This year’s TCA (Television Critics Association) Awards for 2026 have been announced, and top winners include Heated Rivalry, Widow’s Bay and more.
Full disclosure up front: I am a member of TCA and I voted for these awards. So you know! But anyway, Heated Rivalry which was shut out of the Emmys for being — shudder — Canadian took Program of the Year. Meanwhile, Widow’s Bay won multiple awards including Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, Outstanding New Program, and Individual Achievement in Comedy for Kate O’Flynn.
In Living Color, meanwhile was given the Heritage Award, while Stephen Colbert was granted the Career Achievement award in addition to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert snagging Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch.
Full press release and list of winners via the TCA, follows:
The Television Critics Association (TCA) announced today the winners for the organization’s 42nd Annual TCA Awards, honoring standout series and stars from the 2025-2026 television season.
The awards, nominated and selected by TCA’s members, were announced across the organization’s social media platforms via videos featuring the winning series’ cast and crew. Top prizes went to acclaimed programs including “Heated Rivalry,” “Widow’s Bay,” “Pluribus,” and “The American Revolution,” and “The Traitors.” In addition, TCA members honored the groundbreaking sketch show “In Living Color” and the career of talk show host and actor Stephen Colbert.
“Creepy ghost stories, hot athlete romance, and a global hive mind all produced engaging television—and outstanding art,” said TCA President Andy Dehnart, creator of reality blurred and host of the podcast Made from Humans: How Reality Becomes TV. “With these awards, we continue our tradition of honoring the talented artists and craftspeople who bring entertainment into our homes.”
Crave/HBO Max’s steamy romance “Heated Rivalry,” about two closeted professional hockey players coming to terms with their sexuality, took home the TCA’s top prize, Program of the Year, while Apple TV’s hilarious horror hit “Widow’s Bay” scared up a trio of wins for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, Outstanding New Program, and Individual Achievement in Comedy for Kate O’Flynn, who quickly emerged as a fan favorite for her role as eccentric mayoral assistant Patricia Moyer.
Other notable winners include the HBO Max medical drama “The Pitt,” which earned Outstanding Achievement in Drama honors for a second consecutive year; as well as “Pluribus” star Rhea Seehorn, who found happiness with Individual Achievement in Drama for her turn as Carol Sturka on the infectious dystopian dramedy. Elsewhere, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” took home Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch in its final season and Ken Burns’six-part PBS documentary “The American Revolution” planted its flag in Outstanding Achievement in News and Information.
Additional winners include Peacock’s conniving competition series “The Traitors,” which plotted its way to a third straight Outstanding Achievement in Reality win. Netflix’s James Garfield docudrama “Death by Lightning” struck gold with Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials. Disney+’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” continued its mythic run with Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming, and Apple TV’s Peanuts spectacular “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical” danced its way into Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming. Meanwhile, a pair of Netflix hits made history, as the ensemble family dramedy “Long Story Short” earned the first-ever Outstanding Achievement in Animation award, and the global phenomenon “Squid Game” outlasted its opponents to claim the TCA’s inaugural Outstanding International Series honors.
The Television Critics Association was also pleased to present Stephen Colbert with the organization’s honorary Career Achievement Award, in recognition of nearly four decades of excellence in comedy, television, and film. A product of the legendary improv institution Second City, Colbert has forged a legacy as a skilled political satirist with a sharp wit and keen sense of his skewered subjects. From “The Daily Show” to “The Colbert Report” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” he has revolutionized the art form through biting sketches that cleverly break down the topical events of the day—crafting memorable personas that blend personal facts with hilarious fiction, and providing rare insight that is entirely his own.
As the host of several popular comedy programs, Colbert has demonstrated tremendous skill in simply being able to talk to people—whether in on-the-street interviews or sit-downs with some of the biggest names in politics and entertainment. His work has yielded 11 Emmy wins, many for outstanding writing, as well as two Grammys for his comedy albums, showcasing his mastery of multiple mediums.
Throughout his stellar career, Colbert has appeared in various capacities in acclaimed series such as “Saturday Night Live,” “Rick and Morty,” “BoJack Horseman,” “The Office,” and “The Simpsons,” to name only a few, and amassed several film credits that include Despicable Me 4 and Monsters vs. Aliens. Next up, he will return to Middle-earth for the anticipated next installment in the Lord of the Rings film franchise, which he is co-writing with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens.
Additionally, TCA is proud to honor the landmark sketch comedy series “In Living Color” with the organization’s 25th Heritage Award. Originally running on FOX from 1990 to 1994, the groundbreaking program put a fresh twist on the typical variety show format. Fueled by irreverent humor and a predominantly Black cast led by series creator, writer, and star Keenen Ivory Wayans—along with his siblings/co-stars Marlon, Damon, Kim, Shawn, and Dwayne—the series delivered laughs with a real and raw flavor, providing an edgy wit and unique perspective that set it apart from weekend titan “Saturday Night Live.”
Winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series in its inaugural season, “In Living Color” also introduced several future icons to the world via star turns by then-unknowns such as Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh, Kelly Coffield Park, and Tommy Davidson; the legendary Fly Girls dance troupe featuring Jennifer Lopez and Carrie Ann Inaba with choreography by Rosie Perez; and a host of unforgettable characters ranging from colorful ex-con Homey D. Clown and unhinged flamethrower Fire Marshal Bill, to quotable critics Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather, the supremely confident Wanda Wayne, and the original gossip girl Benita Butrell, to name only a few.
A true cultural tastemaker, the series also was the first entertainment program to be programmed against the Super Bowl. Fox’s 1992 stunt is credited with pioneering the now-common trend of Big Game counterprogramming, as “In Living Color” had an impressive audience of 20 million viewers.
Below is the list of 2026 Television Critics Association Award winners as well as the links to the Organization’s social media channels. Acceptance videos were produced individually for each winner and can be found under the hashtag #TCAAwards on TCA’s social media channels:
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tvcritics.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelevisionCriticsAssociation
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_tca/
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tvcritics
- X: https://x.com/OfficialTCA/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tvcritics
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tvcritics/
- Threads: https://www.threads.com/@official_tca
2026 TCA Award Winners
Program of the Year: Heated Rivalry, Crave / HBO Max
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: Widow’s Bay, Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Drama: The Pitt, HBO Max
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials: Death by Lightning, Netflix
Outstanding New Program: Widow’s Bay, Apple TV
Individual Achievement in Drama: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus, Apple TV
Individual Achievement in Comedy: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay, Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: The American Revolution, PBS
Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS
Outstanding Achievement in Reality: The Traitors, Peacock
Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Disney+
Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming: Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical, Apple TV
Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Long Story Short, Netflix
Outstanding International Series: Squid Game, Netflix
Career Achievement: Stephen Colbert
Heritage Award: In Living Color
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