As final Emmy voting began, industry observers were anticipating that "Widow's Bay" would win in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. The Apple TV series, which premiered in May, accumulated an unusual number of nominations for its first year, though its final three episodes were not eligible this year.
However, "Hacks" in its final season broke the record for nominations in a single comedy season with 24 mentions. While HBO Max has won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series only once, it has been a major player in comedy categories since the series began, winning three Emmys each year it has been eligible.
The event that proved most decisive was a live concert titled "Deborah Vance & Friends & Enemies Live!" at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, held the Friday before voting opened. Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Lauren Weedman and Meg Stalter (via video message) performed in character, alongside performances by comedians Naomi Ekperigin and Pat Regan. The finale featured Smart and Einbinder lip-syncing a duet by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland to close out the series.
According to observers, the most important reminder was that the Emmy is an award for comedy. While some consider "Widow's Bay" funnier than other contenders, the Apple TV series explicitly presents itself as a genre blend with frightening moments. "Hacks" consistently emphasised that its goal is to make audiences laugh, a strategy that contributed to it winning over "The Bear" in 2024.
HBO also showed programmatic cleverness during the final weekend. While other studios participated in Televerse, the Television Academy's Emmy festival, HBO scheduled its "Hacks" event on opening Friday and its annual nominees celebration on closing Sunday at Nya Studios, located in downtown Hollywood, rather than at the J.W. Marriott downtown Los Angeles where the festival was held.
