Emmys 2026: Jimmy Kimmel, Jeopardy! and More Early Winners From Night 1
The 78th Emmy Awards are officially underway, and several familiar television names have already taken home Emmy gold. Among the biggest early winners on Saturday, Sept. 5, were Jimmy Kimmel and Jeopardy!, while The Late Show With Stephen Colbert also delivered a notable result.
Kimmel won Outstanding Host for a Game Show for ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, giving him the award for the second consecutive year. Jeopardy! also captured Outstanding Game Show during the first Creative Arts Emmy ceremony in Los Angeles.
The early results are putting “Emmys 2026” among the major entertainment searches as viewers track winners before the main Primetime Emmy telecast arrives later this month.
Jimmy Kimmel Wins His Second Straight Emmy for Game Show Hosting
Jimmy Kimmel continued his run at the Creative Arts Emmys by winning Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
He beat nominees including Steve Harvey of Celebrity Family Feud, Ken Jennings of Jeopardy!, Colin Jost of Pop Culture Jeopardy! and Martin Short of Match Game.
The victory marks Kimmel’s second straight win in the category and gives Millionaire another high-profile moment at the 2026 Emmys.
The Television Academy’s 2026 awards materials list Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as Kimmel’s nominated program in the category.
Jeopardy! Wins Outstanding Game Show
Jeopardy! also emerged as an early winner, taking the Emmy for Outstanding Game Show.
The show competed against Celebrity Family Feud, The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The Television Academy’s results confirm Jeopardy! as the 2026 winner.
The win adds another Emmy to one of television’s most recognizable game-show franchises. The Academy’s historical records show Jeopardy! has previously won the category, including in 2023.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Has a Strong Night
One of the more surprising developments from Night 1 involved The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The CBS late-night program, which is ending its run, picked up multiple Emmy recognition during the opening Creative Arts ceremony. Deadline described the performance as an unexpectedly strong night for the canceled series.
That makes the early wins particularly significant for Colbert and the show’s viewers as the series approaches its conclusion.
Other Major Winners From Emmy Night 1
The first Creative Arts ceremony covered a wide range of categories, with the night concentrating heavily on variety, reality, nonfiction and selected technical and creative awards.
Early winners included programs such as:
- The Traitors
- The Muppet Show
- Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
- The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
- Jeopardy!
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Deadline’s live winners coverage identified The Traitors, The Muppet Show and the Super Bowl LX halftime show among the early winners as the ceremony unfolded.
Mariska Hargitay Scores Two Emmys
Mariska Hargitay had an especially notable night of her own.
Her documentary, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, won two Creative Arts Emmys, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.
The recognition comes just days before Hargitay takes on another major role in the awards season: she is scheduled to host the main 78th Emmy Awards ceremony on Sept. 14.
Why Emmys 2026 Winners Are Being Announced Before the Primetime Ceremony
The unusual timing of the early winners is tied to the Television Academy’s three-night Emmy schedule.
The 78th Emmy Awards are being presented on Sept. 5, Sept. 6 and Sept. 14. The first two events are the Creative Arts ceremonies, while the final event is the nationally televised Primetime Emmy ceremony.
Night 1 focused on variety, reality, nonfiction and related creative and technical categories. Night 2 on Sunday, Sept. 6, will recognize additional technical and artistic achievements, along with selected acting, directing and writing categories.
That means the Emmy winners list is already growing even though the biggest Primetime categories have not yet been decided.
When Are the 2026 Primetime Emmys?
The main 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The ceremony will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
The two Creative Arts ceremonies will be combined into an edited television presentation airing on FXX on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with streaming on Hulu the following day, according to the Television Academy.
What Happens Next at the Emmys?
The 2026 Emmy race is far from finished.
Night 2 takes place Sunday, Sept. 6, bringing another wave of winners before the industry’s biggest Primetime categories are decided on Sept. 14.
