Jean Smart and Allison Janney each won an eighth performer Emmy at the 78th Emmy Awards, creating a four-way tie at the top of the Television Academy’s all-time list for female performers. Smart won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, while Janney won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat.
The result puts both actors alongside Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who entered the night with eight performer wins apiece. Smart and Janney did not pass the record; they joined it on the same telecast.
Four performers now share the women’s acting record
The Academy’s official records sheet, prepared before the ceremony, listed Leachman and Louis-Dreyfus at eight wins and Mary Tyler Moore, Janney and Smart at seven. The two confirmed 2026 results moved Janney and Smart up one place together.
This is specifically the record for Emmys won as a performer. It is different from the Academy’s broader individual totals, which can include producing, writing or other eligible work. All eight wins attached to Smart and Janney in this comparison are acting awards.
Jean Smart’s fifth Hacks win completed the climb
Smart won for playing comedian Deborah Vance in Hacks. The official category page lists Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Ayo Edebiri for The Bear, Elle Fanning for Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback as the other nominees.
The 2026 award is Smart’s fifth lead-comedy win for Deborah Vance, following wins in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Her three earlier acting Emmys came from two guest performances on Frasier and a supporting role on Samantha Who?. The Academy’s performer page now lists 15 nominations and eight wins.
Hacks therefore accounts for most of Smart’s record total. It also gives her three consecutive wins in the category across 2024, 2025 and 2026, after the series did not have an eligible season in the 2023 race.
Allison Janney returned to drama for number eight
Janney won for playing President Grace Penn in The Diplomat. She prevailed over four performers from The Pitt—Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa and Sepideh Moafi—plus Julianne Nicholson for Paradise and Karolina Wydra for Pluribus.
Her first seven Emmys covered three television series and multiple acting categories. Janney won four times as C.J. Cregg on The West Wing, twice as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom and once as Margaret Scully on Masters of Sex. The Diplomat adds a fourth series to that winning history and brings her back to the drama field where her Emmy run began.
The record also gives Janney a notable bridge between two political dramas. Her four West Wing wins came for a White House press secretary who became chief of staff; her eighth comes for a character who rises to the presidency in The Diplomat.
The shared record can still change
The tie remains open rather than settled permanently. Smart, Janney and Louis-Dreyfus are active performers, and a future acting win by any of them would establish a new high. The Academy’s records sheet will also need to reflect the two additions after the ceremony.
For now, the accurate count is four co-holders at eight performer Emmys each: Cloris Leachman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney and Jean Smart.
More from the 2026 Emmys
For the ceremony schedule, viewing details and every major category, use our complete 2026 Emmys guide.
Rhea Seehorn also reached a career milestone during the telecast. Read how she won her first Emmy for Pluribus.
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