Netflix secured 16 trophies at the 78th Primetime Emmys, marking the streamer's weakest performance in over a decade as rivals Apple and HBO took the lead.

Picture Credit: Emmys / Netflix

The 78th Primetime Emmy® Awards have officially wrapped, and while Netflix added some serious gold to its trophy cabinet, the night’s overall landscape looked a little different than in years past, with the streamer logging its weakest haul in over a decade. 

Heading into the ceremony, Netflix boasted a massive 111 nominations across 34 new and returning titles. Ultimately, the streaming service walked away with 16 wins across both the Primetime and Creative Arts ceremonies.

While 16 wins is nothing to scoff at, it marks a significant drop for the streamer compared to recent years (down from 30 wins in 2025 and 24 wins in 2024). In the overall network race, Netflix slid down to third place, ceding the top spots to Apple TV+ and HBO Max.

Here is the final network scorecard for the 2026 Emmy Awards:

• Apple TV+ – 28
• HBO Max – 19
• Netflix – 16
• NBC – 7
• Peacock – 7
• CBS – 6
• MGM+/Prime Video – 5
• Prime Video – 5
• Disney+ – 4
• FX/Hulu – 3
• National Geographic – 3
• Adult Swim – 2
• Comedy Central – 2
• PBS – 2
• YouTube – 2

To put those 16 winds into perspective, here’s how the performance stacks up and we can see here that it was the weakest Emmys for Netflix in a decade. 

Now that the envelopes have been opened, let’s take a closer look at what worked for Netflix this year, what didn’t, and exactly which shows took home the gold.

Limited Series/Movie Acting Masterclasses

The Television Academy absolutely loved Netflix’s stars in the closed-ended formats. Matthew Rhys took home the highly competitive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me. Meanwhile, Hollywood icon Sally Field captured the Lead Actress prize for her phenomenal work in Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Outstanding Movie

While they may have missed out on the top Series prizes, Netflix proved they are still the undisputed king of the made-for-streaming movie albeit you could argue almost all other studios have largely vacated this category in favor of focusing on theatrical. Nevertheless,  Remarkably Bright Creatures secured the massive Outstanding Movie win, continuing Netflix’s strong legacy in this category.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Sally Field, winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Award for “Remarkably Bright Creatures”, poses backstage for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)

Reality and Nonfiction Dominance

Netflix’s unscripted slate remains a powerhouse. Love on the Spectrum had a phenomenal showing, sweeping Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, Casting, and Picture Editing.

A Major Drama Upset

One of the most exciting moments of the night for Netflix came in the Drama categories. While experts gave her a less than 2% chance to win, Allison Janney proudly took home Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her stellar work in The Diplomat, proving her undeniable industry cachet.

Creative Arts and Below-the-Line Brilliance

Netflix’s technical craft remains top-tier. Even without dominating the primetime telecast, shows like BEEF, Bridgerton, and Stranger Things cleaned up at the Creative Arts Emmys, securing wins for costumes, sound mixing/editing, hairstyles, and special visual effects.

Shut Out of the Top Series Prizes

The biggest hurdle for Netflix this year was the sheer dominance of Apple TV+ and HBO Max in the flagship series categories. Netflix completely missed out on Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. Even in the Limited Series category—where Netflix has historically thrived with hits like The Queen’s Gambit and BEEF—they lost the top prize to HBO and Apple with Widow’s Bay undoubtedly being the darling of the night.  

Part of this is Netflix’s overreliance in the limited series space over the past few years. Returning Netflix dramas in particular are really hard to come by with some of their oldest titles in the genre having ended or approaching their end very soon. 

A Low Conversion Rate

Going into the night with 111 nominations and walking away with 16 wins means Netflix had a conversion rate of about 14%. Their slate was incredibly broad, racking up nods across 34 different titles, but when it came time to hand out the trophies, voters largely rallied behind concentrated favorites on rival networks rather than spreading the wealth.

The Absence of a Runaway Juggernaut

In past years, Netflix has had singular cultural juggernauts that swept whole categories (think The Crown taking all seven major Drama awards in 2021, or Baby Reindeer and Squid Game dominating the cultural conversation). This year, Netflix’s wins were highly fragmented. They relied heavily on limited series and movies over returning scripted hit dramas, and while it paid off in individual acting and technical categories, they lacked that one undeniable flagship show to anchor their primetime haul.

Los Angeles, CA – September 14, 2026: Matthew Rhys holds his Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for “The Beast In Me” during the 78th Emmy Awards in the trophy room at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Here are all 16 Emmys Netflix took home for the 2026 season:

• BEEF – Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
• BEEF – Outstanding Sound Editing For a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
• BEEF – Outstanding Sound Mixing For a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
• Bridgerton – Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Julie Andrews)
• Bridgerton – Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
• Leanne – Outstanding Picture Editing For a Multi-Camera Comedy Series
• Love on the Spectrum – Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
• Love on the Spectrum – Outstanding Casting For a Reality Program
• Love on the Spectrum – Outstanding Picture Editing For an Unstructured Reality Program
• Remarkably Bright Creatures – Outstanding Movie
• Remarkably Bright Creatures – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Sally Field)
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning – Outstanding Picture Editing For a Nonfiction Program
• Stranger Things – Outstanding Special Visual Effects In a Season or a Movie
• The Beast in Me – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie (Matthew Rhys)
• The Beast in Me – Outstanding Music Composition For a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
• The Diplomat – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Allison Janney)

What did you think about Netflix’s Emmy haul for 2026? Let us know in the comments down below.