“Heated Rivalry” tops Television Critics Association Awards, but it’s not the biggest winner
“Heated Rivalry” tops Television Critics Association Awards, but it’s not the biggest winner
Joyce EngThu, August 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams on ‘Heated Rivalry’Credit: Sabrina Lantos/HBO MaxKey Points -
The 2026 Television Critics Association Awards winners have been announced.
Heated Rivalry won the top prize, but Widow’s Bay won the most awards.
The Pitt won its second consecutive drama series award.
Heated Rivalry topped the 2026 Television Critics Association Awards, claiming Program of the Year, but Widow’s Bay was the biggest winner of them all.
The breakout horror comedy won Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, Outstanding New Program, and Individual Achievement in Comedy for fan favorite and Emmy nominee Kate O’Flynn. For the past three years, the TCA comedy series winner went on to win the corresponding award at the Emmys.
Widow’s Bay, which has 19 Emmy nominations, co-led TCA nominations with five alongside Industry, which was shut out, and Heated Rivalry, which only won Program of the Year.
There was no in-person awards ceremony for the sixth time in seven years as TCA’s summer press tour was canceled. Winners accepted via video.
Kate O’Flynn on ‘Widow’s Bay’Credit: Apple TV
“Thank you so much, TCA. We are beyond honored,” Widow’s Bay star Matthew Rhys said on behalf of the show’s series victory. “Obviously it takes nothing more than an enormous thank you for me to say please do visit Widow’s Bay, because we really do have the best beaches, the greatest seafood as we all know, the friendliest people — well, friendliest islanders you’ll ever meet. Um, most of them. As I’ve said in the past and I stick by this, the greatest lobster in New England.”
“And we are, we are, we are definitely, definitely not cursed,” he concluded as lights flickered before his connection was lost.
Heated Rivalry, which is not eligible at the Emmys as a Canadian production, is the first show to win Program of the Year and nothing else since another zeitgeist hit 11 years ago, Empire.
“Thank you so much to the TCA Awards for this incredible honor,” Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney said. “Congratulations to all the other incredible nominees. We are incredibly honored to be in the same conversation with you.”
Noah Wyle on ‘The Pitt’Credit: Warrick Page/HBO Max
The Pitt, which won all four categories in which it was nominated last year en route to its Outstanding Drama Series Emmy win, only defended its Outstanding Achievement in Drama crown. Last year, Noah Wyle ended a nine-year run of female champs in the gender-neutral Individual Achievement in Drama category, but it was another W for the ladies this year as Rhea Seehorn nabbed the prize for Pluribus. She is the first person to win the award for two different shows, having triumphed in 2023 for Better Call Saul.
Stephen Colbert took home two awards: Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch for his belated The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and the Career Achievement Award.
Other winners include Death by Lightning for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials (it did not net a series nomination at the Emmys), The Traitors for Outstanding Achievement in Variety for the third straight year, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians for Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming.
Long Story Short and Squid Game won the inaugural awards for Outstanding Achievement in Animation and Outstanding International Series. In Living Color earned the Heritage Award.
See the full list of winners below:
Program of the Year: Heated Rivalry
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: Widow’s Bay
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Outstanding Achievement in Drama:The Pitt
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials:Death by Lightning
Outstanding New Program: Widow’s Bay
Individual Achievement in Drama: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Individual Achievement in Comedy: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: The American Revolution
Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Achievement in Reality: The Traitors
Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming: Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical
Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Long Story Short
Outstanding International Series: Squid Game
Career Achievement: Stephen Colbert
Heritage Award: In Living Color
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
