Martin Short came to the 2026 Emmys prepared for the possibility that his name would be called. By the end of the night, part of that preparation was lying in pieces on the floor.
The Only Murders in the Building star lost Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series to Matthew Rhys for Widow’s Bay on September 14. When the broadcast cut back to Short after the winner was announced, he jokingly ripped apart the acceptance speech he had brought with him, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Steve Martin later shared a photo of one of the scraps lying on the carpet of the Peacock Theater. The page had been torn straight through the sentences, leaving only pieces of what Short had planned to say, including “To my brilliant,” “good as winning,” “Oh yes Steve Martin…” and “Boy is it fun.”
The official Only Murders in the Building Instagram account supplied the explanation beneath Martin’s post: “Best ripped up speech award goes to Marty.” Whatever Short had prepared for a victory never made it to the stage.
Short Turned the Loss Into One of the Night’s Quickest Jokes
Martin Short ripping up his speech on camera after losing to Matthew Rhys deserves an Emmy by itself 😂 insane he has won zero for acting during his entire career pic.twitter.com/iawYbE2qgA
— Todd Spence (@Todd_Spence) September 15, 2026
The joke happened in real time during Monday night’s Emmy broadcast. Rhys had just been announced as the winner when the camera found Short in the audience, still holding the speech he would have used if his own name had been called.
Short began tearing them up on camera and dropped the pieces to the floor as Rhys headed to the stage. Martin extended the joke after the ceremony by sharing a photo of one of those torn pieces. Whatever Short intended to say after “Oh yes Steve Martin…” disappeared with the missing portion of the page.
Short Has Been Nominated for Oliver Putnam Five Years in a Row
This was Short’s fifth consecutive nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Oliver Putnam, beginning with the show’s first eligible season. He has yet to win the category.
The Television Academy currently lists Short with 23 career Emmy nominations and two wins. His 2026 nominations also included Outstanding Comedy Series as an executive producer of Only Murders in the Building and Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Match Game.
Neither of Short’s two career Emmy wins was for an acting performance. He won for writing on SCTV Network in 1983 and as part of the 2014 Outstanding Variety Special winner AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks.
Only Murders in the Building itself received five nominations for the 2026 cycle: Comedy Series, Short’s Lead Actor performance, Casting, Production Design and Contemporary Costumes. None resulted in a win.
Widow’s Bay took Comedy Series, Lead Actor, Casting and Production Design, while Margo’s Got Money Troubles won Contemporary Costumes. Across its first five seasons, Only Murders in the Building now stands at seven Emmy wins from 61 nominations.
Matthew Rhys Was Having a Very Different Emmy Night
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Short’s loss came during an unusually big night for Rhys. Before winning Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, he had already won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me.
The double victory made Rhys the first person to win two Emmys for leading performances in the same year. Combined with his 2018 drama win for The Americans, it also made him the first performer to win lead-acting Emmys across drama, comedy and limited-series or movie categories, according to the Television Academy.
Widow’s Bay finished the 2026 Emmy cycle with 14 wins, breaking the record for the most Emmys won by a comedy in a single year. Eight came during the Creative Arts ceremonies, followed by six more during the September 14 telecast.