Apple TV dominates Emmys 2026 as 'Widow's Bay' breaks record with 14 wins

Apple TV’s horror-comedy "Widow's Bay" has made Emmy history, winning 14 awards at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. The show, created by Katie Dippold and directed by Hiro Murai, won 14 of its 19 nominations, making it the most successful comedy series in a single Emmy year.

The achievement breaks the previous record of 13 wins, set just one year earlier by Apple TV’s "The Studio".

 "Widow's Bay" performed strongly in the major Primetime Emmy categories. The series won Outstanding Comedy Series, while Matthew Rhys took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Rhys also made history by becoming the first actor to win two lead acting Emmys on the same night. He additionally won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for "The Beast in Me".

The show also earned acting awards for Stephen Root, who won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Kate O'Flynn, who won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Katie Dippold received the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, while Hiro Murai won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. His victory also made him the first Asian director to win the category.

Before the main Emmy ceremony, "Widow's Bay" had already dominated the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, winning eight trophies. These included awards for guest actress Betty Gilpin, casting, cinematography, music composition, music supervision, production design, sound editing, and sound mixing.

The 14-win haul also gives "Widow's Bay" the record for the most Emmy wins by an Apple TV+ series in a single year. It now stands above the platform’s other major successes.

 "The Studio" previously held the single-year record with 13 wins in 2025, while "Severance" earned eight that same year. "Ted Lasso", Apple’s most internationally recognized comedy, won seven Emmys in its strongest single year, although it has collected 13 awards overall.