September 15, 2026

Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony, for playing Deborah Vance in the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks." The win made her the first performer to win an Emmy for every season of the same show and gave her eight career Emmys overall, tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most ever by a performer.

Smart's total includes the five "Hacks" wins along with two prior Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmys for "Frasier" and one Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series win for "Samantha Who?" Allison Janney also tied the eight-win record the same night, for "The Diplomat."

Smart's win came even as "Hacks" lost the night's top comedy prize, Outstanding Comedy Series, to Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," leaving her performance as the marquee recognition for the show's farewell season despite a record 24 nominations overall.

The Predict Six community had set solid odds, 70% yes, on Smart extending her streak, and the result matched that expectation, one of the more predictable individual acting outcomes of the ceremony.

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony, ending "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"'s run of 10 consecutive wins in the category. Colbert's show, which had ended its CBS run four months before the ceremony, beat Oliver's show along with "The Daily Show," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "Saturday Night Live."

The category is judged as an "area award" that can recognize multiple nominees clearing a high vote threshold, but this year Colbert's program was the sole winner, taking the prize for its final season on the air. The show also won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, while a related short-form spinoff, "Colbert Before Air," won its own Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series.

The win came after CBS's decision to cancel "The Late Show," giving Colbert an Emmy-stage farewell described by entertainment press as an emotional send-off for the host after decades in late night.

The Predict Six community had set the odds against Colbert winning, at just 31% yes, reflecting Oliver's long dominance of the category. The result was a significant community miss, ending one of the Emmys' longest active win streaks.

"The Pitt" won more total Emmy trophies than "Hacks" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony, even though the two shows arrived with a close nomination count, 25 for "The Pitt" and 24 for "Hacks." HBO Max credited "The Pitt" with six wins, including Outstanding Drama Series and Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Noah Wyle, both repeat victories from the previous year.

"Hacks," by contrast, lost the night's marquee prize, Outstanding Comedy Series, to Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," leaving Jean Smart's fifth consecutive Lead Actress in a Comedy Series win as the show's headline trophy from its final season. "The Pitt" was shut out only in the supporting actor drama category, where it had fielded three of the seven nominees but lost to Tom Pelphrey of "Task."

The comparison underscored how nomination totals do not always predict trophy hauls: "The Pitt" converted its nominations more efficiently across major categories, while "Hacks," despite a record nomination count for a final comedy season, saw much of its ensemble recognition offset by "Widow's Bay"'s sweep of the top comedy prizes.

The Predict Six community had set high odds, 85% yes, on "The Pitt" prevailing, and the outcome matched that expectation.

Apple TV's "Widow's Bay" won Outstanding Comedy Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 Emmy Awards, beating "Hacks," which had led the category with a record 24 nominations for its final season. "Widow's Bay" entered with 19 nominations but converted them into a record-setting 14 total wins for a comedy series, the most ever, breaking the mark of 13 set by Apple's "The Studio" the previous year.

The horror-comedy about a cursed New England town swept most of the night's major comedy categories, with Matthew Rhys winning lead actor, Kate O'Flynn winning supporting actress, and Stephen Root winning supporting actor, in addition to the series prize. The sweep helped Apple TV finish atop the network standings with 28 total Emmy wins for the ceremony, ahead of HBO Max's 21.

"Hacks" was not shut out entirely, with star Jean Smart winning her fifth consecutive lead actress trophy for the show's final season, but the series' bid for the top comedy prize came up short against "Widow's Bay"'s broader ensemble support.

The Predict Six community had set the odds at just 33% yes for "Widow's Bay," favoring "Hacks" given its nomination lead. The result was a clear community miss.

"Beef" did not win Outstanding Limited Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 Emmy Awards despite leading the category with 16 nominations. The award went to HBO's "DTF St. Louis," starring Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini, which had entered with 13 nominations and beat "Beef" along with "Love Story," "All Her Fault" and "The Beast in Me."

"DTF St. Louis" ultimately won seven Emmys in total, including six at the Creative Arts ceremonies the prior weekend, where Harbour and Cardellini won supporting actor and actress in a limited series, respectively. Showrunner Steven Conrad accepted the top prize on behalf of the cast and crew.

The win ended a three-year streak of Netflix limited series winning the category, following "Beef" in 2023, "Baby Reindeer" in 2024 and "Adolescence" in 2025. "Beef," the most-nominated limited series this year, also saw its lead actor bid fail when Oscar Isaac lost to Matthew Rhys for "The Beast in Me."

The Predict Six community had set relatively high odds, 79% yes, on "Beef" winning given its nomination lead. The result was a clear community miss as "DTF St. Louis" prevailed with fewer nominations but more total wins.

"The Pitt" repeated as Outstanding Drama Series winner at the Sept. 14, 2026 Emmy Awards, successfully defending the title it won a year earlier. The HBO Max medical drama, created by R. Scott Gemmill, arrived as the field's most-nominated series with 25 nominations and converted that strength into back-to-back wins in the category.

The repeat came alongside a second consecutive Emmy for star Noah Wyle in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category, though "The Pitt" was shut out of the supporting actor drama race despite fielding three of the seven nominees, with that award going to Tom Pelphrey for "Task." HBO Max credited "The Pitt" with six total wins for the season, contributing to the network's second-place finish behind Apple TV's 28 wins in the overall tally.

Back-to-back Outstanding Drama Series wins are relatively uncommon in a category that often rotates among prestige dramas each year, making "The Pitt"'s repeat a notable outcome for a show that had generated strong reviews and audience interest since its 2025 debut.

The Predict Six community had set solid odds, 64% yes, on a repeat, and the outcome matched that expectation.

Karolina Wydra did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Apple's "Pluribus" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The award went to Allison Janney for Netflix's "The Diplomat," giving Janney her eighth career Emmy and tying the all-time record for most wins by a performer, matched the same night by Jean Smart.

Janney beat a field that included Wydra along with The Pitt's Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi, and Paradise's Julianne Nicholson. Janney said afterward the win was "not what I planned at all," reflecting how open the category was seen to be heading into the ceremony.

"Pluribus," Vince Gilligan's science-fiction follow-up to "Better Call Saul," still had a strong night overall, with Rhea Seehorn winning Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the same show, but Wydra's supporting nomination did not convert into a win.

The Predict Six community had been fully confident, pricing this at 100% yes, likely reflecting strong buzz around "Pluribus" broadly. The result was a striking community miss, as Janney's win was widely described as a surprise even by industry observers.

"Hacks" did not win Outstanding Comedy Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 Emmy Awards despite arriving with a record 24 nominations for its final season, the most ever for a comedy's last season, surpassing "Schitt's Creek." The award instead went to Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," which took home a record 14 total wins for a comedy series that night.

"Hacks" was not shut out: star Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series trophy for playing Deborah Vance, tying the all-time record of eight career Emmys held by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman. But the series' bid for the top comedy prize fell short as "Widow's Bay" swept most of the marquee comedy categories, including lead actor (Matthew Rhys), supporting actor (Stephen Root) and supporting actress (Kate O'Flynn).

The loss ended "Hacks"'s run without ever winning the series prize despite five seasons of strong critical and awards support, closing out the show on an individual-performance high rather than an ensemble one.

The Predict Six community had set high odds, 86% yes, on "Hacks" winning given its dominant nomination total. The result was a significant community miss.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 31-10 in their 2026 season opener at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14, with Patrick Mahomes returning from a torn ACL and LCL to start at quarterback nine months after his December 2025 injury.

Running back Kenneth Walker III led the Chiefs' offense in his Kansas City debut, rushing for 173 yards and two touchdowns, the most rushing yards by a Chiefs player since Jamaal Charles in 2012. Mahomes, wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee, threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns and added a 15-yard rushing score to cap Kansas City's opening drive.

The win gave the Chiefs a measure of revenge after Denver had taken the AFC West division title from them, and it came despite questions about Mahomes's conditioning after missing all of the 2026 preseason. Kansas City controlled the game throughout, with the Walker-led ground game and an efficient Mahomes performance overwhelming a Broncos team led by quarterback Bo Nix.

The Predict Six community had this closer to a toss-up at 47% yes, reflecting real uncertainty about how Mahomes and the offense would perform in his first competitive action since the injury. The result favored Kansas City, a modest community miss.

Martin Short did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Only Murders in the Building" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The award went to Matthew Rhys for Apple TV's "Widow's Bay," part of a historic night in which Rhys also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for Netflix's "The Beast in Me," the first time any performer has won two lead-acting Emmys in one ceremony.

Short's nomination came for the long-running Hulu mystery-comedy, which he stars in alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, but the category's momentum belonged to "Widow's Bay," which swept the comedy acting categories on its way to a record 14 total wins for a comedy series, the most ever, breaking the mark set by Apple's own "The Studio" the year before.

The Predict Six community had given Short no realistic chance, pricing the category at 0% yes odds for him, correctly anticipating he would not win.

The result matched community expectations exactly, one of the more lopsided predictions among the night's many acting races given "Widow's Bay"'s dominant nomination position.

President Trump did not nominate a permanent replacement for Army Secretary Dan Driscoll before Sept. 14, 2026. Driscoll resigned in late August after months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and rather than naming a permanent successor, Trump designated Adam Telle, the Army's assistant secretary for civil works, as acting Army secretary.

Telle, a former longtime Senate staffer who had overseen the Army Corps of Engineers since August 2025 and worked in the White House legislative affairs office during Trump's first term, took over Army operations on an acting basis while a permanent pick remained unresolved. At the time of Driscoll's departure, names including Sean Parnell and Brian Mast were floated as possible nominees, and reporting indicated at least four candidates were under consideration, but no formal nomination was sent to the Senate by the deadline.

The delay reflected the unsettled nature of Driscoll's exit, which followed reported clashes with Hegseth over Army policy and personnel decisions.

The Predict Six community was split close to even, at 53% yes, and the outcome came in on the no side, a modest miss as the administration opted for an acting appointment instead of a swift permanent nomination.

Oscar Isaac did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for Netflix's "Beef" spinoff/companion project at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The award went to Matthew Rhys for his role as a menacing real estate mogul in Netflix's "The Beast in Me," beating Isaac along with Riz Ahmed (Bait), Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit) and Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story).

The win was part of a historic double for Rhys, who also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series the same night for "Widow's Bay," making him the first performer to win two lead-acting Emmys in one ceremony and the first man to have won across the comedy, drama and limited-series lead-acting categories.

"Beef," which had led all limited series with 16 nominations this year, also lost the night's top limited-series prize, Outstanding Limited Series, to HBO's "DTF St. Louis," leaving the show without a marquee win despite its nomination count.

The Predict Six community had set the odds at 56% yes for Isaac, a close-to-even call, and the result went the other way, a modest community miss.

Noah Wyle won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony for his role as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch on HBO Max's "The Pitt," his second consecutive win in the category. "The Pitt" arrived as the most-nominated series of the year with 25 nominations.

Wyle told the Emmy audience the win felt overwhelming, coming a year after he first took the award for the same role in the medical drama's debut season. His victory was part of a strong night overall for "The Pitt," which also repeated as Outstanding Drama Series, even as the show was shut out in the supporting actor drama category despite having three of the seven nominees.

Wyle had built a decades-long career, including a long run on "ER" playing a different doctor, before "The Pitt" delivered his first and now second Emmy wins in the lead actor drama category, cementing him as a favorite in a competitive field of drama leads.

The Predict Six community had priced this at 95% yes, among the most confident calls of the night, and the result matched that expectation exactly.

"The Pitt" repeated as Outstanding Drama Series winner at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, 2026, successfully defending the title it won the previous year. The HBO Max medical drama arrived as the field's most-nominated series with 25 nominations and converted that strength into a second straight top-drama win.

The repeat victory came alongside other wins for the show, including lead actor honors for Noah Wyle, though "The Pitt" was shut out in the supporting actor drama category despite fielding three of the seven nominees. In total, HBO Max credited "The Pitt" with six Emmy wins for the season, contributing to HBO Max's second-place finish behind Apple TV in the night's overall network tally.

Back-to-back wins in Outstanding Drama Series are relatively rare in a category that often rotates among prestige dramas; R. Scott Gemmill's ensemble medical series was widely regarded as the front-runner throughout the 2026 awards season based on its critical reception and nomination count.

The Predict Six community had set high odds, 88%, on a repeat, and the outcome confirmed that expectation, one of the more predictable results of the ceremony.

Zendaya did not win a third Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for HBO Max's "Euphoria" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The award went to Rhea Seehorn for Apple's "Pluribus," her first competitive Emmy win after two prior nominations for "Better Call Saul."

Seehorn beat a field that also included Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Chase Infiniti (The Testaments) and Keri Russell (The Diplomat), in addition to Zendaya. "Pluribus," creator Vince Gilligan's follow-up to "Better Call Saul," collected 18 nominations this year and had already picked up four Creative Arts Emmys, including for its main title music and sound mixing.

Zendaya had won the category twice previously for "Euphoria" and was considered a plausible repeat winner, but academy voters instead rewarded Seehorn's performance as a grieving novelist navigating the end of humanity in the science-fiction series.

The Predict Six community had set the odds close to even at 44% yes, reflecting genuine uncertainty in the category. The result went against the higher-probability lean implied by Zendaya's past wins, a modest community miss.

Lisa Kudrow did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in "The Comeback" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The award went to Jean Smart for HBO Max's "Hacks," her fifth consecutive win in the category for playing Deborah Vance across the show's run.

Smart's win gave her eight career Emmys, tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most ever by a performer, even as "Hacks" itself lost the night's top comedy prize, Outstanding Comedy Series, to Apple TV's "Widow's Bay." Smart's streak in the lead actress category held despite the show's other losses, reflecting sustained academy support for her performance specifically.

Kudrow, reprising her "Comeback" persona Valerie Cherish, was among the nominees but was not considered a front-runner; the Predict Six community had priced her chances at just 33% before the ceremony, correctly anticipating that Smart would extend her streak.

The result matched community expectations, one of the more predictable outcomes among the night's acting categories given Smart's dominant run.

Patrick Mahomes started at quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2026 season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, nine months after tearing his ACL and LCL in a December 2025 game. Mahomes did not play in any 2026 preseason game while rehabbing, but head coach Andy Reid said in the days before the opener there was a "pretty good chance" Mahomes would start "unless something were to come up."

Mahomes wore a brace on his surgically repaired left knee and went on to throw for 184 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring on a 15-yard rushing touchdown to cap Kansas City's opening drive, in a 31-10 win.

His availability had been in doubt for months; doctors had initially suggested an October return was more realistic, but Mahomes progressed faster than expected, taking first-team reps throughout training camp without landing on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

The Predict Six community had set relatively high odds, 85%, on Mahomes starting, and the outcome confirmed that expectation, reflecting how closely his recovery had been tracked through camp reports.

Kate O'Flynn won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Apple TV's "Widow's Bay" at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony. The win was one of 14 trophies for "Widow's Bay," a single-season record for a comedy series that helped push Apple TV to the top of the network standings for the night with 28 total wins.

O'Flynn's win came in a category that also included established comedy performers, but the Predict Six community had given her only 33% odds beforehand, reflecting uncertainty about how the Television Academy would spread its recognition across the "Widow's Bay" ensemble versus other nominees.

The win fit a broader pattern of the night: "Widow's Bay" swept its acting categories, with O'Flynn joined by co-stars Stephen Root (supporting actor) and Matthew Rhys (lead actor) all taking home trophies, alongside the show's win for Outstanding Comedy Series over "Hacks," which had led all comedies with 24 nominations.

The result was a community miss, underscoring how difficult it can be to predict individual acting categories within an ensemble show that goes on to dominate a ceremony.

Apple TV finished the 2026 Emmy Awards atop the network standings with 28 total wins, extending the 19-16 lead it held over HBO Max after the Creative Arts ceremonies into a decisive final margin once the Sept. 14 telecast concluded. HBO Max finished second with 21 wins.

Apple's total was driven largely by "Widow's Bay," which won a record 14 trophies for a comedy series, breaking the previous mark of 13 set by Apple's own "The Studio" the year before. HBO Max's tally came mainly from "DTF St. Louis," which took seven wins including Outstanding Limited Series, and "The Pitt," which added six wins including Outstanding Drama Series and lead actor for Noah Wyle.

The result marked the first time Apple TV led all outlets in total Emmy wins, framed by entertainment press as evidence of the streamer's growing programming strength after several years of Netflix and HBO dominance in the category.

The Predict Six community had priced this at 61% yes, correctly anticipating that Apple's Creative Arts lead would hold up once the acting and top series categories were handed out during the primetime telecast.

Harrison Ford, 84, did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Sept. 14, 2026 ceremony, despite his nomination for Apple TV's "Shrinking." The award went to Stephen Root for his role in "Widow's Bay," making the 74-year-old Root the oldest actor to win the category.

Root beat a crowded field that also included Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Nick Offerman (Margo's Got Money Troubles), and Shrinking castmate Michael Urie, in addition to Ford. The win was part of a dominant night for "Widow's Bay," which led all shows with 14 total trophies as Apple TV finished atop the network standings for Emmy wins for the first time.

Ford received his first career Primetime Emmy nomination in 2025 for playing therapist Dr. Paul Rhoades on "Shrinking" and remains without a competitive Emmy win despite a decades-long screen career.

The Predict Six community had set relatively high odds, 69%, on Ford finally breaking through. The result was a community miss, as voters instead rewarded a veteran character actor from the ceremony's biggest winning show.

Matthew Rhys won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Apple TV's "Widow's Bay" at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, 2026, beating a field that included Jason Segel (Shrinking) and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building).

The win capped a historic night for Rhys, who also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series the same evening for Netflix's "The Beast in Me." That made him the first performer in Emmy history to win two lead-acting trophies in one ceremony, and the first man to have won across the comedy, drama and limited-series lead-acting categories over his career.

"Widow's Bay," Apple TV's horror-comedy about a cursed New England town, led the entire ceremony with a record 14 wins for a comedy series, breaking the previous mark of 13 set by Apple's "The Studio" a year earlier. Rhys's win was part of that sweep, alongside co-star Kate O'Flynn's supporting actress win and Stephen Root's supporting actor win.

The Predict Six community had given Rhys only 33% odds heading in, favoring other contenders, making the result a clear community miss central to Widow's Bay's dominant night.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in early September 2026 that it would establish a restricted shipping zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran had not formally declared the zone in force by the Sept. 13 deadline. Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Sept. 6-7 that Iran would designate an area running from the U.S. Navy's blockade line through the strait and into the Persian Gulf, warning that vessels transiting without coordinating with Tehran would face sanctions affecting insurance and future port access.

The announcement came a day after U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Sept. 5, in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. warships, part of a broader Hormuz standoff that had already pushed daily tanker transits to their lowest level since May. Iranian officials described the zone only as forthcoming "in the coming days," and no formal notice to mariners or enforcement mechanism was confirmed by Sept. 13.

The community leaned toward yes at 67%, expecting Tehran to follow through quickly given the escalating tanker war. Instead, the announcement remained a stated intention rather than a declared, enforced restriction by the deadline, a community miss.

The Pitt entered the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards (Sept. 14, 2026) with three of the seven nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Patrick Ball, Shawn Hatosy and Gerran Howell. None of them won. The award went instead to Tom Pelphrey, who took the trophy for his role as Robbie Prendergrast in HBO's "Task," beating The Pitt's trio along with Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Pluribus).

Having three nominees in one category split The Pitt's support, a familiar Emmy-voting dynamic in which a numbers advantage in nominations does not translate into a lock on the win. The Pitt still had a strong night elsewhere, winning Outstanding Drama Series and lead actor for Noah Wyle, but this specific category went to a smaller-profile series.

The Predict Six community had priced this at 93% yes, given The Pitt made up nearly half the nominee field. The result was a clear community miss: Task's Pelphrey took the award, illustrating how vote-splitting among co-stars from the same show can offset even a dominant nomination count.