Welsh actor, Matthew Rhys, has made history at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards after becoming the first performer to win two lead acting awards at the ceremony on the same night.
Rhys claimed the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award for his performance in The Beast in Me, before returning later to collect the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series prize for Widow’s Bay.
The double triumph marked a rare achievement in Emmy history, with actors including Alan Alda, Sally Field, John Goodman, Elisabeth Moss and Ted Danson having previously received nominations in two lead acting categories in the same year, but none had won both.
Accepting his second award, Rhys dedicated the honour to his homeland, saying, “to the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurture as anyone else”.
“We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible,” he added, before saying, “Diolch yn fawr iawn”, meaning “thank you very much” in Welsh.
Speaking backstage, Rhys said he was pleased to have an opportunity to highlight Wales on the international stage.
“I’m from a small country, and I’m glad we get moments to kind of put our flag on the map and say, ‘we punch higher than our weight sometimes’,” he said.
His first victory came for The Beast in Me, a psychological thriller centred on a grieving author, played by Claire Danes, who becomes increasingly fascinated by a mysterious neighbour suspected of murder.
Rhys described the win as a “real shock” and thanked Danes for allowing him to be part of the production.
“Thank you for letting me join the mystery machine and bringing out the beast, you are an intimidating scene partner, but I’m grateful for all this,” he told her.
Later, Rhys won the comedy acting prize for portraying the mayor in Widow’s Bay.
During his acceptance speech, he thanked his family, friends and colleagues for supporting his career, as well as his parents, who he said “kicked me on to the stage at a very early age”.
Rhys’ Widow’s Bay co-star Kate O’Flynn also took home an Emmy, winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Patricia.
“I want to thank our mayor and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera,” O’Flynn said.
“This is the role of a lifetime… Thank you for trusting this Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia.”
Elsewhere, Jean Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, securing her fifth Emmy for the series and eighth acting Emmy overall.
Allison Janney also reached eight acting wins after claiming Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat.
The two actresses have now joined Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the performers with the most acting Emmy wins.
The Pitt took the night’s biggest drama prize, winning Outstanding Drama Series, while its lead actor, Noah Wyle, won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
Rhea Seehorn, meanwhile, won her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus.
Widow’s Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series, while DTF St. Louis was named Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Variety Series, while The Traitors took the reality competition prize.
Michael J. Fox was also honoured with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his advocacy and fundraising efforts in support of people living with Parkinson’s disease.
“When it starts getting tough, you show up, you help, and if you get a little joy while you’re doing it, that’s even better,” Fox said.
He also reflected on his decision to publicly embrace his condition after initially keeping his diagnosis private.
“Eventually, I understood that accepting Parkinson’s didn’t mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant doing what I could for everyone living with this disease. So I set out to advocate for patients’ needs and raise money, and to propel us towards a cure.”
The ceremony also featured a tribute to the late Dolly Parton, while actors including Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Dan Levy remembered the late Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara during the In Memoriam segment.
Full list of major 2026 Emmy winners
Outstanding Comedy Series: Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Drama Series: The Pitt
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Television Movie: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Matthew Rhys — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart — Hacks
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Noah Wyle — The Pitt
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Rhea Seehorn — Pluribus
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Matthew Rhys — The Beast in Me
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Sally Field — Remarkably Bright Creatures
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Stephen Root — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kate O’Flynn — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tom Pelphrey — Task
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Allison Janney — The Diplomat
Outstanding Reality Competition Program: The Traitors
Outstanding Variety Series: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Hiro Murai — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Saul Metzstein — Slow Horses
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Katie Dippold — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Vince Gilligan — Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: David Harbour — DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Linda Cardellini — DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner — The Bear
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Betty Gilpin — Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Ernest Harden Jr. — The Pitt
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program: Alan Cumming — The Traitors
Outstanding Variety Special (Live): The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded): The Muppet Show
