and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) and SNL: 50th Anniversary Special (2025).
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