2026 Emmys: Early Black Winners and How to Watch on September 14

The 2026 Emmys are already handing out trophies to Black talent, and the main ceremony has not even started. Over the Creative Arts weekend on September 5 and 6 in Los Angeles, a 73 year old character actor won his first Emmy after five decades in the business, and an Oscar winner added television’s top honor to her shelf. Now attention turns to Monday, September 14, when the biggest categories are handed out on live television.

Here is who has already won, which Black nominees are still in contention, and exactly how to watch.

Ernest Harden Jr. Wins His First Emmy After Five Decades

If you watch The Pitt, you know Louie Cloverfield, the familiar emergency room regular whose health kept slipping over the course of the series. Ernest Harden Jr. played him, and on September 6 he won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the episode “7:00 A.M.,” which showed Louie’s final chapter. He beat a strong field that included Colman Domingo for Euphoria, according to TVLine’s full list of Creative Arts winners.

Harden’s career stretches back to the 1970s. As theGrio reported, his first credited film was Three Days of the Condor in 1975, he appeared on Norman Lear’s The Jeffersons, and he starred opposite Bette Davis in the 1980 television movie White Mama. He dedicated the Emmy to Davis, saying, “We didn’t make it then but this one is for us!” Backstage, he said he was “on cloud 25.”

His win is worth sitting with. Black character actors often spend entire careers doing steady, excellent work without the spotlight. Seeing one rewarded in his seventies, for a role built on small, human moments, is a reminder that recognition does not always arrive on schedule, and that it still matters when it comes.

Octavia Spencer Adds an Emmy to Her Oscar

On September 5, Octavia Spencer won Outstanding Narrator for Lost Women of Alaska, an Investigation Discovery series that examines cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. It is her first Emmy, according to theGrio, and it joins an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Spencer has said she came to the project as a longtime student of true crime, not a newcomer to the genre.

Other Creative Arts results worth knowing

Not every nomination converted. RuPaul’s Drag Race won for hairstyling on a variety, nonfiction or reality program, but RuPaul lost the reality host award to Alan Cumming of The Traitors. Steve Harvey lost the game show host prize to Jimmy Kimmel. Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. lost hosted nonfiction series to Tucci in Italy, and Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special and Wanda Sykes’ writing nomination both lost to The Muppet Show.

Black Nominees Still in the Running at the 2026 Emmys

When BCN looked at the Emmy nominations in July, the depth of the field stood out. Here is who is still competing on Monday, based on theGrio’s rundown of Black nominees and the published category lists.

Comedy

• Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC), is nominated for lead actress and for writing. The show is also up for Outstanding Comedy Series.
• Tyler James Williams and Janelle James, also of Abbott Elementary, are nominated in the supporting categories.
• Ayo Edebiri is nominated for lead actress for The Bear (FX).
• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is nominated for lead actor for Wonder Man (Disney+).
• Jessica Williams is nominated for supporting actress for Shrinking (Apple TV).
• Colman Domingo, who lost the guest drama race to Harden, still has a shot at supporting actor for The Four Seasons (Netflix).

Drama

• Sterling K. Brown is nominated for lead actor for Paradise (Hulu), which is also up for Outstanding Drama Series.
• Zendaya is nominated for lead actress for Euphoria (HBO), and Chase Infiniti earned a lead actress nomination for The Testaments (Hulu).
• Behind the camera, Hanelle M. Culpepper is nominated for directing Paradise, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield holds two drama directing nominations, for The Gilded Age and Task.

Several races put Black nominees head to head. Lead actress in a comedy includes both Brunson and Edebiri. Lead actress in a drama includes both Zendaya and Infiniti. Janelle James and Jessica Williams share the supporting actress comedy field, and Tyler James Williams and Domingo share supporting actor comedy. That depth is its own story, even if it means some of these nominees cannot all win.

How to Watch the 2026 Emmys

The main ceremony

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14, at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT, live on NBC across both coasts. The show also streams live and on demand on Peacock. Mariska Hargitay hosts from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, ABC News reported.

The Creative Arts broadcast

An edited version of the Creative Arts ceremonies airs Saturday, September 12, at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on FXX, which gives you a chance to see some of the weekend’s winners accept their awards.

Catch up before Monday

You still have a few days to get to the shows that matter to you. The Pitt streams on HBO Max, Paradise and The Testaments are on Hulu, Wonder Man is on Disney+, Shrinking is on Apple TV, The Four Seasons is on Netflix, and Abbott Elementary airs on ABC. If you need a starting point, our platform by platform guide to Black led shows covers where much of this year’s best television lives.

What to Watch For Next

Pay attention to the craft categories as well as the acting awards. Harden’s win came in a guest category that rarely gets airtime, and the directing nominations for Culpepper and Richardson-Whitfield are a sign that Black creatives are being recognized for how shows get made, not only for who appears on screen. Whatever happens Monday, behind the camera recognition is the kind that tends to shape who gets hired next season.

Pull up a chair on Monday night, root for your people, and remember that some of the most meaningful wins of this Emmys cycle have already happened.