The Traitors proved its reality TV reign was far from over after scoring another win on television’s biggest night. The Peacock mystery series won its third consecutive Outstanding Reality Competition Program award at the 2026 Emmys.
Alan Cumming celebrated the victory alongside the show’s producers at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater. The win came after the series had already picked up several awards at the Creative Arts Emmys.
The Traitors won Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 2026 Emmys for the third consecutive year
The Traitors beat Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor and Top Chef. Cumming, 61, accepted the award after the cast of Baywatch presented the category.
“I speak on behalf of all our producers who are running to the stage,” Cumming said. He joked that the producers now knew what completing a mission on The Traitors felt like.
Cumming also thanked the Academy and said the victory inspired the team “to do better and go bigger.” He later gave his dog Lila a shoutout, calling her “the perfect cohost.”
The host then turned his attention to the show’s fans. “It is so diverse, and it’s just incredible the way you all get together,” Cumming said during his speech.
“That is so beautiful that a show about treachery and betrayal brings people together,” he added. He then urged Americans to register and vote.
The latest trophy continued an impressive Emmy streak for the Peacock hit. The series had already won the same category in 2024 and 2025.
Cumming previously explained the show’s appeal to Variety. “We all lie, but we don’t always get to witness people doing it,” he said.
He credited the format’s focus on contestants navigating pressure and deception. He also praised its campy, queer aesthetic. Cumming said the show felt especially gratifying during “a very scary and oppressive time.”
The format divides contestants into Faithfuls and Traitors inside a Scottish castle. Traitors secretly eliminate players while Faithfuls try to identify them during tense roundtables.
The 2026 season also delivered major moments, including Rob Rausch deceiving Maura Higgins in the finale. Rausch ultimately secured the prize after Higgins believed they would win together.
The franchise is also expanding beyond celebrity casting. A civilian version, The Traitors: New Blood, is set to premiere on NBC.
