Widow’s Bay Dominates Creative Arts Emmys with Eight Wins as The Pitt and DTF St. Louis Take Home Top Craft Honors

During the second night of the Emmy Awards, the Television Academy showcased its appreciation for the best in television craftsmanship, highlighting standout series like DTF St. Louis.

At the Creative Arts Emmys, HBO’s acclaimed limited drama series secured four major awards, including Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Picture Editing, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The ceremony also celebrated David Harbour and Linda Cardellini, who each claimed their first Emmy awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, respectively.

The two-night event, which honors outstanding achievements in casting, production design, sound, makeup, costume design, stunt coordination, and acting, will air as a combined broadcast on Hulu and FXX on September 12. This precedes the live Primetime Emmys ceremony on NBC and Peacock on September 14.

While the Creative Arts categories do not always perfectly predict the main telecast results, Sunday night’s surprises could significantly shift the trajectory of the upcoming “safe” predictions for the Primetime races.

Leading the pack was the Apple TV+ dark comedy horror series Widow’s Bay, which dominated with eight wins. Despite entering the night with an impressive 19 nominations, the word-of-mouth favorite proved its staying power, securing seven craft awards—including Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Production Design, Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Sound Mixing, Outstanding Music Supervision, and Outstanding Music Composition. Additionally, Betty Gilpin earned the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

The breadth of Widow’s Bay’s success across multiple disciplines could signal a strong momentum heading into the final stretch, potentially challenging favorites like Abbott Elementary and the final season of Hacks for the top Comedy Series prize.

Meanwhile, the medical drama The Pitt, which led all series with 25 nominations, took home two awards for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup and Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. Ernest Harden Jr. also delivered a standout performance, winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Louie. Following its success last year, where it won five Emmys from thirteen nominations, The Pitt remains a strong contender for Noah Wyle and the Outstanding Drama Series category.

The Prime Video series Spider-Noir experienced a bittersweet celebration, earning five Emmys in craft categories—such as Cinematography, Visual Effects, Title Design, Stunt Coordination, and Sound Editing—just days after the network announced its cancellation. Star Nicolas Cage reflected on the news, stating that a single season allowed him to fully realize his vision for a unique, pop-art Spider-Man narrative.

The cancellation of Spider-Noir despite its five wins highlights the Academy’s keen eye for quality, though it raises questions about the industry’s support for completed creative works. Similarly, Disney+’s recent cancellation of Wonder Man before voting concluded leaves star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s potential victory as an uncertain prospect.

Other notable winners included Pluribus, which claimed four awards for period costumes, production design, sound editing, and visual effects; Fallout, which won two awards for fantasy/sci-fi costumes and visual effects; and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which took home the award for Outstanding Stunt Performance.

As the Creative Arts Emmys conclude, the industry now looks ahead to the main ceremony, where the ultimate top honors will be decided.

The 78th Primetime Emmys will take place at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay on September 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

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