‘Widow’s Bay’ Breaks Emmy Record With 14 Wins as ‘The Pitt’ Takes Best Drama

Apple TV+’s horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay made Emmy history on Monday night after becoming the most decorated comedy series in a single season, collecting 14 awards at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The series, created by Katie Dippold, won the coveted Outstanding Comedy Series prize, surpassing the previous record of 13 Emmys set by The Studio last year.

Widow’s Bay entered the ceremony with eight awards from the Creative Arts Emmys and added six more during Monday’s main ceremony, completing its record-breaking haul.

The show also delivered a major acting triumph for Matthew Rhys, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Mayor Tom Loftis.

Rhys had an extraordinary night, also winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Netflix’s The Beast in Me. He became the first man to win two lead acting categories at the Emmys in the same year.

Widow’s Bay also collected acting awards for Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn, while Dippold won for comedy writing and Hiro Murai took home the directing award.

The series tells the story of a New England island community dealing with a centuries-old curse, combining horror elements with comedy. Its dominant performance marked a remarkable breakthrough for a first-season production.

Meanwhile, The Pitt retained its position at the top of television drama, winning Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year.

The HBO Max medical drama, which follows the intense lives of staff working in an emergency department, also saw its star Noah Wyle win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.

The victory means The Pitt has won the top drama prize in each of its first two seasons, further establishing the series as one of television’s leading dramas.

Rhea Seehorn won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, securing her first Emmy after previous nominations for Better Call Saul.

Elsewhere, Jean Smart made history by winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the fifth consecutive season of Hacks. She became the first performer to win the category in every season of a series that ran for more than three seasons.

The 78th Emmy Awards were hosted by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay in Los Angeles. The ceremony also featured a special humanitarian honour for Michael J. Fox, while several tributes and reunions added emotional moments to the night’s celebrations.

With Widow’s Bay dominating comedy and The Pitt retaining its drama crown, the 2026 Emmys produced clear winners in two of television’s biggest categories while delivering several historic acting achievements.