The TCA has announced the winners for its 42nd annual awards, and some of our favorite shows have won big. Crave/HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry won the top prize, the prestigious Program of the Year award, while Apple TV’s horror comedy Widow’s Bay won three different awards, including Outstanding New Program.
Other notable winners include Career Achievement Recipient Stephen Colbert and Heritage Award Winner In Living Color, as well as the first-ever awards for Outstanding Achievement in Animation and Outstanding International Series. The TCA (Television Critics Association) Awards are voted on by professional journalists covering television across the United States and Canada.
“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. “With these awards, we continue our tradition of honoring the talented artists and craftspeople who bring entertainment into our homes.”
As a voting member of the TCA, it’s a particular joy for me to share the list of winners and celebrate diverse, emotional, and groundbreaking storytelling on TV. As critics, we are not the only opinion that matters, but we do have an impact, and getting recognized by the Television Critics Association means that a body of people whose job is to critique and analyze found your work not just outstanding, but worth elevating above the rest.
Let’s celebrate these shows. And if you haven’t watched, what are you waiting for?
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
