Katie Dippold (C) and the team from ‘Widow’s Bay’ accept the award for outstanding comedy series during the 78th Emmy Awards on Sept 14. (AP Photo)
"Widow’s Bay” dominated the 2026 Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, winning 14 awards in a single season to set a new record for a comedy series, including best comedy series and best actor for Matthew Rhys.
The Apple TV series surpassed the previous record of 13 awards set by “The Studio” last year, taking home virtually every major comedy prize at the ceremony.
“The celebrations will be long, varied, and I hope at times wild,” Rhys said backstage while holding two of his Emmy trophies.
Rhys had an especially historic night. In addition to winning best actor in a comedy for “Widow’s Bay,” he won best actor in a limited or anthology series for “The Beast in Me.” He became the first man to win two leading actor categories in the same year.
He also received a best comedy series trophy as an executive producer of “Widow’s Bay.”
Created by Katie Dippold, “Widow’s Bay” is the first season of a dark comedy that combines horror and humor. It follows a New England island community dealing with a centuries-old curse, with Rhys playing the town’s mayor.
The show also won for directing, with Hiro Murai taking the prize, and for writing, giving Dippold her first Emmy as both a nominee and winner.
Dippold had previously been best known for a viral photograph from a decade ago in which she appeared awkwardly dressed as the horror character “The Babadook.”
“Widow’s Bay” had already collected eight Emmys at an earlier ceremony. It then swept all six categories in which it competed during the main telecast on Sept. 14.
Stephen Root won best supporting actor in a comedy series, beating a field that included Harrison Ford, while Kate O’Flynn won best supporting actress. Both received their first Emmys.
Root, 74, became the oldest person to win the supporting comedy actor category.
O’Flynn, a 40-year-old British actor known largely for her theater work before the series, plays Patricia Moyer, a city worker and social outcast confronting a demonic darkness in “Widow’s Bay.”
“This is the role of a lifetime,” O’Flynn said from the stage.
Apple TV has now further strengthened its position in the Emmy comedy categories. Between “Widow’s Bay,” “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” the platform has won best comedy series four times in six seasons.
“The Pitt” won best drama series for the second consecutive year, while Noah Wyle repeated as best actor in a drama.
The HBO Max emergency room drama was the leading drama nominee with 25 nominations but won no other awards during the main ceremony, falling short of expectations after collecting four awards at an earlier ceremony.
Wyle plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a role that has brought him a major career revival following his starring role on “ER” in the 1990s.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, and this is the only club I’ve ever wanted to join,” Wyle said during his acceptance speech.
Several actors from “The Pitt” also lost in supporting categories. Allison Janney won best supporting actress in a drama for “The Diplomat,” while Tom Pelphrey won best supporting actor in a drama for “Task.”
“Hacks” star Jean Smart wins again
“Hacks,” meanwhile, also failed to turn its strong nominations into a large haul. Jean Smart’s best actress in a comedy award was the show’s only win of the night.
Smart won the award for the fifth time for the fifth and final season of the HBO Max series.
No actor had previously won an Emmy every season for a series that lasted more than three seasons.
The 75-year-old Smart now has eight Emmys overall, adding another major honor to a career that was already well established before she took on the role of Deborah Vance, a blunt stand-up comedian confronting age, obscurity and sexism.
“What a ride this has been,” an emotional Smart said after receiving a standing ovation.
Seehorn takes first Emmy
Rhea Seehorn won her first Emmy for best actress in a drama for Apple TV’s “Pluribus.”
The 54-year-old had previously been nominated twice for her breakthrough role as Kim Wexler in “Better Call Saul,” but had never won.
“Pluribus” was created by Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” who also won his fifth career Emmy for writing on the series.
Apple TV’s horror-comedy dominates the ceremony, while ‘The Pitt’ and ‘Hacks’ fall short despite leading the nominations
