There was plenty of history in Monday’s telecast, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, and also plenty of cringe. Jean Smart won her fifth consecutive trophy for “Hacks” at the Emmy Awards on Monday. Sept. 15, 2026, 5:04 a.m. ET This year, the Television Academy moved a handful of awards out of the main ceremony to make room for more skits, musical performances and other bits of ostensible entertainment in the telecast. It might be rethinking that strategy on Tuesday after seeing what the producers did with that extra time.

The “S. V. U.” star Mariska Hargitay, a surprise pick for host, was game and enthusiastic, but the material the writers saddled her with was flat when it wasn’t terminally cringey.

The awards themselves were more enjoyable, with likable performers like Jean Smart, Allison Janney and Matthew Rhys making Emmy history and Stephen Colbert giving a graceful goodbye. A fun freshman show, the Apple TV horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay,” nearly ran the table on the comedy side. Maybe next year the Emmys will give us more, uh, Emmys? Here are some of the best and worst moments of the night. — JEREMY EGNERBest demographic trend: Thriving veteran actresses Image Allison Janney, left, with Emmy Rossum, won her eighth Emmy for “The Diplomat,” tying a record.

Jean Smart was expected to make history at the Emmys. She did. Her win, for the fifth and final season of “Hacks,” tied her with Julia-Louis Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman for the most prime-time acting Emmys for any performer, with eight.

And her streak, an award for every year of “Hacks,” set another record. But perhaps the evening’s biggest surprise was a supporting acting win for Allison Janney for “The Diplomat.” That trophy took Janney’s acting total to eight, tying the others. Even Janney seemed shocked.“I have to tell you this was not what I planned for this category at all, and I’m very surprised and very, very grateful to be here,” she said.

Smart is 75. Janney is 66. They led the way in a banner year for women 40 and over, including acting wins for Linda Cardellini (for “DTF St. Louis”), Sally Field (“Remarkably Bright Creatures”), Rhea Seehorn (“Pluribus”) and Betty Gilpin and Kate O’Flynn (both for “Widow’s Bay”).

Shailene Woodley, who won a guest acting award for “Paradise,” was at 34 the youngest woman to win an acting Emmy this year.“What a ride this has been,” Smart said as she held her trophy. How sweet to know that the ride can last so long. — ALEXIS SOLOSKIBest delayed reward: Justice for Rhea Seehorn Image Rhea Seehorn won her first Emmy, for lead acting for “Pluribus.”What did Rhea Seehorn have to do to win a flippin’ drama actress Emmy? It turns out just about everything. That’s what Seehorn, criminally spurned for “Better Call Saul,” did in “Pluribus.” Her starring role, as the unhappiest woman on Earth and one of the few unscathed by an alien invasion that joined humanity into a creepy hive-mind, required her to carry the bulk of the series.

It was often a solo performance, sometimes a silent-movie-like role and often one of the most delicious comic performances of the season. She practically had to become the last woman on Earth to win, but fortunately she only played that role on TV. — JAMES PONIEWOZIKBest surprising Emmy trend: Originality Image The cast, creative team and producers of “DTF St. Louis” celebrated their Emmy Award for best limited or anthology series. Credit...

Mark Von Holden/Invision, via Associated Press As a critic, I spend a lot of my professional life describing new series to people. But sometimes the highest praise I can give is to say, “I can’t entirely explain what this show is, but you need to watch it.” It’s a good season if you get one of these, and this season three of them got Emmy recognition.“Widow’s Bay” blended horror and comedy, a combination that TV has sometimes attempted but not while executing the scares and the laughs equally effectively. “Pluribus” was eerie and comic in an entirely different way, turning an alien invasi...