Apple TV’s horror-comedy Widow’s Bay has stormed into the Emmy record books, racking up 14 trophies across this year’s ceremonies — the most ever won by a comedy series in a single season.
The haul pushes past the previous benchmark of 13 awards, set by The Studio last year.
At Monday night’s 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Widow’s Bay collected six prizes, including Best Comedy Series, after already taking eight wins at the Creative Arts Emmys a week earlier.
The night also produced a milestone for Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who became the first performer to claim two Emmys for lead acting in the same year.
Rhys won Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing small-town mayor Tom Loftis in Widow’s Bay, adding to an earlier victory as Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix psychological thriller The Beast in Me.
With those two awards — alongside his 2018 drama win for The Americans — the 51-year-old also became the first male performer to win across all three lead acting categories.
Jean Smart won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Award for Hacks
Accepting his second award of the year, Rhys nodded to his roots, saying: “We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible.”
Widow’s Bay, set around a New England island community grappling with a curse said to stretch back centuries, also earned acting wins for Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root in the supporting comedy categories.
The show’s creative team added more trophies to the total, with Katie Dippold honoured for writing and Hiro Murai winning for directing.
Jean Smart extended her run of Emmy success with Hacks, taking Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth time.
Smart, who portrays stand-up comic Deborah Vance, made history of her own by becoming the first performer to win the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for every season of a show’s run.
The Pitt star Noah Wyle landed his second Emmy for playing Dr. “Robby” Robinavitch on the medical drama
In the drama fields, The Pitt defended its title as Best Drama Series, while Noah Wyle repeated as Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for a second straight year for his portrayal of Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.
Rhea Seehorn earned her first Emmy, winning Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus.
DTF St. Louis was named Best Limited or Anthology Series, and Sally Field received Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Reality and variety honours went to familiar winners: the US edition of The Traitors secured Outstanding Reality Competition Series for the third consecutive year, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Variety Series.
Michael J. Fox was honoured by the academy
Among those already celebrated at the Creative Arts Emmys was Dublin cinematographer Darran Tiernan, who picked up his first Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) for the Prime Video superhero series Spider-Noir, for the episode Step Into My Office.
Michael J Fox was also recognised during the season with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, honouring his support of Parkinson’s disease research through the Michael J Fox Foundation.
The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hosted the ceremony, with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay serving as host.
Primetime Emmy Awards 2026: Full list of winners
Outstanding Drama Series
The Pitt
Outstanding Comedy Series
Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Traitors
Outstanding Variety Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Vince Gilligan, Pluribus
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Katie Dippold, Widow’s Bay
Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
Michael J Fox
Creative Arts Emmys 2026: Night One winners
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Outstanding Game Show
Jeopardy!
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series
The Traitors (“The Black Banquet”)
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
Tyler Strickland, John Candy: I Like Me
Outstanding Music Direction
Miguel Gandelman, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming
Charm La’Donna and Karina Ortiz, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Emerging Media Program
Uncanny Alley: A New Day
Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming
Crafting Crimes
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Ocean with David Attenborough
Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program
The Traitors
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
Inside the Pitt
Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series
Colbert Before Air
Outstanding Commercial
I’m Not Remarkable – Apple
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program
Saturday Night Live (Host: Bad Bunny)
Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming
The Masked Singer (“Premiere Part 1”)
The Traitors (“The Black Banquet”)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program
Welcome to Wrexham
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program
Ocean with David Attenborough
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (“Blink Again”)
Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program
The Traitors (“The Death Conga”)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Mr. Scorsese
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
Tucci in Italy
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Mariska Hargitay, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program
Ben Archard, The Traitors
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
The Librarians
Outstanding Narrator
Octavia Spencer, Lost Women of Alaska
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
Yvonne De Mare, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
Hamish Hamilton, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Creative Arts Emmys 2026: Night Two winners
Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
The Pitt
Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
Bridgerton
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Shailene Woodley, Paradise
Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
Fallout
Outstanding Period Costumes
Palm Royale
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
Fallout
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)
Pluribus
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup
The Pitt
Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Palm Royale
Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Ernest Harden Jr, The Pitt
Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming
Brooke Lipton, Palm Royale
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming
John Koyama, The Boys
Outstanding Stunt Performance
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming
Freddy Bouciegues and Hugh Aodh O’Brien, Spider-Noir
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series
Pluribus
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series
Hacks
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Multi-Camera Comedy Series
Leanne
Legacy Award
I Love Lucy
Outstanding Animated Program
South Park
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Julie Andrews, Bridgerton
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation
Takashi Okazaki, Star Wars: Visions
David Krentz, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal
Scott Wills, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal
Howard Chen, The Mighty Nein
Uzoma Dunkwu, Eyes of Wakanda
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
Beef
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
Spider-Noir
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
Pluribus
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef
Outstanding Title Design
Spider-Noir
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode
Spider-Noir
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie
Stranger Things
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour)
Darran Tiernan, Spider-Noir
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
James Whitaker, DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
Christian Sprenger, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Music Supervision
Toko Nagata, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Gavin Brivik and Andrew Bird, “Need Someone”, The Pitt
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Dave Porter, Pluribus
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
David Fleming, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Sean Callery and Sara Barone, The Beast in Me
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Steven Conrad, DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Steven Conrad, DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Rob Reiner, The Bear
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Betty Gilpin, Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Movie
Remarkably Bright Creatures
